Number 258
Editors: Emmah Ferguson, Andrew Maund, Emma Kate Trow-Poole and Sarah Bradley
Designer: Niklas Iliffe, The Graphic Design House
Published by: The King’s School, Worcester
Printed by: The Graphic Design House
© 2023 The King’s School, Worcester
Like so many things in life, particularly in education, each issue of The Vigornian is very much a team effort, and this is certainly the case this year. The planning, organisation and sourcing of material was spearheaded by Emmah Ferguson, before Emma Kate Trow-Poole, Sarah Bradley and Andrew Maund took on the proof-reading and editing of the material. We are indebted to Amanda Sutcliffe, for all the OV, Alumni and Development Trust materials, Catherine Perera, Emma Southall and Emily Ward, for all their help and support, particularly with images, and to Nik Iliffe and Keighley Houlden at The Graphic Design House in Portsmouth for their patience and expertise in designing and producing the final magazine; it’s no mean feat for an outside agency to get under the skin of a community as complex and individual as our own and capture so effectively our spirit.
But without the myriad contributions of text and images which staff and pupils have provided, there would be nothing to edit, so particular thanks must go to everyone who has taken time out of their busy schedules to write an article or take a photograph and
contribute it to the magazine. Of course, without the efforts of staff and pupils to organise, run and participate in events and activities, there would be nothing about which to write or to capture as an image, so the greatest thanks must go to everyone who, either as a one-off or on a regular basis, takes part in the activities that make up the life of our community, many of which are documented in these pages.
In our modern, instamatic world, where we all carry in our pockets devices to capture a record of our lives countless times a day, it is still important to remember the advice given to photographers of a different, earlier era: “Every time you press that shutter, you are recording a moment of history.” Magazines like The Vigornian aim to celebrate achievements and successes, but they are also key historical records, over which researchers and archivists of the future will pore with just as much fervour as current and past pupils, parents and staff will do to learn about what others have been doing, recall recent memories, and find references to themselves and their friends in the latest issue.
Electronic shutters have captured many such moments in the wonderful photographs which fill these pages. But, in the same way that literary critics read over the letters of writers from centuries ago in search of a sense of the inspiration that fired their creativity and a snapshot of the world in which they lived, in and between the lines of text on the pages that follow lies the essence of what makes this School such a special place. It is a place full of confidence, curiosity and care, filled with ambition, resilience, humility, creativity and kindness.
With this edition of The Vigornian, we hope that you will enjoy reflecting on the academic year 2021 – 2022 and find inspiration for your part in the future of our Foundation community.
Editorial Team:
Sarah Bradley
Emmah Ferguson
Emma Kate Trow-Poole
Andrew Maund
In George Orwell’s dystopian view of the near future, 1984, there is a phrase which appeals greatly to me as an historian: “He who controls the past, controls the future.” The end of the school year is a time to look back and to look forward, but we should also remember that our collective identity as a Foundation comes from our shared past experience; individually and together we are continuing to build that story every day. This magazine serves as a record of many of the highlights of the past year which form the bricks that make up the wonderful, ever-changing edifice, but it also records the continuing day to day life of this very special place as our world lurches back towards something like the normality we once knew.
We have a vision at King’s; to embrace our history and tradition whilst ensuring the young people in our care leave us armed with confidence and resilience as they enter an ever-changing world. We are committed to being a safe and inclusive institution and much work is being done by both the pupils and the staff body regarding this, opening up discussions, promoting inclusion, equity and diversity across all that we do, and reviewing every aspect of our provision. I am proud of our school community as we collectively commit to this mission.
In his sermon at the King’s Day service which brought the academic year 2021 –2022 to a close, the Dean of Worcester, The Very Reverend Dr Peter Atkinson, referred to Maya Angelou’s inspiring reflection: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how they made you feel.” He went on to recall the feeling of excitement at learning something new and also explored how powerfully a feeling of awe and wonder can remain as a fragment of memory to which we can hold throughout life.
These are feelings which I hope all Vigornians have experienced during this busy and successful year and will continue to feel throughout our lives, not only while at school but also as we step away from this very special place and out into the wider world. But we will all need resilience and courage for the journey.
If the past two years have taught us anything, it is that there is no “normal”; there is no “ordinary”. It is my sincere and heartfelt hope that, as a school, we will continue to make every member of our community curious, caring and confident,
providing us all with everything that we all need to face the vicissitudes of life.
Curiosity will help us to seek out our moments of epiphany, of revelation, to find what is good, as the Dean encouraged us to do. By taking what is good, we will build the confidence and courage to press ahead in the race and to do the right thing. And together, those qualities will enable us to shape a caring life, in which we act with kindness towards everyone. The part that our pastoral provision plays in building that ethos cannot be overestimated, and we can see that in the busy activities recorded herein.
We have enjoyed a remarkable academic year 2021 - 2022, with much upon which to reflect and celebrate. Coronavirus continued to have an impact upon our activities and I cannot stress enough my thanks to our staff, the pupil body, Old Vigornians and parents for your continuing positivity, flexibility and resilience. Whilst it has been wonderful to take steady steps towards a more ‘normal’ school life, there have remained significant impacts and restrictions on activities and lessons. As you will read in these pages, in true King’s style, these hurdles have been approached with optimism and innovation. The results, in terms of academic success, co-curricular achievement and personal development are all the more outstanding considering the many restrictions which have been in place.
There have been significant sporting successes to celebrate. King’s retained the Modus Cup this year with an emphatic 39-12 win. We’ve also seen our U16 netballers crowned District and then County Champions as well as victors in the Superball. As you will recall as you read through the magazine, there have been many other wonderful individual and team achievements in the pool, on the river, the tracks and on the fields this year and the many opportunities that the School provides make it clear that King’s really is a place where sport is for all.
The creative and performing arts are flourishing at King’s and it has been a true delight to welcome live audiences back this year. For example, although outdoors on a rather chilly November evening, it was a joy to see the Open Mic Night in a live format again, with the audience wrapped up warm and armed with hot chocolate to enjoy a much-anticipated return to live performance. Later that same term, the School Production of We Will Rock
You took place in the John Moore Theatre with a reduced but hugely enthusiastic and delighted audience. These are two examples of the exciting cultural life of the School; you will find many others recorded here too.
The arts are only one facet of the glittering jewel that is our co-curricular programme. Whether it’s our young photographers capturing that perfect image, the CCF putting aside their finery from Mess Night to build and launch coracles, our DofE cohort overcoming all weathers to complete their expeditions or our WRAITH readers travelling from the comfort of our wonderful library to other worlds in their imaginations, these pages chronicle how fervently Vigornians have seized every opportunity on offer.
This edition of The Vigornian will bring feelings of sadness too, particularly with the reports of those members of our community who are no longer with us. Our community was devastated by news of the deaths of recent colleagues Pat Edwards, Marc Roberts and Anne-Marie Simpson. I know their families have been touched by the warmth and support of the OV community. We remember and thank Pat, Anne-Marie and Marc for their tremendous service to King’s. They will be greatly missed.
More than anything else, this magazine celebrates our wonderfully diverse and supportive community. In the end, it is the relationships which are forged and developed here, the people with whom we work and play, that really matter and that are our true legacy. And so the hourglass of the Foundation turns and the sands of time begin to run once more. I thank everyone for their contribution to our Foundation story this year and the places that they are chiselling out for themselves in our future together.
Gareth Doodes
Agnes Azzopardi
Agnes was a member of our excellent team of Modern Languages Assistants who continue to work so tirelessly and flexibly, online or in person, in preparing our pupils both for speaking examinations and more natural conversations. The great care shown by Mrs Azzopardi over recent years, in particular in nurturing Sixth Form Germanists, will be very sorely missed as she retires from preparing them for the wider world, as well as for A-Level speaking tests. It is impossible not to be very fond of her. We shall continue to treasure her consideration of others and personal interest taken in them; her awareness of the world beyond examinations, a willingness to share her insights and, not least culinary, experiences unselfishly make for a winning combination of charm and grace. We take this opportunity to thank her for her time, generosity, engagement and expertise. Like her and her individualised life-affirming gifts presented to this year’s Sixth Formers, we also urge all our pupils to keep grasping all those carefully-selected linguistic opportunities – they make for a more open and harmonious world.
Sophie Borrillo-McLellan
Sophie joined King’s in 2017 from Malvern Theatres, where she had been a muchrespected member of their development team. It was clear from the start that Sophie was ideally suited to the role of Head of Alumni Relations; her enthusiasm and commitment have been second to none. During her time at King’s she has created a comprehensive series of events, which run throughout the year and have been hugely popular and very well attended.
Sophie’s re-branding and refreshing of the OVs’ Connect magazine has also gone down well. The lively and entertaining reporting of OV News and social media stories have also been a part of Sophie’s success story.
Sophie was a popular member of the King’s staff and her enthusiasm, professionalism, tenacity and sense of humour will be very much missed; we wish her all the best in the next stage of her career. A large number of OVs have similarly responded to news of her leaving with poignant and heartfelt sentiments.
Chloe Carchrie
Chloe joined us in September 2021 as a Netball Coach, after a hugely successful work placement at King’s St Alban’s the year before. Chloe’s enthusiasm, work ethic and passion for all sports was infectious and she worked proactively with all age groups. Her talents did not stop at netball as she continued with a smile on her face into the Summer Term as her unknown talent for cricket came to the surface. We wish her all the best for her next chapter, as she begins her PCGE PE training whilst also training in the Scotland long squad.
I have been so lucky this year to have had Will to rely on in DMR. The Reprographics room can be chaotic and busy at times but he has been a reliable, proactive and calm presence that will be sorely missed.
I have greatly appreciated his mechanical ability with the copiers, his can-do attitude and, of course, his company. I honestly don’t know how I could have coped some weeks if he wasn’t here!
Will, I wish you all the best at University. You will have a blast! I also hope you don’t have too much copying and laminating to do for a long time.
It was wonderful to welcome back OV Maire as a member of staff to support the PE and Games programme as a Graduate GAP Student for two years. She brought with her a wealth of knowledge from her own hockey playing career and she was always most generous in the way in which she shared this with pupils. She also kept the hockey staff in order; she was so efficient with the organisational side of her role that we often joked that the department would fall apart without her, and it probably would have done! With her commitment, expertise, hard work, constant energy and sense of humour, she was very well-liked and highly respected by both pupils and staff. Her first year was difficult with all the limitations of COVID, so we were very glad when she decided to stay for a second year; we all benefitted greatly from her extra time with us.
She has moved on to experience new adventures, including travel and a potential to move to Scotland; we wish her all the very best for the future and hope that she will return to the teaching profession in the future as she has a great deal to offer and really is a natural in this demanding but ultimately satisfying role.
Liz Elliott
Liz started at King’s in 2016 and quickly become a well-respected and very popular member of the King’s family. As an OV herself, Liz already had so much knowledge of King’s and the work of the Development Office. Organised, warm, genuinely interested in people and invested in having a positive impact and making a difference, Liz has brought in significant money to the Development Trust throughout her tenure, money that has gone straight into funding places at King’s for children who would not otherwise be able to come to the School.
Bursaries are something Liz feels incredibly passionate about and the Open The Door Campaign has been hugely successful under her stewardship. She has worked incredibly well with so many in the King’s community and the large volume of expressions of sadness on news of her departure from Governors, Trustees, staff and OVs speaks volumes of her hard work, popularity and successes. We as a Foundation have benefited from Liz’s focus and her hard work, her natural empathy and her innate understanding of how to work with people and how to forge relationships. Our thanks to Liz, for everything she has done for King’s. Liz made a huge difference in her time here and we wish her all the best for the next exciting adventures, whatever they may be.
Grace Hawthorne
Grace left King’s as an OV in 2013 and re-joined as a Classics teacher and netball coach in 2016. Netball was a passion for Grace from her time as a pupil and when she joined the school at 13 years of age, she had an immediate effect on the netball squad, both in training and match play. On her return to the school as a teacher, she brought new energy to the King’s netball programme. Her ambitious ideas and passion for the sport brought success at KSA, when they won the Regional IAPS tournament. Her meticulous planning meant that the netball tour to Paris ran incredibly smoothly and her creative sessions and caring nature, saw her squads do very well in their weekly fixtures.
In her years in the Classics Department, Grace displayed energy and great commitment in all areas. Her passion for the subject and encouragement of her pupils has seen impressive public
examination results for the senior years and has inspired the younger children to pursue both Latin and Classical Civilisation as they make their option choices. She has been an incredibly supportive colleague within the department; her no nonsense, ‘get the job done’ approach was welcome on our 2017 trip to Italy, corralling 32 pupils from site to site in an orderly fashion. She has always encouraged innovative teaching ideas in the department as well as making time for a cup of tea and a chat.
Grace has been a kind, caring and compassionate tutor both in the Fourth Forms and House and has the perspective of pupil and school well-being at the forefront of her pastoral provision. Exuding positivity, she is insightful and perceptive to pupils’ needs. Her colleagues in Bright House are sad to see her leave as she has been an outstanding tutor and friend.
Grace has left King’s to spend more time with her family and explore new challenges; we know that whatever her future holds, undoubtedly, she will be successful.
Adam Hooper
Adam joined the Physics Department in September 2019. He instantly became a very popular member of staff and was well liked by the pupils he taught. He was always very happy to give extra support to pupils outside lessons, both academically and pastorally. He certainly had baptism of fire during his first year with us when the COVID pandemic first struck in 2020. By then his wife, Charlotte, was also working in the English Department and he also had to look after his two young daughters. In addition to his Physics teaching, Adam was also very valued on the football field, where all pupils benefitted from his coaching. Adam and his wife Charlotte left us in December 2021 for him to take up a new post at Charterhouse. His new position includes a pastoral responsibility, which was always his intention to pursue. We give him and his family our very best wishes for the future. Thank you Adam for your work and your overall contribution to King’s over the last two years.
Charlotte Hooper
Charlotte joined us in December 2019, stepping into the department at very short notice when we found ourselves shortstaffed. This willingness to take on new challenges whole-heartedly was one of the many strengths Charlotte brought with her to the department; she threw herself into the life of King’s from day one, bringing a wealth of English teaching
experience to her classes. Charlotte showed a talent for creating comprehensive and useful resources, which she shared with the department from the outset; her knowledge and expertise in teaching GCSE English were particularly valuable to us all.
Charlotte had barely had time to find her feet before the pandemic hit and we were all thrown into online teaching. Once again, she took this development in her stride and provided impressive online content while also juggling two very young children at home. We all benefited from Charlotte’s upbeat and no-nonsense approach to her work; she brought good humour and enthusiasm to meetings and absolutely always gave her all to her pupils. Above all, Charlotte wanted her pupils to have the best possible chance to do well, and she gave of her time very generously in order to make that happen. In addition, she was a good friend to all of us in the department and, during her short time here, completely committed to her role. Charlotte left us at Christmas 2021 to move on to new adventures with her family, and we all wish them extremely well.
Suzanne Nevitt
Suzanne joined King’s in October 2008 as Marketing Assistant and Assistant Registrar. Initially spending much of her time booking all the advertisements for the school as one member of the small marketing team, Suzanne’s role grew into being involved in the busy outreach programme, joining in with several French Exchanges, while also being a mainstay in the busy Admissions Department.
During her thirteen and a half years at the School Suzanne has been involved in over 30 Open Mornings, dozens of transition and induction events and has first-hand knowledge of the move in recent years from large set piece events to bespoke visits.
Suzanne has retired to spend more time on her expansive list of interests and as a keen linguist will be enjoying being able to travel during term time!
Harriet Patrick
Harriet Patrick joined King’s - as Harriet Fisherin 2015, as King’s Archivist. The Archives are located at the top of Edgar Tower and Harriet was often to be found in the midst of winter (when everyone knows that Edgar Tower can be a very chilly place!) dressed in several layers of clothing to keep her warm, whilst she carried out her archives work.
Maintaining King’s Archives takes a very special and conscientious person and Harriet’s character and expertise in curating archives made her the perfect person to do this job. She ensured that all archives entries and artefacts, whether past or current, are stored and logged correctly, and making sure that future generations can benefit from her careful curation. King’s has been incredibly lucky to have, in Harriet, such a thorough and talented archivist and her thoughtful and gentle nature will be much missed.
Harriet worked alongside the History Department and the Foundation Development & Alumni Relations team, conducting ‘An Introduction to the Archives’ for the Fourth Formers, running an Archives Club for the pupils and contributing many written pieces to the OVs’ Connect magazine as well as the School’s Vigornian magazine. Harriet also assisted in the research and production of the remarkable book, All the King’s Men, a book that documents and records all the former King’s pupils who died during the First and Second World Wars and the Boar War. Copies of this book, produced in conjunction with historian Mark Rogers, were given to all staff and pupils at the time in the Senior School and Year 6 pupils at King’s Hawford and King’s St Alban’s (kindly funded by the OV Club) as a lasting memorial to those brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country.
Harriet also enjoyed receiving artefacts from OVs and Hon OVs and others who have had family connections to King’s and these individuals, in return, benefited from Harriet’s wealth of knowledge about the history of King’s, which she willingly shared with them.
We wish Harriet and her husband, Chris, all the very best for their future and thank Harriet for her very valuable contributions to King’s over the last seven years.
Milly Short
Milly has been an invaluable member of the Marketing Team this year and will be massively missed.
From pulling up weeds in the Mulberry Marquee the night before Open Morning to her ever popular Saturday Sport videos, Milly has constantly been a proactive and energetic member of the team. She worked as an excellent bridge between marketing and sport, constantly running back and forth between the two departments, writing endless new stories and hunting down teachers and pupils for information, quotations and photographs.
Despite a stressful few months, Milly
has held strong and her efforts and talents have paid off. After two American universities fighting over her, Milly is off to The University of Iowa with a full sport and academic scholarship. We are super excited to hear how she gets on and will miss her calm and willing presence in the Marketing team; we may pop the odd message over for some content when you’re winning The Big 10 Conference!
Olly Timlin
After a highly successful final year in the Boat Club as a student, Olly took up a GAP position at King’s. He was responsible for assisting the Boatman in maintaining our fleet and some administrative roles. Alongside this, Olly undertook a major role in working with the Upper Remove Boys in their development for most of the season. He instilled in the boys a great
work ethic and steered them to many successful performances on and off the water. Olly also provided a great focus on goal setting throughout the winter months for the wider rowing community. During his time here, he maintained his own rowing and successfully competed in events at a high level. He continues his rowing in Edinburgh and has made an excellent start to what promises to be a fine career as a lightweight sculler. We wish him well!
Cath Williams
Having joined King’s 2012 in the School Office, Cath also joined the Foundation Development team in 2013, spending many years straddling the two offices. Cath has been a very valuable member of both teams, as well
as roles including invigilating and being a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Assessor. She has been a fantastic team player and supported King’s for the last 10 years. Cath’s work on keeping the OV database clean and up-to-date has been absolutely essential and one of the brilliant things about Cath is her incredible attention to detail. We don’t think she really fully appreciates what an amazing job she does – nor how much she will be missed, not only for keeping everything shipshape and accurate, but also for her wonderful caring and thoughtful nature. We all wish Cath a well-earned retirement. Thank you, Cath; we feel lucky to have had you on board.
Beth Allison
Beth joined King’s in January 2022 as a Teacher of Physics and a Year Group Tutor in Choir House. She graduated from the University of Birmingham with an integrated Master’s in Physics and Astrophysics. Whilst at university, she worked in outreach for the School of Physics and Astronomy, which included running workshops and activity days for local secondary schools to help improve engagement with Physics. After graduating, she completed School Centred Initial Teacher Training at Barr Beacon School in Walsall, north of Birmingham, one of the largest comprehensive schools in the country, qualifying with a PGCE from the University of Worcester; she was also an Institute of Physics Scholar.
Before joining King’s, she taught all three sciences at a school in Inner City Birmingham. She is passionate about making Physics accessible for all pupils as well as inspiring girls into careers in STEM. She also loves craftwork in sewing, knitting and embroidery.
Autumn Beddoe
Autumn joins King’s this year in the new role of Graduate Drama Assistant. She joins us having just finished her Education Studies degree, graduating with First Class (Hons) from the University of Reading. She dedicated her free hours to contributing to the post-pandemic rejuvenation of drama, both internally at the university, and across Reading with teaching and community projects. She also continues voluntarily to support a theatre charity, that is based in her hometown, as an associate. Autumn is excited to channel her broad experience of theatre into her work with our pupils to encourage their creative exploration and passion. Her fresh perspective and enthusiasm complements the existing talents of our Drama Department and she is excited for the opportunity to develop her experiences further.
Emma Bennett
Emma joined the Learning Skills Department in March 2021 as Learning Skills Administrator.
Emma joins King’s with more than 25 years of experience working in a variety of industries including tourism, data integration and over 15 years in the EFL sector. Having
Sophie Carter
Sophie has joined King’s this year as a GAP student, working both in the Foundation Office and as a member of the Lower Years pastoral team, having graduated from the University of Exeter with a degree in Classical Studies in 2022. She is looking forward to all aspects of her work, particularly her position in the Lower Years team, as she is considering teaching as a career. Experiencing every part of school life from Learning Skills via playground duty to helping with homework will allow her to enjoy school life from a staff perspective and provide inspiration and understanding for her own future career. Her work with the Foundation is centred upon the Alumni department; as an OV herself, she is finding it really interesting to work on the other side of everything and see the culmination of all the hard work behind the scenes. Sophie is very glad to be back at King’s after a short break away (she was a pupil at King’s from 2011 to 2018) and she cannot wait to experience once again as many aspects as she can of the life of the King’s community.
Matthew Daniels
Matthew returns to King’s to take advantage of a Foundation GAP Student opportunity. As a keen, dedicated member of the Boat Club and Keeper of Boats for his Upper Sixth year, it was an obvious choice for him to join the King’s rowing community. From coxing in his early years, he worked hard to develop into a credible rower, earning a position in the Championship Boys’ Quad. He feels that the GAP Student role is an excellent way to continue his involvement and contribution to the development of King’s rowers. It is a privilege to share his experience and support others to achieve team and individual success. From a personal perspective, he believes a GAP year role at King’s is an ideal opportunity to learn from experienced professionals and thus develop leadership and organisational qualities within a supportive environment.
Stacey Eiser
Stacey has returned to work after a career gap as a full-time mum, joining the Admissions Department at King’s as Foundation Admissions Events Co-ordinator. She has a BA Hons degree in Media and Cultural Studies from the University of Worcester and has previously worked as a Training and Development Officer for Worcestershire County Council and the Malvern Hills District Council, as well as in an events coordinator role for the Regional Assembly. She has two daughters, who are currently pupils at King’s St Alban’s, and is an enthusiastic and valued member of the King’s St Alban’s, Parents’ Social Group.
Claire Gent
Claire joins King’s as Careers Lead for the School and a Teacher of Business. She graduated from the University of the West of England with a BA in Business Studies and a PGCE in Business Education. She has 18 years’ experience in two inner city state schools across the region and her previous roles include being a Head of House, Sixth Form Tutor and a Head of Department. In her last post, her department’s GCSE and A-Level results were amongst the best in the school, and the department did well in regional competitions such as Young Enterprise and Business Tycoons. She enjoys creating links with businesses and bringing the subject to life. Outside school she enjoys running, keeping fit and reading in her spare time although, with four sons, spare time is understandably limited!
Andy Holliday
worked predominately with adults, Emma is excited about the challenge that comes with the change of age demographic. She is well placed, through her own experiences, to understand the needs of individual pupils and looks forward to being a part of the pupils’ path in reaching their learning potential. In her spare time, Emma enjoys walking in the countryside with her family and their dog.
Andy joins King’s as a part-time sports coach having retired from a career in the Police and Armed Forces. Andy brings a wealth of experience in both adult and child safeguarding and sports coaching. He has run a number of football teams and community initiatives over the years and has also gained coaching qualifications at a high level in both football and cricket. Andy is now looking to expand his sporting knowledge and is already on the path to gain a refereeing qualification in rugby, keeping him extremely busy across the school year. Having completed two terms, Andy has really enjoyed this new career path and continues to see pupils excel and improve daily in all sports.
Victoria Lloyd-Smith
Victoria joins King’s as a teacher of English. She graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in English Language and Literature. After taking time to travel and then completing her PGCE, Victoria settled in Birmingham. Working in a high-achieving school for girls, Victoria held several roles including ITT Mentor, KS3 CoOrdinator and Head of English.
Following a move to Worcestershire with her young family, Victoria worked for two
Philippa McConalogue
Pip joined King’s this year to teach Biology. She has over 25 years of experience in both the state and independent sectors, teaching up to A-Level. In that time, she has held a number of positions of responsibility including Head of Biology and Head of Science. She has lived and worked in both the UK and abroad, living and working in New Zealand and Qatar. She worked at Doha College, which involved teaching members of the Qatari royal family. She is now very much enjoying being back in Worcestershire with her two young children.
Carla McMaster Payne
Carla joins King’s as a Teacher of Psychology and a Year Group Tutor in Bright House. She graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a BSc in Psychology, whilst also combining her first two years of studying with Education Studies. She then went on successfully to run the business development for three city centre establishments in Manchester for a few years, before completing her PGCE with the University of Worcester after getting married.
She initially taught at a large state school on the outskirts of Bristol, where she lead the Psychology Department to becoming the most popular and successful A-Level within the Sixth Form. During this time she took on additional roles such as being a Sixth Form tutor, EPQ mentor and Mental Health campaigner. She also taught Drama and Sociology.
She looks forward to working with the Psychology team to create a strong and reputable department within the Foundation. Her spare time is taken up with a very active toddler as her most recent achievement is becoming a mum and she has joined us after completing maternity leave.
years at a large high school in the area. Most recently, to broaden her experience, she spent four years at a middle school in Evesham as an English Specialist but also with the opportunity to teach History.
Victoria brings a wealth of experience to King’s and is passionate about Teaching and Learning. She looks forward to supporting pupils in a subject which she believes is critical for them to engage with the world. Her aim would be that we produce young people of the 21st century who can articulate their ideas verbally and in writing.
Charles Pillman
Charles joins King’s this year as the Sports and Marketing GAP. Having just left King’s as a student last year, he is excited to return and take on the challenges of both roles. He has been at King’s since 2012 and, in addition to his academic work, he was a chorister for five years and was heavily involved in the Music Department throughout his school life, specifically through playing the organ. Charles also played rugby, football and cricket at King’s, and describes playing 1st team rugby as one of the highlights of his school career. After this year, he hopes to read History at university. Charles is passionate about making sports accessible for everyone and intends to provide pupils with the same opportunities that he had.
Sarah Rhodes
Sarah joins King’s Worcester as a Teacher of English and Year Group Tutor in Bright House. She graduated from Cardiff University with a BA in English Literature and History, before spending two years working for the University of Wales Institute Cardiff, then completing her PGCE in English at Bristol University to commence her teaching career.
She initially taught at a high achieving state school in Somerset, before moving overseas to teach for five years in Singapore and Kazakhstan as a Teacher of English and Housemistress. Sarah returned to the UK in 2014 to work at an independent school in Leicestershire, initially as a Teacher of English, then taking on additional roles as Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Coordinator and managing the school’s Forest School offering for Years 6-8. She returned to the Worcestershire area in 2021 working temporarily for two local schools before starting the post at King’s.
As well as her English teaching, Sarah is a qualified teen and adult yoga teacher and
a Forest School Leader. She is passionate about taking her English teaching off the page, making links to pupils’ lives and experiences, allowing them to enjoy historical English texts by understanding their relevance to the 21st Century and enabling them to have a powerful command of English to promote success in life.
Hannah Sparrey
Hannah joins this year as our new Head of Alumni and Business Development. Hannah gained her Business Commerce degree from the University of Birmingham before going on to complete an MSc in Leadership and Change Management. She is a strategic management professional with a background in product development and fundraising. Hannah has worked in financial services and local government, most recently as the Legacy Manager for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Hannah is married to an OV and they have two sons who attend King’s Worcester, so she is well versed in the Foundation family. She is honoured to be a part of the King’s Foundation and is looking forward to getting to know the King’s Community and developing commercial activities to support the Foundation’s strategic ambitions.
We also say goodbye to Benjamin Buckner, Harry Flockhart and Adam Fyfe, who were with us as GAP students, Lee Cotton and Stephen King from Estates, Jemma PowellDavies from our cleaning staff and Audrey Williams from Careers and welcome Kasim Abbas as Graduate Sports Assistant, Jacob Abel, Sophie Atkins, Milly Carter, Gus Cox, Alexander Davison, Emily Diaz and Jack Lyman as GAP students, Stephen Bridgewater, Callum Craig and Kimberley Mousley to our cleaning staff, Gill Brooks, Janice Timberlake, Mark Underhill and Andrew Walker as Minibus Drivers, Kate Evans as Events Office Co-ordinator, Quddus Javed as Senior ICT Support Technician, Meike Kelly as our German Language Assistant, Kathryn Lewis as Teacher of Classics, Lousie Lewis as Payroll Assistant, Xinlin Lu as our Mandarin Tutor, Mary McCumisky as Careers Advisor, Jack McDonald and James Robins as rowing coaches, Alison Odam and Joanne Walters as nurses in the Health Centre, Karen Marsh and Chantal Pagett as our Receptionists, Claire Owen as PA to the Directors of Finance and Operations, also welcoming back Jill Knipe, now in the guise of Cover Supervisor.
Reeves prize for Further Mathematics Cerys Osborn
Mathematics Jamie Elsdon
Physics
Cavenagh prize for Biology
Chemistry
Physical Education
Design and Technology
Michael Blake Drama and Theatre Studies prize
Music
Geography
Josh Richardson
Charlotte Morgan
Eben Ghattan
Jasmine Franks
Jamie Kemp
Zoe Souter
Tom Kingsford-Dowell
Alice Clarke
Art Alice Baker
Business Katie Ransford
Winslow prize for History
Computer Science
Extended Project
Qualification
Ashley Shameli prize for Politics
Religion and Philosophy
James Patten
Tim Morris
Hazel Zurick-Ball
Maia Roncal
Samantha Hadley
Latin Madeleine Hales
French Felicity Quiney
German Luke Beever
Spanish Stella Taylor
Maurice Day prize for Classics
Bishop Fleming Rabjohn prize for Economics
Hannah Woodcock
Henry Collinson
English Literature Caitlin Ingram
Cobb Shield for extra-curricular Drama
Cup for contribution to extra-curricular Music
Neil Bowler Cup for Sport
Nicky Wilson Cup for Sport
Amelia Davis
Oliver Annable
Alex Terry
Alice Baker
Robert Harley FDO Award Eleanor Hill
OV Service Awards
Rhys Watkins
Felicity Quiney
Louisa De Vos
Leo Rendall Baker
Sarah Brown
George Bartram
Ben Amos
Harriet Smith
Senior Scholar Prizes Cerys Osborn
Luke Beever
Michael Harvey-Good
Charlotte Morgan
Josh Richardson
As restrictions have eased and we have emerged from lockdowns and online teaching, it has been wonderful to regain a sense of normality in the Art Department and begin to reintroduce some of the things that we have missed so much over the last couple of years. We started the year by taking our Lower Sixth artists to Oxford’s Pitt Rivers and Ashmolean Museums to gather information that would form the starting point for their own self-directed work. This was followed up with a week of drawing workshops with our Artist in Residence, Ian Murphy, and an exhibition of his work in the Department’s Sir Terry Frost Gallery. Off-site gallery visits to the Andy Holden exhibition at Pitt Studio and Kurt Jackson’s show at Worcester
Museum and Art Gallery helped the Lower Sixth develop their gallery visiting.
The annual trip to St Ives with our Fifth Form proved to be as inspirational as ever. Particular highlights were landscape painting at Cape Cornwall, workshops with visiting artists and a visit to the Eden Project, all of which inspired work on our return to the KSW studios.
The entire Lower Fourth held an exhibition of printmaking, photography and drawing based on the landscape, which was their theme for the year. In addition to showing work off around school, it is always good to see our work exhibited outside the department; OV Daisy Beedie’s painting featured in an exhibition in Worcester
Cathedral at the start of the year, and a number of pupils from the Lower Fourth, Upper Fourth and Upper Remove took part in the Young Voices, Young Visions exhibition in the Cathedral cloister during the Summer Term.
Seven of our Sixth Form students exhibited alongside professional artists in Worcester Open, held at the university’s Art House. Particular mention goes to Upper Sixth student, Gabby Singleton, whose work was highly commended. We also exhibited a number of Fifth Form textile prints at Malvern Theatres.
OV Conrad Clarke’s own gallery, Spring Cheltenham, staged several beautiful exhibitions through the year, including the
work of fellow OV Alice Walter. Another OV, Lucy Teasdale, staged a number of exhibitions in Germany, where she lives and works as an artist, including her most recent show, Tis Time; Descend held in Biberach.
Our other notable events for the year were the weekly after school ceramics club, a weekend printmaking workshop, an online life drawing class hosted by Falmouth University and an illustration workshop from author Emily Haworth-Booth as part of World Book Day.
Erika Jones represented the school at the Articulation regional final, delivering a thought-provoking presentation on the
work of Lucian Freud. We ended the year with our GCSE and A-Level exhibitions in the department. These impressive and original displays are a wonderful way to celebrate the achievements of our exam groups. For the first time in three years, we were able to hold private views for both exhibitions and welcomed some very proud parents and pupils to admire the wonderful work they have produced over the last twelve months. Particular mention must go to Upper Sixth student, Cath Coupland, who was awarded the George Terry Art Prize in recognition of the outstanding end of year exhibition.
This year saw another successful year in the Biology Department. Pupils and staff enjoyed the return of a full practical programme after two years and were soon cutting and chopping their way through the plant and animal kingdoms! A-Level and International GCSE results in this first run of external examinations for two years were impressive and even showed an improvement since 2019. The impressive exam results are testament to the exceptional hard work of the pupils and staff, who have overcome two very difficult years.
The subject continues to be a very popular choice at A-Level, with many pupils going on to university to study courses focused on life sciences from Botany to Medical Anatomy. Early in the year, the department had its external CPAC inspection. This inspection occurs every six years and determines whether our practical work
The Careers Department has grown enormously and will be most ably led from September 2022 onwards by Mrs Gent as Careers Lead. She is supported by Richard Davis (Higher Education Lead), Elaine Friend (Gap Years), Claire Neville (Assistant Head of Sixth Form), Mary McCumisky (Careers Advisor), Ronan Mc-Laverty-Head (Oxbridge Applications), Nicola Sears (Medical Applications), Rosie Shearburn (International Applications) and Michelle Richardson (Careers Administrator), all of whom have done sterling work for the department over a number of years.
Dr McLaverty-Head runs the Oxbridge programme at King’s, supporting students in putting together the best application possible. We support our applicants in various ways: choosing courses and colleges, preparing for admissions tests, writing personal statements, and developing interview skills. We are supported by recent OVs, whose advice is invaluable.
Not everyone who begins an Oxbridge journey will be awarded a place but by working through the process of making themselves credible Oxbridge candidates, students also make themselves strong candidates for other top universities.
We were delighted that the following students will begin their studies at Cambridge: Luke Beever (Engineering), Alice Clarke (Geography), Thomas Holland (Biomedical Sciences), and Charlotte Morgan (Medicine).
at A-Level is being assessed correctly. Fortunately, we passed with flying colours and can now look forward to another inspection in six years’ time! On the staffing front, Mrs McConalogue has joined us and has seamlessly fitted into the department whilst filling in for Mrs Beard who is on maternity leave.
This year, now that things are settling down after the COVID years, we are looking forward to the opportunity to enter pupils for national competitions in Biology, such as the Biology Olympiad and Challenge, and beginning a programme of visiting speakers.
Medical-related applications progressed at speed as the U6 had live Multiple Mini Interview sessions with OVs (Sarah Allen Griffiths and Rupert Monkhouse).
Interest in international applications has grown, and we were delighted to help Alice Baker gain a rowing scholarship to Stanford University. A representative from IE University visited the School, talking about this international university which teaches all their courses in English, although it is based in Spain (Madrid and Segovia). The courses seem very business or design oriented, including degrees in Architecture Design, Business Data-Analytics, Finance and more.
63 L6 took the opportunity to travel together to the University of Bath and what a treat it was to explore the vibrant campus in person and delve into a taste of university life. Special moments included an inspirational Physics lecture, virtual reality use in Psychology and, of course, the breath-taking sports facilities. Meanwhile, there were fantastically interactive sessions given by Mrs Sears for those applying to medical, dentistry and veterinary-related courses and Dr McLaverty-Head for those applying to Oxford and Cambridge.
On Thursday 16th June, King’s and UES Education hosted a Global Universities Webinar for students who are particularly interested in applying to universities overseas, be that America, Canada, Europe, or elsewhere. Applying to international
universities can be a confusing task, especially with so many places to choose from and the differences in application processes. In this webinar, Dr Jason Smith, Director of UES Education, took us through why more students than ever are applying overseas, and what makes a strong application. He covered all the important bits, including the SAT/ACT and finance, and answered questions. UES (www. ueseducation.com) is an organisation that helps students apply to universities in America and worldwide. They work with around 800 UK students a year and are partnered with top schools across Europe.
The Medical Society has had a busy and successful year, particular highlights being visits and talks from members of our OV community. Rupert Monkhouse spoke with our medics and dentists regarding UCAS and life in a busy dentist’s practice whilst Emma Smalley joined us to give a wonderful presentation on the application process and the reality of being a medical student. Hannah Shearburn spent time with our students who are considering nursing as a career, discussing her work on a London emergency ward. It was fascinating and motivating to hear Hannah explain what it was like to work through the pandemic. Alongside this the students have completed UCAT practice, researched expectations of different medical schools and practiced interviews. We wish our successful applicants well as our new cohort begin the process.
It has been another busy year in Chemistry with lots happening in the department. As ever, practical work is one of the highlights of pupils’ experiences in the subject. From the Lower Fourth through to the Upper Sixth, practical work has been reintroduced with full vigour and to everyone’s delight.
Some of the highlights have been making aspirin in the Upper Sixth, the oxidation of alcohols in the Lower Sixth and the extraction of copper metal in the Fifth Form. Chemistry has also enjoyed contributing to the academic enrichment programme with Mr Ison’s “Five Reactions that have Changed Humanity.” They are the Czochralski Process, used to make silicon for microchips, fermentation, the Haber process generating ammonia, the extraction of iron for steel making and Mr Ison’s number one: fire. The pupils really enjoyed learning about these reactions and their impact on humanity.
Our school is unique for its Ancient Greek motto, which holds interesting evolution and etymological links to the core principles of the School and has since 1887. The origins of this phrase are linked to the tragedian Sophocles from Moralia. The modernised translation of the motto is as follows:
I learn what may be taught; I seek what may be sought; My other wants I dare to ask from Heaven in prayer.
Studying Ancient Greek over the last year has allowed us to have a deeper insight into many texts such as The Odyssey, which we began to translate from Ancient Greek into English. This allowed us to gain a unique and personalised understanding of the text. The techniques present in translating the language aided in other topics, such as enhancing pattern recognition and cryptography for Computer Science. So, incorporating our own approach, the members of Greek Club re-translated the school motto, and believe this to be a closer translation:
I learn what can be taught by other persons; I search after what can be found out by my own exertions; The wisdom that comes from Heaven I pray for continually.
This simple difference in translations perfectly encapsulates the beauty and elegance of translating and learning an ancient language. A phrase which once held a certain sense of commonality now takes on a regal mantle. Ancient Greek is a unique language in many ways. One example of particular interest to us is that it has many words for one concept or idea. The very slight difference in these words can alter the tone of a text and thus change our interpretation. When reading The Odyssey , we were struck by how the interpretation of female characters or masculine traits could be completely altered by the words chosen.
Dr Emily Hauser displays this through her analysis of female nouns in Homer’s tale and how these women are then perceived as a result. Understanding Ancient Greek allows modern humanity to possess a uniquely developed outlook on the world and have the ability to formulate personalised views through your own native tongue, rather than that of a translator.
We feel very privileged to be the first students at King’s to sit the new Intermediate Certificate in Classical Greek. We hope that other people get the opportunity to have this invaluable experience and the chance to study it as part of the school curriculum.
μεν διδακτά μανθάνω, τα δ’ ευρετά ζητώ, τα δ’ ευκτά παρά θεών ητησάμην.Theo Hamilton-Holbrook, Thora Dykes, Hannah Blackwell and Amy Hall
Experience of Learning Ancient Greek at King’s Greek is a very enjoyable subject that reveals how the languages from the modern world derive from this language and observing those links is great fun and very interesting. I have just begun studying Greek as an extra subject and it links very well with my study of Latin. I look forward to doing Greek as one of my GCSE subjects and to learning more about the ancient world.
Daniel ArridgeClassics Essay: “In control or kept under control.” Which description do you think applies more to the position of women in Homeric society? (Amy
Hall)There are many female characters in Homer’s Odyssey and through these the audience can discern the general opinion of women and their roles in Homeric society. Often both the women’s actions and eventual fates are kept in control by some higher power, whether the gods or their lord. There are, however, some examples of women in Homeric society having some form of control over their life. This hugely varies between mortals and immortals, as well as between nobles and servants. This disparity between different classes is immediately apparent. Dr Hauser makes the point that different Greek words are used throughout depending on the woman’s role, such as ‘gune’ for a wife but ‘parthenos’ for an unmarried woman. This distinction instantly creates a gap between them and this is matched by their treatment and role in The Odyssey. Overall, the majority of women in Homeric society fit best into the description, ‘kept under control’, with the goddesses and some noble women being significant outliers, but they were still slightly controlled.
The goddesses in The Odyssey play a major role and are quite independent, but they still faced significant limitations. For example, Athene operates on her own for much of the poem and is one of the most influential characters; however, even she is kept under control to a certain degree. As seen in Book 1 and 5 of The Odyssey, Athene must get permission from Zeus for major actions and had to convince him to cause the release of Odysseus rather than being able to demand it from him. She also shows hesitancy to go against the wishes of her uncle, Poseidon, showing the possible gulf in authority between them. This, however, could be due to the difference in generation rather than gender.
This point is furthered by the role of Calypso in the poem. She is forced to allow Odysseus to leave her island in Book 5 and responds by giving the convincing argument of the unfairness of the gods when it comes to romantic relations with humans. She likens herself and Odysseus to Demeter and Iasion, whom Zeus killed with a thunderbolt. This, in comparison with the treatment of
I have loved studying Greek this year; it’s such a beautiful language and a very beneficial accompaniment to my other classical subjects. I find it fascinating noticing the links between different languages, and the way modern languages are derived from these ancient dialects. I am looking forward to gaining a qualification in the subject.
Connie Pollockmale gods having relations with humans, is extremely harsh and a stark contrast to the general acceptance of those relationships. This makes evident that there is a disparity in the treatment of gods and goddesses due to their gender and the lack of tolerance of their relationships is likely an attempt to control the goddesses.
In addition to this, while Circe is left alone for much of the poem there is evidence of the gods attempting to control her as well. Without the intervention of Hermes and the explanation of how to defeat her, it is very likely Odysseus also would have fallen victim to her trick and never returned to Ithaca. Arguably, this intervention by Hermes to save Odysseus also served to control Circe and prevent her from killing any more travelers. Overall, the goddesses do experience some attempt to keep them in control but are much more in control than any other women in The Odyssey and do experience significant independence.
The noble women in The Odyssey have some control but are also hindered and controlled by those typically above them in society. For example, Penelope is one of the most important characters in the poem, as Dr Hauser convincingly argues, she is vital to Odysseus’ oikos, and therefore his nostos, which is arguably the main objective in the poem. For the twenty years that Odysseus is not present she successfully manages and protects her household and family but, despite this, is still somewhat controlled. Telemachus repeatedly dismisses her throughout the poem, such as the first time the audience meets either character in Book 1, immediately establishing their relationship and the balance of power. Professor Beard states that it is a ridiculous interaction and that it makes it clear that women’s voices are not being heard. This inability of women to be heard is present throughout the poem and adds to their lack of control as they cannot even control what people think of them by voicing their opinions or explaining their reasoning. Dr Hauser argues that Telemachus has power over her, and this shows the relation between the man of the house and the women in it, even when it is his mother, is heavily dominated by the man.
This point is slightly contrasted by Arete who is very much in control. Odysseus is advised to appeal to her rather than Alcinous by Nausicaa if he wishes to return home, which
makes clear to the audience that Arete is the decision maker in the Phaeacian royalty. This is not what would be expected in this relationship and illustrates how some royal and noble women had much more power and control than would have been expected of them. Blundell makes the point that Arete seems to be an exceptional case and has a degree of recognized political authority. Overall, of the examples shown in The Odyssey, the noble women have a surprisingly significant amount of control over their lives and are only controlled a limited amount.
The slave women in The Odyssey have an extremely limited amount of control in their lives, and some arguably have none. The slave girls in the palace of Ithaca are eventually brutally executed by Telemachus for their actions with the suitors, which were arguably just feeble attempts to survive in an environment heavily biased against you. They were not given any opportunity to explain themselves or be heard, which allows the truth of their actions and justifications to die with them. They are property of Odysseus and must have his permission to sleep with anyone, which is just one example of the controlling and unfair rules against them. This point is furthered by the experiences of Eurycleia. The only reason that Laertes didn’t sleep with her after purchasing her was because of his wife’s wishes, not because of anything she did as she was now his property and would have had to allow it or face harsh punishment. Life in Homeric society as a slave woman would be a constant balancing act of satisfying your master in fear of judgement, whilst also attempting to have some influence over the outcome of your life. This was often not possible and they had minimal control, if any, over their lives.
In conclusion, the majority of women in Homeric society were ‘kept under control’ rather than ‘in control’. The slave women had almost no control over any part of their lives, and even the goddesses and noble women often faced significant attempts to control their actions. The goddesses and noble women were more in control, but there would be many more slave women and other lower-class women that were utterly out of control and, therefore, I believe that the position of women in Homeric society best fits the description of ‘kept under control’.
Whilst there were no staffing changes to the IT & Computing Department this year, we did welcome our first ever PGCE student. Mr Russell joined us for most of the Autumn Term on his first placement at the University of Worcester. It can be a tough time when you first stand in front of a group of keen youngsters, but he did some great work throughout the department and we wish him all the best for his future career.
With COVID-19 restrictions still ongoing, we led the way with hybrid lessons where pupils isolating at home had a window into our classrooms and full access to our online resources through Microsoft Teams. We started to deliver a new curriculum to Lower Fourth, Upper Fourth and Lower Remove pupils, provided by the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE). The curriculum aimed to broaden what we already deliver and brought us more in line with state education, which is currently leading the way in computing education. We introduced new units to cover graphics, animation, networks and mobile app development and have also strengthened our offering of coding.
In November we had our annual Bebras Challenge, with all pupils in the Lower Fourth, Upper Fourth and Lower Remove taking part. We even had some older pupils who wanted to take part too! The competition aims to improve the computational thinking of pupils by solving puzzles that require pattern recognition, finding ‘shortest routes’ or decrypting ciphers. Some pupils did exceptionally well, with 44 pupils from across the years finishing in the top 10% nationally,
and gaining an invitation to the Oxford University Computing Challenge. James Capell once again failed to lose any marks but, this time, he was not alone. His younger sister, Samantha, also gained full marks: a fantastic achievement for them both! In an ordinary year they would have both been invited to the finals at Oxford University but, due to COVID-19 restrictions, it sadly could not take place again.
The Spring Term was most notably dominated by the news that we will be offering a new qualification in September: GCSE Computer Science. We have had much interest from current Lower Remove pupils and our first class will be starting the course later in the year. It fills the very obvious gap that we have between Lower Remove and A-Level Computer Science, and will be a fantastic introduction to the department.
As a distraction from exams for the first time since 2019, Mr Blakemore and Mr Branchett took our Lower Sixth pupils to Bletchley Park, the central site for British codebreakers during World War II. We learned the importance of coding and cryptography in the Second World War and how the breaking of the Germans’ complex cryptography system, commonly known as Enigma, shortened the war by around two years. It was an amazing experience to see where the codebreakers worked and to see The Bombe Machine, one of the machines used in the war by Alan Turing and his fellow codebreakers to break the German Enigma. The interactive displays and exhibitions meant we learnt a lot about how Enigma machines worked and the effectiveness of the system; a system considered impossible to break without the help of machines. There were rooms open in a number of the huts at Bletchley Park, the same rooms codebreakers worked in during the war. Replica offices and display videos told the story of codebreaking and cryptography in World War II, portraying the scene in which unknown men and women helped to win the war.
One of the fundamental and most exciting features of our subject is that it never stands still. This is partly because, as problem-solvers, we are always seeking ways to develop and improve. It is also a result of the endless source of fresh opportunities presented by new and exciting technologies.
Just as the subject evolves, we expect the same of our pupils. We cannot expect this of our pupils, without evolving ourselves. Our brief is to be ahead of the curve, rather than to react, simply to meet demand. This presents our pupils with opportunities not found elsewhere and we often see great strides in leadership and teamwork as a result.
Keeping ahead of the curve can involve risk, but with risk comes opportunity. It has become a feature of our lessons, across all year groups, that pupils have become more willing to take risks and are more ready to fail, because of the learning opportunities this brings.
In fact, getting it wrong the first time is arguably more valuable than getting it right.
In order to succeed in prototyping, we
must also succeed in the classroom. We are just as confident when our pupils try, and fail, in the classroom, on their journey to becoming the resilient and problem-solving designers and engineers that the ‘real world’ needs. Designing, modelling, analysis and development are simply the application of what is learned in the classroom. There is no prototyping without good understanding of the theory that underpins all elements of Design & Technology. This is why the academic component of the subject accounts for the greater part of the GCSE and A-Level.
A fundamental skill of the successful Design & Technology pupil is the ability to adapt, change and reinvent. Not only do we apply this method to ourselves, we employ the same strategy for solving the needs of our client. Whilst our pupils’ needs are foremost in our minds, their clients are at the forefront of theirs. Each of our GCSE and A-Level pupils has their own client: a real person, experiencing real needs. An appreciation of the needs of the client is instilled in every pupil from Day One of their journey in the department.
The Lower Fourth pupil who learns through rough modelling in card, experimenting and making mistakes, whilst building
problem-solving skills and resilience, might be the same pupil who goes on to GCSE to prototype a device to help homeless people secure their belongings at night. That pupil may then go on to design and prototype a device to assist elderly people with lifting heavy shopping bags into the boot of their car.
At the centre of every project are the needs of the client and the focus is upon using our knowledge and our skills to make peoples’ lives a little less difficult.
Whilst we could not exhibit the work of our pupils as we normally would at the end of the year, we are grateful for the opportunity to show a small fraction of that here. The A-Level work you see on these pages is the result of each student applying the same iterative process of designing, analysing and developing to themselves, as they have to their project work.
Recognising the need for a device to help students safely launch and retrieve a safety boat at a regatta or for training, one student set about researching the extent and specifics of the problem.
to a corner of a triangle plate. Then the complete part is attached to the wheel arm via a central pivot mounted through the centre of the triangle plates. After testing the design on a variety of different sized steps, concluded that the wheel can easily cope with steps that are as high as the bottom wheels but begins to struggle when the step exceeds the halfway point of the height of the tringle plate i.e. just above the central pivot.
rib down the steps and launch it on their own.”
To cut out the pieces used a ruler, compass and Stanley knife to make sure the model was accurate so I could properly test the mechanism. I used a 3mm drill bit to hand drill holes into the corners of the triangle and the centre of the wheels. Then to hold them all together I cut a 3mm rod of dowel and put small sections through the triangle plates and the circle wheels to hold them together.
“This mechanism looks like it’s going to work really well. The design needs to include some form of brake mechanism in the final design to stop the RIB from rolling down the boathouse steps.”
A braking mechanism could also help reduce injury for the user, if the user needed to stop the RIB from moving to have a rest or adjust their grip/position when trying to move the rib. The only problem with this model is that it's made out of cardboard. It's very hard to make accurate, scale models out of cardboard because cutting with scissors and Stanley knives isn’t very effective. Also, the mechanism didn’t work perfectly because the cardboard parts wore away very quickly reducing their ability to perform the task. To
Luckily, a week after Storm Eunice the river levels dropped, and I was able to get the RIB out of the boathouse for product testing. I used a set of clamps to attach the wheels to the RIB. I did this because I didn’t have time to drill into the backboard of the boat and I was worried that the Araldite glue would not be strong enough to hold the RIB wheel mounting plate part together. Ideally this part would have been welded together, however I did not have access to such equipment or training to carry out this manufacturing process. When attaching the wheels to the RIB we first laid the RIB down on the floor and then clamped the wheels to the backboard. As myself and another member of staff lifted up the back end of the RIB, Will (my client) folded the wheels into the down position and then we rested the RIB back down to the ground. Then Will went round to the front of the RIB and proceeded to wheel the RIB around. Regardless of the fixing issue the prototype wheels worked excellently. The wheels were capable of supporting the weight of the RIB and the aluminium parts showed no signs of deformation under pressure. The RIB wheels successfully carried the RIB from the boathouse to the steps and back again. My client was able to use the rotating mechanism and the wheels sat in the upright and down positions and was able to pick up and move the RIB around. The prototype gave a good amount of clearance between the top of the tri-wheels truck and the hull of the RIB. If Will wanted to increase the clearance between the hull and the truck then he could simply mount the wheels lower down the backboard. Will was able to use the product on his own and was able to hold the brake handle in one hand and support the prow of the boat with the other as it is very light (due to all of the weight being taken by the RIB wheels). The boathouse workshop also contains a variety of tools which are compatible with the commercially available fixings used in the prototype which means if Will ever need to repair or replace a part, he can easily take the product apart to work on it.
clamped the wheels to the backboard. As myself and another member of staff lifted up the back end of the RIB, Will (my client) folded the wheels into the down position and then we rested the RIB back down to the ground. Then Will went round to the front of the RIB and proceeded to wheel the RIB around. Regardless of the fixing issue the prototype wheels worked excellently. The wheels were capable of supporting the weight of the RIB and the aluminium parts showed no signs of deformation under pressure. The RIB wheels successfully carried the RIB from the boathouse to the steps and back again. My client was able to use the rotating mechanism and the wheels sat in the upright and down positions and was able to pick up and move the RIB around. The prototype gave a good amount of clearance between the top of the tri-wheels truck and the hull of the RIB. If Will wanted to increase the clearance between the hull and the truck then he could simply mount the wheels lower down the backboard. Will was able to use the product on his own and was able to hold the brake handle in one hand and support the prow of the boat with the other as it is very light (due to all of the weight being taken by the RIB wheels). The boathouse workshop also contains a variety of tools which are compatible with the commercially available fixings used in the prototype which means if Will ever need to repair or replace a part, he can easily take The next stage of testing was seeing if the wheels were able to carry the RIB up and down the steps. As the toe path and concrete steps had not been cleared of mud, water and debris by the City Council, the ground was very slippery. The amount of mud, water and debris combined with the river still being high meant that when testing the wheels
Storm Eunice the river levels dropped, and I was able to get the RIB out of the boathouse for product testing. I used a set of wheels to the RIB. I did this because didn’t have time to drill into the backboard of the boat and I was worried that the Araldite strong enough to hold the RIB wheel mounting plate part together. Ideally this part would have been welded together, however I such equipment or training to carry out this manufacturing process. When attaching the wheels to the RIB we first laid the RIB then clamped the wheels to the backboard. As myself and another member of staff lifted up the back end of the RIB, Will (my wheels into the down position and then we rested the RIB back down to the ground. Then Will went round to the front of the RIB wheel the RIB around. Regardless of the fixing issue the prototype wheels worked excellently. The wheels were capable of of the RIB and the aluminium parts showed no signs of deformation under pressure. The RIB wheels successfully carried the RIB the steps and back again. My client was able to use the rotating mechanism and the wheels sat in the upright and down to pick up and move the RIB around. The prototype gave a good amount of clearance between the top of the tri-wheels truck If Will wanted to increase the clearance between the hull and the truck then he could simply mount the wheels lower down able to use the product on his own and was able to hold the brake handle in one hand and support the prow of the boat with light (due to all of the weight being taken by the RIB wheels). The boathouse workshop also contains a variety of tools which are commercially available fixings used in the prototype which means if Will ever need to repair or replace a part, he can easily take work on it.
testing was seeing if the wheels were able to carry the RIB up and down the steps. As the toe path and concrete steps had not been and debris by the City Council, the ground was very slippery. The amount of mud, water and debris combined with the river still when testing the wheels on the steps we had to be very careful and we were only able to move the boat up and down a couple product worked well and was able to support the weight of the RIB as it moved up and done the steps, proving that the design produced a product that was capable of doing what my client had asked of it.
The next stage of testing was seeing if the wheels were able to carry the RIB up and down the steps. As the toe path and concrete steps had not been cleared of mud, water and debris by the City Council, the ground was very slippery. The amount of mud, water and debris combined with the river still being high meant that when testing the wheels on the steps we had to be very careful and we were only able to move the boat up and down a couple of steps. However the product worked well and was able to support the weight of the RIB as it moved up and done the steps, proving that the design worked, and I had produced a product that was capable of doing what my client had asked of it.
Another student was answering the needs of his client with a bad back, by designing a device to carry puncture repair tools on his bike, rather than in a rucksack.
Another with a rowing client was solving the problem of moving expensive rowing blades from the boathouse to the river. The client needed the product to be transportable so that it could travel neatly to events. The student took great advantage of 3D printing in his modelling and prototyping.
Reaching the end of the Upper Sixth is not reaching the end of the journey. In fact, it is nowhere close; our brief is only resolved. When our students head out beyond the confines of King’s, they leave with the thirst for problem-solving and the creativity and ability to set about improving the lives of those around them.
In June, Lower Sixth Business students visited the Morgan car factory in Malvern Link. The trip enabled students to consolidate learning from the first year of the A-Level course and to apply these learnt concepts to a real-life manufacturing business. Split into groups, students had a two-hour tour of the Morgan site which took them through the end-to-end process from when a Morgan car is initially ordered to the labour-intensive car manufacturing to the very end point, the collection bay. Throughout the tour, students kept the tour guides on their toes by asking many interesting questions and subsequently discovered a number of fascinating facts. These included the fact that 98%
At the end of September 2021, the Economics and Business Department took six students to the Queen’s Business and Economics Challenge Cup Competition, affectionately known as the QuBEc Cup. This ‘University Challenge’ style event, held at Queen’s College Taunton, saw teams of three students going head-to-head with various teams from other independent schools. The competition was based on both general knowledge and specialist Business and Economics knowledge.
Both King’s teams did themselves proud. Our Economics team (Henry Collinson, James Patten and Katie Ransford) showed a very strong awareness of
of company waste gets recycled, that Morgan is the oldest car manufacturing company in the world and that there only two computers used in the entire manufacturing process!
Prior to the visit, students had thoroughly researched the company and were tasked with completing a fact file about it. Following the visit, students had to produce a business report and deliver a business presentation outlining how the company could reduce costs, as well as increase sales, in the current challenging economic climate. A great time was had by all and it was great to get our students back out into the real business world at last.
ARBEconomics theories and finished as the highest placed Economics team from the six schools participating. The Business team, (George Bartram, Hannah Hodges and Gabby Singleton) went one step further in the competition; ending up as runners-up, just pipped in a nailbiting final by the Business team from Dauntsey’s School in Wiltshire.
The day was a huge success and was greatly enjoyed by our students. The experience of being publicly quizzed on stage was a tough one, but it certainly enabled the students to broaden their understanding of their academic subjects in a fun and competitive way.
GLW‘In the current economic climate, it is essential that Morgan cars minimise costs while at the same time keeping sales at or above current levels.’
Morgan Motor Company opened its first garage in May 1905 in Malvern, Worcestershire. They produce handcrafted, traditional cars, selling three types of cars: the Super 3, the Plus 4 and the Plus 6. They hand-build an average of 17-18 cars each week, making their annual total around 850 cars. Each car is completely customisable, with over one trillion options.
The usual waiting time for a Morgan car is between 6-12 months due to the production process being entirely labour intensive. One of the company’s selling points is that all natural materials are used to produce their cars; for example, ash, aluminium, and leather. These materials are extremely durable and make the company the most sustainable in the world. The main USP of Morgan Motor Company is its hand-crafted, customisable cars. Their USP attracts many potential buyers, however the target audience of the business is retired gentlemen with a higher disposable income and more free time.
During the past few years, the current economic climate in the UK has been constantly changing, which will have an important effect on Morgan Motor Company. Inflation is the general increase in the prices of goods and services in an economy. Today, the current inflation rate is at 9%, which is the highest it has ever been in 40 years. This increased rate of inflation leads to reduced purchasing power of money. This means that to get the same quantity of raw materials that they need to produce the cars, they will have to spend more. This increases the costs of production and could lead to Morgan being forced to increase the selling price of their cars.
The current rate of unemployment within the UK is 3.8%. This figure is good, considering the government’s target unemployment rate is around 4 to 5%. With unemployment rates at 3.8%, it could allow Morgan Motor Company to perform better as employees will feel more secure within their roles and could lead to higher wages. For the business, with more people in jobs it will boost Morgan’s orders, as more people
will have higher disposable incomes to purchase goods.
In March 2022, the interest rate was 0.75%. A low interest rate has a strong impact upon the automotive industry. This is due to lower interest rates encouraging potential buyers to borrow funds to purchase private cars, which would lead to an increase in production and sales within the automotive industry. This will benefit Morgan as it could urge consumers to purchase their cars, as a low interest rate shows that there is more spending money in consumers’ pockets.
Many factors have been affecting the economy, including COVID-19 and the current war in Ukraine. COVID-19 has affected Morgan Motor Company because the business experienced supply difficulties due to supply chains being disrupted. Therefore, they may be unable to meet demand due to lack of supply. Another drawback that COVID-19 has had on the car industry is the effect it has had on new car sales. From the first lockdown in 2020, people have been facing constant economic uncertainty within their futures and Europe saw an 80% fall in car sales, whereas the UK saw a 25% drop in new car sales as a yearly figure. However, as lockdowns eased overall sales increased but the figure was still 28.7% below preCOVID levels.
The war in Ukraine is affecting the current economy and car sales in the UK in numerous ways. Firstly, supply chains in the UK have already been disrupted due to the pandemic. This means that supply chains have already been stretched thin and the war will continue to disrupt supply chains and cause issues. Some suppliers have stopped deliveries to Russia, while other companies must halt production due to Ukraine-based suppliers.
The best strategy Morgan Motor Company should introduce to minimise their costs while maintaining or increasing their current level of sales is lean production. This is because it improves efficiency and productivity while reducing waste. We did not choose the Kaizen strategy because although it has many benefits, the company has already implemented a similar strategy called Kanban. This is a lean method to manage and improve work across human systems. A capital-intensive workforce would be the least beneficial choice primarily due to the implications this strategy would have on the company’s USP and the potential further costs of maintaining and repairing machinery.
There is no doubt that this year marked the start of a new era for English at King’s as we welcomed Mr Low, our new Head of Department, to the helm. He has embraced the challenges and peculiarities of the department with admirable enthusiasm and assures us that he has thoroughly enjoyed it. He has brought huge energy and expertise to the pupils’ experience of English, and has really made his mark on the department; for example, our exam classes have benefited from the schedule of revision lectures organised by Mr Low and delivered by all members of the department in the run-up to public exams. This was especially important this year, as our Fifth Form and Upper Sixth pupils were the first exam classes in three years to face external public exams. In other staffing changes, we were sad to bid farewell to Mrs Hooper at Christmas. She brought so much
creativity and positivity to the department and is missed by all.
COVID-19 has meant that there have still been some restrictions on our extracurricular activities this year, and our much anticipated trip to see the stage production of The Life of Pi was unfortunately derailed by COVID-related issues. However, our Upper Fourths enjoyed a professional production of A Christmas Carol on-site, thanks to Quantum Theatre, a travelling company who put on an impressive threeplayer performance in College Hall. This was the first theatre production many of the pupils had experienced for well over a year, and it did not disappoint. We have also been able to run our two creative writing groups over various lunch times; Mrs Lucas has been the driving force behind Write For Real with the Lower Years, while Mrs Walmsley has enjoyed a lively creative writing club with the Removes each Wednesday.
In addition to all this, we have also seen the launch of Mr Low’s Literary Society. This group has attracted a healthy number of enthusiastic and well-read Sixth Form students, including Sophie Pitts, who writes: “Despite only having a short amount of time this year in the newly founded Literary Society, we have managed to discuss and involve ourselves in a plethora of literature. During our sessions we have enjoyed some in-depth discussion on a wide range of texts, including The Yellow Wallpaper, Beowulf and a selection of fairy
tales. In addition, we have found time for presentations from individuals on topics about which they are passionate. A standout event for everyone was our excursion to the Hay-on-Wye Festival, where we attended literature Q&As, lectures and the particularly enjoyable Letters Live event featuring celebrities including Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones and Sir Ian Rankin. Overall it was a great day, and we look forward to going again next year!”
As life returns more and more to ‘normal’, our links with the Prep Schools have enjoyed some renewal too, and Mr Low, Mrs Lucas and Mrs Fellows were able to visit Hawford for an afternoon during the Summer Term to assist with a Poetry Slam as part of Hawford’s Arts Week, a highly creative experience enjoyed by all.
The end of this academic year also sees the end of another era, as Mr Maund steps down from teaching English to focus solely on his role as Director of Foundation Communications. It is no exaggeration to say that Mr Maund’s contribution to the department over more than two decades has been phenomenal, and we, staff and pupils alike, will deeply miss his vast literary knowledge, his dedication to his craft and his cheerful approach to school life. I know that, as a department, we will endeavour to uphold Mr Maund’s values of integrity, love of literature and, perhaps above all, dazzlingly good manners.
Having become tired of the many COVID-19 restrictions, it was a real pleasure to be able to run a residential trip again at the start of the year. In the Autumn Term, the L6th geographers spent three days at the North Somerset coast. Opportunities for practical fieldwork included evaluating the success of the coastal defences, measuring beach profiles, and investigating the changing identities of seaside towns. A further day’s fieldwork was undertaken in Birmingham in the Spring Term, which allowed students to experience first-hand the exciting placemaking projects in the city centre. The identity of the Digbeth area was also investigated and contrasted with the more established area of Brindley Place.
In addition to LR Geography Club, pupils from all years enjoyed competing in the Inter-House and Lower Years Geography Competitions run over a series of lunchtimes. Congratulations to the winners: Choir House, U4B & U4E (joint first) and L4D.
COP-26 held in Glasgow at the end of 2021 gave us the opportunity to explore the issues of climate change in many lessons. The event also highlighted the important role geographers have in tackling this global problem. It is therefore reassuring that many of the 36 U6th geographers who left King’s at the end of 2022 went on to read Geography related courses. A special congratulations to Alice Clarke, who was accepted to read Geography at the University of Cambridge.
Entry to the Royal Geographical Society / Financial Times Essay Competition, 2021 from Isabella Trow (L6)
Explain how transport changes might help the world to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement
In 2015, the 21st UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 21) stimulated discussion about climate change and how a sustainable future could be created for future generations. Following the conference, the Paris Agreement was designed with the primary aim of co-ordinating a global response to the challenges presented by climate change. The goal of the Paris Agreement is to keep global temperature rise this century below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, however, a more ambitious target of 1.5 degrees Celsius would be preferred (United Nations Climate Change, 2021). A co-ordinated global response recognises the fact that developing countries will require additional support in comparison to their more developed counterparts. Each Party is required to submit its own “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs), in which it addresses actions that will be taken to reduce carbon emissions and decarbonise the economy. These actions may include a variety of focal points, such as a focus on cleaner transport methods or the movement and waste of food, but all actions should result in a movement towards a circular economy, whereby excessive waste and consumption is avoided and replaced by the practises of reusing and recycling waste materials. This idea of a circular economy is certainly encouraged by the Paris Agreement and the shift would also be a significant step towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The Paris Agreement entered force on the 4th November 2016 and, by early 2017, a total of 125 Parties had ratified the agreement (United Nations Climate Change, 2021).
A key aspect of many NDCs is the movement towards using cleaner and more sustainable transport systems, particularly
when looking at urban transport. There are three main ways in which this can be done without increasing the journey times of individuals. The first of these involves better planning of cities, allowing people to live more densely without impacting the quality of life for those who live there. Particularly in a time of such high rural to urban migration, city planners should try to reduce the impacts of urban sprawl, with a densely populated area allowing for the creation of key transport hubs (Pryce, 2015). For example, Houston in the US is a sparsely populated city and carbon emissions per-head are nearly ten times higher than the densest cities, such as Singapore. This can also be demonstrated on a national scale when looking at New Zealand. The country is highly urbanised and has experienced rapid growth in the transport sector since 1990. However, the cities in New Zealand tend to have low population densities (Stephenson et al. 2018). In 2016 less than 5% of citizens from New Zealand used public transport, while around 10% walked or cycled to work (Statistics New Zealand, 2016). This again demonstrates the importance of having densely populated cities to encourage the use of public transport.
Another method for reducing carbon emissions in an urban environment is modal shift. This involves the use of mass transit systems and encouraging people to choose more sustainable, healthier forms of transport (Pryce, 2015). Paris is an example of a city where increased mobility and reduced air pollution is being encouraged by the promotion of bike and car sharing facilities. One of the largest successes has been the city’s use of self-service bike and electric car sharing programmes, namely ‘Velib’ and ‘Autolib’. Inhabitants who give up their car can receive financial aid for subscriptions to ‘Velib’, ‘Autolib’ or to ‘Navigo’, the public transport pass used in Paris. The success of this programme can be demonstrated by 2015 alone, in which more than 30 million miles were travelled using zero emission cars provided by ‘Autolib’ (The Climate Reality Project, 2017). Similar practices continue to be used by other countries, such as the UK, in order to meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement. The success of this programme reinforces the
importance of changing public behaviours towards climate change. A study by Xenias and Whitmarsh in 2013 suggests that the public favoured ‘pull’ strategies, making sustainable transport options more attractive, whilst experts often preferred ‘push’ strategies, where unsustainable practises become less attractive (Stephenson et al. 2018). The bottom-up approach used in Paris has certainly been successful but its combination of both ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors is perhaps most impressive, by introducing restrictions on diesel polluting vehicles and improving infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. Encouraging a healthier way of living will not only help the country reach targets set by the Paris Agreement but it will also encourage a positive multiplier effect in the economy through increased productivity.
Lastly, improving existing transport modes by investment in infrastructure has also proven to be relatively successful. Taiyuan, the largest city in the Shanxi province in Northern China, replaced over 8,000 taxis with electric vehicles and by June 2016, 8,000 tons of CO2 emissions were prevented due to the conversion. This is again just one example of many projects which are taking place in urban environments around the world (The Climate Reality Project, 2017).
In conclusion, the modification of transport in cities will be fundamental in reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement. It is estimated that urban areas represent 70% of energy-related global emissions and they can therefore be significant in terms of implementing a Party’s NDC (United Nations, 2016). Interconnected cities have the potential to reduce carbon emissions significantly and changes in behaviour will also encourage the values of a circular economy. Of course, a combination of efforts in different industries and regions is required to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement (Maizland, 2021) and it is hoped that progress will be made towards this goal at the COP26 summit in Glasgow as many countries continue to struggle with the challenges presented by ambitious targets.
This academic year, the History and Politics department has been incredibly fortunate to hear from inspirational speakers.
On 11th October 2021 Sixth Form Historians were delighted to hear Andrew Reekes, OV, governor and published historian, share his thoughts and insights into two of the most famous British men of the 20th Century: Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill. Despite being an exercise in contrast: one of sweeping vision; a supreme orator; a brilliant writer and historian, ever conscious of a sense
It is not every day that the former Governor of the Bank of England has a Teams meeting with the School. Or that the former Business Secretary, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Strictly star visits. On the 16th of February and 8th of March, however, that is exactly what Lord Mervyn King and Sir Vince Cable did.
During the Summer of 2021 I emailed Mr Doodes to ask for permission to invite external speakers into the School. The minute I got the go ahead, I started writing emails to a carefully curated list of the most interesting and respected figures in British politics. I was therefore delighted when Lord Mervyn King and Sir Vince Cable both replied saying yes.
This started a long string of emails, confirming dates and setting up meeting links. I often had to pinch myself when emailing these household names directly. Finally on 16th February, after months of back-and-forth emails, the first event went ahead.
Lord King Zoomed into the Bolland Room with his face appearing on the TV screen. He took questions from an audience of pupils and teachers for the next 45 minutes, answering them in a characteristically detailed and accessible fashion. He spoke about the Bank of England’s Quantitative Easing programme, how he made his decisions as Governor and the Bank’s response to the pandemic. Not only was the talk deeply fascinating and insightful, but it also served as good preparation for the next!
of destiny; a warrior, pugnacious and brave; the other a great social reformer; a masterly administrator; a political technician; a problem solver; a lover of peace; a born negotiator.
Andrew captivated and engaged the students by explaining how these two men and their political fortunes were so inextricably linked. Whilst doing so, he also explored the traditional narratives of both men and encouraged students to consider the context in which they were written. Andrew highlighted Churchill’s undeniable role in the war effort, but also that Chamberlain’s role in British politics
has been unfairly recorded, largely due to Churchill’s post-war publications. All the students found the lecture incredibly insightful, enjoyable and worthwhile for their learning. We very much look forward to Andrew joining us again.
Andrew commented that, “It was a real pleasure to come back and talk about History and I was made very welcome; I was impressed by the sheer number of A-Level historians: the sign of a flourishing department.”
On 8th March, Sir Vince Cable arrived in school and was greeted by me in the Head’s office. Mr Doodes and I then walked across the school site to the JMT with our guest, which was one of the most surreal experiences I’ve had.
The talk he gave in the JMT was both eloquent and riveting and likewise for the Q&A session with the audience. During the talk he fully engaged all the different ages in the room, from Lower Fourth to Upper Sixth and teachers. He spoke with authority on a wide range of thoughtprovoking topics, from the need for
proportional representation, to how to deal with China and his own political legacy. Afterwards he did a book signing and attended a brief reception in the Dining Hall.
I’m very grateful to Mrs Friend and Mrs Ferguson, Ms Jeffrey, Mr Haynes, Bishop John Inge and H-J Colston-Inge for their support in organising this. No matter how unexpected the course of events was, it turned out brilliantly!
George Capell
The History Department was thrilled to be able to resume their annual attack on Goodrich Castle this summer! With willing Lower Fourth knights leading the charge, it was impossible not to have a great day out. Much of the Lower Fourth curriculum is devoted to exploring the Medieval period and Goodrich provides the perfect opportunity to bring the year’s learning together. During the trip we reflect on key events from the Norman Conquest to the Crusades, as well as making learning links with our very own Worcester Cathedral. Using the castle remains to explore the
This has been another busy year for the Maths department.
The Junior Maths Olympiad and Kangaroo rounds of the UKMT were held at the end of the Summer Term in 2021 and the results arrived during the Summer holidays. Pranav Mayilvahanan and Dan Arridge took part in the Junior Olympiad, which is a very challenging test, involving full written solutions to some tricky problems! Both performed well in this. Dan was awarded a Merit and Pranav scored so highly that he was awarded a Distinction and a medal. Ethan Tan, Elizabeth Shilvock, Charlotte Akiki, Anna Wales, Emelia Simpkin and Samantha Capell all qualified for the Kangaroo round, which is a very good achievement. Samantha scored very highly in this and was awarded a Merit. Ethan did well to qualify as he was only in the Lower Fourth at the time!
social aspects of the Middle Ages and truly to imagine what life was like for all characters residing in – and around – the site helps pupils to see History as a study of people in the past.
Standing in open countryside above the River Wye, Goodrich Castle is one of the finest and best preserved of all English Medieval castles and is unique in many ways. Being able to analyse its key design features, as well as discuss why Goodrich was so well preserved until the 17th Century, is something that engages the
pupils and enhances their understanding of History’s interconnecting web. Boasting a fascinating history and spectacular views from the battlements and the keep, it is difficult not to be mesmerised by the idea that you are walking the footsteps of the people we have been thinking about all year.
It was wonderful to ensure another successful campaign and we are already looking forward to next year!
Well done to all who took part! Their certificates were presented by Mr Doodes on College Green.
On Friday 19th November we took 44 of our Lower Sixth Mathematicians to the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham to see lectures from people who use Maths in their careers in surprising ways.
The afternoon was hosted by Jennifer Rogers, a medical statistician who analyses the results of medical trials. She told us of an incredible moment when she was the only person in the world to know that a new treatment for COVID-19 could be deemed successful. She also talked about how to interpret information included in newspaper headlines and spot pointless statistics.
Rob Eastaway introduced us to a number of counterintuitive results. We all now know the best place to tie our shoelaces in an airport! His presentation also introduced us to surprising results in Pascal’s triangle and in probability.
Yolanda Ohene explained how a degree in Physics led her to a career in neuro-imaging and her important work interpreting MRIs to identify brain tumours.
Ben Sparks lead us through the probabilities of different hands in poker and explained the importance of knowing the odds of success before taking a chance. He took us through some amazing outcomes arising from using apparently simple equations to model the behaviour of animal populations, and explained how accurately these chaotic results reflect the real world.
Pupils from all year groups took part in the individual challenges organised by the UKMT. These challenge pupils to problem solve and to think differently!
The Senior Maths Challenge took place in November and some of our Sixth Form students took part. Pranav Mayilvahanan, although only a Lower Remove, was also
involved. Jamie Elsdon scored a very impressive 105 points which meant he qualified for the Senior Kangaroo round alongside Ruby Kimber, Grace Miller, Josh Richardson, David Wills, Daisy Newman and Pranav: an excellent result for such a young pupil.
The Intermediate Maths Challenge took place in February and a number of our pupils from Lower Remove to Fifth Form took part, scoring some very good results! Pranav Mayilvahanan scored the highest mark in school and qualified for the prestigious Cayley Olympiad which is an excellent result! Ten pupils qualified for the Pink Kangaroo (Upper Remove and Fifth Form) and nine qualified for the Grey Kangaroo (Lower Remove). Altogether, there were 12 Gold, 27 Silver and 54 Bronze certificates awarded. Jack Janes scored an impressive 92 points in the Pink Kangaroo, closely followed by Joseph James (Upper Remove) and James Capell with 91 points. All three were awarded a merit. In the Grey Kangaroo, Henry Horsfall scored an excellent 95 points, and was awarded a merit along with Samantha Capell, Izzy Da
Silva, and Bentley Lawrence. We are still waiting for the Olympiad results!
The Junior Maths Challenge took place in April and a number of our pupils from the Fourth Forms took part. Joshua Lee scored an impressive 123 marks to achieve the certificate for the highest score in the school and a place in the coveted Olympiad competition. Ethan Tan and Freddie Goodwin qualified for the Junior Kangaroo competition. Congratulations to those three pupils! Overall 9 Gold, 36 Silver and 26 Bronze certificates were awarded. Well done to everyone who took part!
Also in April, the annual Inter-House Countdown Competition saw all nine Houses battling it out over a series of number rounds. Taking place during an intense week of knockout matches, School and Kittermaster fought their way through to the final. School narrowly triumphed by 152 to 142 points. Each of the teams had competitors from the Removes up to Sixth Form, and it was fantastic to see mixed-year engagement.
In May over 100 pupils from the Lower Fourth to Lower Remove joined pupils from around the world in a remote Maths Lecture, exploring some big ideas linked to Maths Around the World. They discovered interesting facts about the behaviour of straight lines on the surface of a sphere and the implications for flight paths. They also learned why reported coastline lengths can vary so much and about Benford’s Law, which explains why the first digits in statistics that we gather are not evenly distributed. Pupils had an opportunity to contribute their ideas in votes on their phones, making it a fun, interactive experience.
Five Upper Remove pupils attended Maths Jam at Christopher Whitehead Language College, attending two different sessions. In the first session they explored game theory and which strategies to use to maximise their chance of winning. This was modelled through the Monty Hall problem and the classic quiz show Golden Balls The second session dealt with encryption machines and the number of permutations used during WW2. The pupils also looked at the Maths behind decrypting the Enigma machine. They made their own machine using a Pringles tube and also enjoyed eating pizza (which was no more mathematical than counting slices). They all really enjoyed it!
In June, the entire Lower Fourth year group took part in the Maths Mayhem trail, in and around the gardens. They had to work in small teams to solve mathematical problems, completing the tasks in the correct order!
The Maths Department took 11 Upper Remove pupils to a STEM discovery day at the University of Birmingham. The day included a variety of hands-on workshops to introduce pupils to the opportunities open to those studying Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths. Pupils tried some image processing in a computer lab, helping the computer to recognise the path
of a bouncing ball in a video that they had taken. Amy, Martha and Caitlin produced a particularly impressive result. Our group then had the chance to speak to students involved in the Formula Student Team about the racing car they had produced, and to test their driving skills on the simulator. Fortunately all casualties were virtual! In contrast, the BrumEco team are producing the most energy efficient car possible. It looked extremely uncomfortable, but it was interesting to learn about the skills used in developing it and the upcoming race in France. It was great to hear about the experiences available at university, and the career opportunities they can lead into. After lunch on campus, pupils learnt about developments in using biopolymers to prevent cancer and experimented with alginates to see how they bind to different compounds. Finally, we finished the day with a campus tour. It was a most enjoyable day and gave great insight into the uses of A-Levels in Maths and the Sciences.
Other activities which occurred this year include Who Wants to be a Millionaire in the JMT with the Lower Remove, Maths in Motion for the Fourth Forms and Step Up to Maths involving some Upper Remove pupils. Our Upper Sixth also enjoyed getting into the garden to solve A-Level problems in the form of a Maths trail!
Modern Languages – regaining momentum internationally
International contact and travel are at a post-COVID premium, so we are all the more delighted that 2021-22 has seen Modern Languages engagement cranked up once more to boost those essential qualities of confidence, communication and care for the wider world.
The European Day of Languages kicked the year off well with a series of events including the Inter-House Languages Quiz, won by Creighton House. Upper Fourth poetry declamations offered impressive quality and delightful variety including a musical element, although Alex M’s rendition of Der Riese Timpetu clinched top spot. We were able to host three plays, one in each of French, German and Spanish, gradually including more year groups in the audience, and providing rare moments of linguistic immersion which remain a core experience for successful international communicators.
The return of the (previously) annual Sixth Form Media Day enabled Upper Sixth Formers to share their wisdom with the Lower Sixth linguists under time pressure and with great, well-channelled humour. The various groups were impressively productive and effective despite the distractions of stereotypical dress and high-quality food.
We not only welcomed one of our star linguists, Abi Hyde OV, into the department
for Work Experience (although her professionalism and engagement with pupils of all ages meant the benefit was more on our side), we also saw her return to her old exchange haunt Memmingen, Germany, for the final months of her third year of her degree course. The Memmingen connection remains strong. With extra hurdles for 2022 to test our fitness – COVID-19 pass, extended passport validity, passenger locator forms, further DBS requirements, regionally and internationally differing regulations, air travel staffing shortages – it is with a greater sense of anticipation than ever that we look forward to heading off to Germany this summer with 24 Upper Remove pupils. This one tentative step will, if all goes to plan, propel us back into our full programme of exchanges in the academic year ahead.
The number of reliable Sixth, and indeed, Fifth Formers willing to help each other and younger pupils with linguistic conundrums or speaking tests is becoming a hallmark of our pupils and helps create a buzz around the department. Hosting a PGCE student can also help and we were delighted to have Miss Alba de San Claudio Ramos engaging confidently with pupils and staff, sharing her knowledge and honing skills for four months.
We thank Mrs Zhang for her years of work in promoting Chinese and teaching Mandarin effectively and reliably to
a range of ages and levels. After some delays, we finally welcome Mrs Lu as her replacement to lead the weekly sessions in what are exceptionally well-focused, enjoyable and effective lessons. It will be particularly rewarding to see Mandarin Club growing again.
All MFL staff are heavily involved in ensuring the range of educational experiences available beyond the classroom, including our excellent team of assistants who continue to work so tirelessly and flexibly, online or in person, in preparing our year groups both for speaking examinations and more natural conversations. The great care shown by Mrs Azzopardi in nurturing Sixth Form Germanists will be very sorely missed as she retires from preparing them for the wider world as well as for A-Level speaking tests. It is impossible not to be so very fond of her. Her consideration of, and personal interest taken in, others, her awareness of the world beyond examinations and willingness to share her insights and (not least culinary) experiences unselfishly make for a winning combination of charm and grace which we shall all continue to treasure. We take this opportunity to thank her for her time, engagement and expertise. We also urge all our pupils to keep grasping all those carefully-selected linguistic opportunities; they make for a more open and harmonious world.
As the end to what is often the longest and busiest term came onto the horizon, it was fantastic still to have eight of our students in the Upper Sixth put themselves forward to have a go at the British Physics Olympiad on Friday November 12th 2021.
This is something that the department has run for the third year now, so it was good to get as many of the Upper Sixth involved as possible. It definitely provided the participants with the opportunity to promote critical thinking and encourage further reading. Out of all the competitions, the British Physics Olympiad is really the flagship competition throughout the year to challenge and reward as many A-Level Physicists as possible. It is always sold to our students as being a completely voluntary thing to have a go at, and students can’t lose by choosing to have a go. The questions challenge students of all abilities, and will ultimately push them beyond the scope of the A-Level. In my personal view, it is an ideal tool to help students develop their problem-solving skills by getting them to be challenged by harder questions.
Out of the students who chose to have a go this year, it was brilliant that four of them achieved medal places. Louisa de Vos and Alex Lloyd both earned Bronze certificates, Jamie Elsdon earned a Gold certificate, with Luke Beever managing to claim a Top Gold! This year 2,300 students from 393 schools participated overall. Louisa, Alex, Jamie and Luke, therefore, are to be highly credited, considering that this year only 840 students achieved Bronze, 220 achieved Gold, and only 170 achieved Top Gold. Each of these students is also heavily involved in several other aspects of school life, so to have still actively chosen, found time and performed so well is a real credit to all of them. Very well done!
With the relaxing of COVID restrictions taking place across the country, it was really pleasing to have made the journey back to the University of Birmingham for the annual Physics Big Quiz, which is aimed at pupils in Year 9 (so the first year of their GCSE course at King’s). We were still able to raise our four teams of four pupils so, as usual, the School was very well represented. As the quiz was back to being held at the University, the number of teams participating was back to prepandemic levels, so there were just over 90 in total. The teams battled it out over several rounds on ‘Sound & Vibration’, ‘Kinematics’, ‘Who am I?’ and ‘What am I?’, where teams were given descriptions of famous scientists (past and present) and had to then try to figure out who they were. After a lunch break, the pupils enjoyed a talk from one of the leading academics at the University, putting elements of their Physics research into the wider context of applications in the modern world. The final
One of the other competitions organised by the British Physics Olympiad is the Intermediate Physics Challenge. This is a competition open the pupils in the Fifth Form (having completed a similar challenge when they were Upper Removes). The challenge consists of the pupils sitting two online multiple-choice quizzes. This was run this year to continue to engage and challenge pupils regardless of their ability, by offering them a range of problems to solve. The key aim of running this for our Fifth Form is for pupils to enjoy taking part and to encourage them to push themselves more in the subject by recognising what they are capable of doing in a national competition. It nicely
round was a specialist round, which this year was all about Astrophysics. The pupils had had the opportunity to use a selection of resources to prepare themselves as well as possible before the event.
In all the years that we have attended this event, a team from King’s has always managed to secure themselves a podium place, and it was great that this year was no exception. In fact, all four King’s teams scored within two points of each other! This year we were also able to secure a third place. The rule that is used with this by the University is that only one team from each school can actually get a podium position. The team who came in third place consisted of Sonali Prasad, Dan Arridge, Bryony Gillgrass, and Pranav Mayilvahanan. A mention should also go to the team consisting of Elizabeth Shilvock, John Etherington, Jack Bulbulia and Ollie Rearden, who won a spot prize! We will certainly be returning next year with four new teams!
achieved the aim of being inclusive, rather than just discriminating between the most able pupils.
The whole of the Fifth Form had the chance to participate and, overall, this year 4,500 pupils took part nationally. Overall, the Fifth Form achieved 70 Bronze and 54 Silver certificates. A special mention must go to Will Pyle, George CampbellFerguson, Anton de Vos, Lola Morgan, Luke Ranasinghe and George Sutcliffe, who achieved Gold certificates. They were five pupils out of 850 who secured a Gold certificate this year. This certainly spurred a lot of the Fifth Form to embark on Physics A-Level too.
This year has seen the successful launch of A-Level Psychology. It has been an excellent addition to the already diverse curriculum that is on offer at King’s.
Psychology has given our students a deeper understanding of themselves and the world in which they live. We have studied a wide variety of scientific methods to find explanations for human behaviour and covered a range of different topics from psychopathology through to social influence. Psychopathology, which is the study of mental disorders in terms of their causes, development, course, classification and treatment, was a particular favourite. Focusing on cognitive causes and treatments for depression, students discovered how phobias can be learnt through a two-process model of association and consequences, as well as how low levels of serotonin have been linked to obsessive compulsive disorder. There have been lots of opportunities for classroom discussion and debates, where we have been able to discuss real life behaviour and the impact of psychological research on the real world.
Students have undertaken their own psychological investigations this year, designing their own experiment, carrying
out the research and then analysing their findings. The Lower Sixth completed a full written report to analyse their findings and discuss possible applications and implications for the real world. The field was varied, with some choosing to carry out replications of famous social influence studies by Asch and Bickman through to gender bias in adverts and on mobile phone use.
A-Level Psychology continues to be an incredibly popular choice and we are looking forward to the growth of the department following our successful recruitment of a new Psychology teacher, Mrs Carla McMaster Payne, who will be joining in September 2022.
Next year Upper Sixth are incredibly excited to take their learning to the next level as we delve into more psychopathology, looking at the causes and treatment for schizophrenia, as well as looking at the formation and maintenance of relationships. In our final topic we will take a fascinating look at offender profiling and attempt to answer the famous nature versus nurture question of whether criminals are born or made.
RVK
It has been very exciting to be part of the launch of Psychology at King’s this year and personally I feel so grateful to have discovered a subject that I enjoy learning and am really passionate about.
I am currently applying to study Psychology at University after my A-Levels next year. Without experiencing the subject at school first, I might not have considered this to be an option or understood what studying Psychology would mean.
My favourite topic to study so far has been attachment and understanding how important our early years can be for later relationships and the life we lead in general. Next year I am looking forward to learning about schizophrenia and forensic psychology. The few topics I’ve mentioned above show the wide range of areas Psychology can be studied and applied to.
One of the many things that has made this first year of Psychology a success is the dedicated teachers Mrs Kent and Rev’d Dorsett. Their love and interest for the subject is clearly shown through their teaching and they are always willing to help if you don’t quite understand something.
Megan KilbeyBefore starting to study Psychology at A-Level, I had the misconception that it would be purely based on studying the theories behind why people develop different mental health conditions and how they are treated. However, I soon found that the specification was far broader than this, encompassing topics such as memory, relationships and social influence. The last of these topics has been my favourite to study so far because it suggests theories as to why people obey and conform to the opinions and behaviours of others. As someone with an innate curiosity, I was extremely excited to learn the different theories behind why people act in different ways, what might have influenced their beliefs, and if their actions are shaped by culture or society. Furthermore, I love how relevant Psychology is when it is applied to current affairs. For example, when people were deciding whether or not to follow COVID guidelines, or when psychologists were analysing defendants in legal cases to determine their guilt. I feel very privileged to be part of the first cohort of students at King’s to study Psychology; it has sparked a passion within me and I’m really looking forward to studying it in further depth in the future.
Katie PerryOne of the best things that happens in the lives of teachers is when former pupils return to the school with tales of their postKSW adventures.
In May, the RP Department welcomed Isobel Unwin (K 16-18) back to King’s as part of her teaching placement. Isobel is training with the Teach First Graduate Scheme, having recently completed a degree in Theology and Religion at Durham University. Bribed only by Mrs Rees’s break time cakes, Isobel said, “I loved RP when I was at school and know that I would never have thought of doing it at degree level if I hadn’t done it at King’s for A-Level.”
Possibly just pipping Isobel, Charlie, and George in the VIP stakes was the visit of Lord Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, who came to King’s for the inaugural Headmaster’s Lecture in March. Lord Williams spent the afternoon with the department, leading a seminar on St. Mark’s Gospel. His College Hall lecture was about finding hope through stories and an appeal for us to support the arts. His private comments about the merits (or not) of process theology cannot be published here!
to the Cheltenham Literature Festival to hear from one of its authors, Lisa Whiting, who spoke as part of a panel discussion on “Women of Ideas.”
Another high-flying former RP student is Charlie Mackintosh (Cr 16-20), who visited King’s fresh from his success being elected as President of the Oxford Union for Hilary Term 2023. Charlie is reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics at New College, Oxford and came to school in June to talk to this year’s prospective Oxbridge students.
Every summer, Fifth Form and Upper Sixth pupils stumble into school to return their books. Charlie’s collection was so numerous he had to bring them in two huge duffel bags, delighting Dr Dorsett with the claim that of course he had read them all. George Gudgeon (Os 08-15) went several steps further, donating books that he had subsequently collected as a theology student at Exeter.
As George explained, “I remembered that Dr Dorsett and Dr McLaverty-Head had a little library of books for their pupils to do some extra reading. They would often bring in their own books and were always keeping an eye out for new ones to bring in for us to borrow, which I always thought was very generous of them. I thought donating my books would be a nice but belated ‘thank you’ to them both.”
As one can never have too many books, we thank George!
In RP, we are constantly trying to find ways to escape the male, euro-centric domain that often represents the foundation of philosophy teaching. For every Aristotle, there is also an Hypatia of Alexandria and the book Philosopher Queens has been essential departmental reading this year. In September, a group of Sixth Formers went
The department has continued its partnership with the University of Worcester this year. Dr McLaverty-Head spent two weeks in the summer teaching new RE teachers as part of their Subject Knowledge Enhancement course and Mrs Rees mentored PGCE student Mr Prosser, who will be teaching at Hereford Sixth Form College next year. We wish him the best.
This year’s Upper Sixth Religious Studies have been a delight to teach, and we look forward to seeing them back at King’s in future years. Every cohort brings something different to our teaching; this year, Jack Wharton’s expertise in Rastafari and the theology of reggae music was a particular delight.
In memoriam: Anne-Marie Simpson who taught RP so ably for many years. In the words of her beloved Freddy Mercury, “My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies, fairy tales of yesterday, grow but never die; I can fly, my friends.”
This year’s book recommendations:
The Philosopher Queens: The Lives and Legacies of Philosophy’s Unsung Women by Rebecca Buxton and Lisa Whiting (CRR)
Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life by Clare Mac Cumhaill and Rachael Wiseman (MRD)
The Jewel Tree of Tibet by Robert Thurman (RJMH)
King’s Dance started this year with rehearsals of Halloween themed dances to be performed at Chance to Dance, Alton Towers. The rehearsals were jam-packed in order to prepare for the show in the small time-frame we had. We had most of the day at the theme park to enjoy the attractions and then later on it was time for our rehearsal and performance. The rehearsal went smoothly but when it came to the show there were some technical hiccups. In the Senior and Junior Dance, the music didn’t start, not once but twice! The dancers were praised for their professionalism as they waited for the music to start, and they completed the dance well despite the difficulties. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed this experience, especially as it was one the first live performances many had done in a while.
Due to COVID measures, we were unable to present the Christmas shows we were accustomed to, so we put on a virtual show, streamed out to the audience. All groups performed a dance, and it was filmed, then to be live streamed.
All dancers were offered the opportunity to see Matthew Bourne’s The Nutcracker and it didn’t disappoint. The choreography was inspiring, mixing different styles of dances instead of the usual clean-cut ballet. It was one of the first dance theatre trips in almost three years and everyone enjoyed being back at a live show.
Three of our Lower Sixth dancers (Grace, Ava, and I) organised a dance show for all year groups called Myths and Legends as a part of their Gold Arts Award. There was a total of six dances, each based of the story of a different myth or story. Each dance was filmed, then edited together by the three Lower Sixth dancers and finally posted onto Firefly for all to see. The response to the show was excellent and all dancers enjoyed their pieces.
Ahead of the end of year show, the Senior and Junior dancers took part in Aerial Silks workshops. I think all the dancers can tell you it is a lot harder than it looks, requiring strength throughout the body. We learnt the basic movements and from there we started to experiment more with shapes and movements, which for some included spinning upside down and creating cocoons. This provided us with the base knowledge we needed to choreograph dances with the silks.
The end of year show was the biggest one to date; with a sold-out auditorium, everyone was excited to perform. For most, it was the first live show back after COVID restrictions had been lifted and for some it was the first time they performed in the theatre. The theme was Circus, with dances ranging from clowns getting ready via an Alice in Wonderland tea party to aerial silks. There were over 25 dances, with pupils across all year groups getting involved. Some dancers choreographed their own small group dances and solos. Each dance took inspiration from different circus acts, using props such as umbrellas, hoops, chairs and even a large wardrobe with clothes inside in order to mimic the performances of clowns, acrobats or tightrope walkers. For the finale, all dancers took to the stage, performing a routine together.
Looking to next year, King’s Dance is going to Disneyland Paris once again. At the end of the Summer Term, the dancers started to learn their dances, and rehearsals took place in the last weeks of summer. The dancers are very excited to have the opportunity to dance on stage in Paris and take part in workshop offered by professionals and I wish them luck in their performances.
At the end of this year, choreography has begun for The Night at the Movies showcase taking place in 2023. Each dance includes music from iconic films and is set to be even bigger than the previous year.
At the start of the year, I was selected as the Senior Dancer. I am excited to take on this role and support all the dancers in any way I can. I hope to make the younger dancers’ experience as good as mine has been.
Hannah Blackwell
The shape of this year has been very different and heralds a much more hopeful post-COVID situation for the arts.
Like last year, we started the academic year celebrating certification. The 2021 cohort, just like their 2020 counterparts, had their COVID-affected assessment roll on into the summer holidays. Our first duty in September was to celebrate their success. Twenty Bronze certificates, twelve Silver and seven Gold qualifications were awarded to King’s pupils by Trinity College. (Sadly, not all could join us for the photo opportunity.)
In a beautiful act of symmetry, we are ending this year with certified success! It’s been a frenzy of activity leading up to a welcome ‘live’ moderation with a visiting assessor before the end of the academic year. As ever, the work produced by our pupils thoroughly impressed the examiner, and all twelve Bronze, fifteen Silver and eleven Gold pupils have achieved their qualification.
The new recruits have been raring to go from the start. Our Silver and Gold cohorts were particularly keen to get their leadership projects up and running and these did not disappoint.
Lower Years pupils really reaped the rewards of a large and enthusiastic Silver contingent, keen to offer and lead a range of creative workshops. From screen-printing to sewing, there has been a buzz of activity throughout the year. Performance workshops dominated, with several new clubs offered to the Lower Years in Dance and Choreography, Drama
and Improvisation, and Musical Theatre (with separate singing, dancing and acting components) by Lower Remove pupils keen to show off their blossoming leadership skills as well as their creativity. Clubs that need only to operate for a couple of weeks bounced along for far longer as the Lower Remove struck up a superb rapport with their creative ‘guinea pigs’. Final ‘sharing’ sessions were full of life and many Lower Years pupils were keen to keep working with their Lower Remove mentors beyond the end of the project.
A lot of the positivity in these relationships stemmed from our January theatre trip to see The Addams Family at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham. It wasn’t just a joy to get the pupils back out to see a live arts event, it was also the simple act of being able to bring the school community together across year groups. These combined Bronze, Silver and Gold trips always have a fantastic team spirit; we’ve missed them enormously, although I’m not sure we’ve missed the overenthusiastic singing on the coach journey back...
a streamed dance showcase. The resulting Myths and Legends digital event was fantastic. Three Lower Sixth students, Ava Crompton, Hannah Blackwell and Grace Miller produced a spectacular showcase, recruiting participants, choreographing pieces, teaching and advising on technique, and then learning the video editing skills to produce a digital performance. The mix of dances was eclectic and spotlighted soloists and ensembles across all year groups, threaded together beautifully with the mythological theme. The stream went live at the beginning of March but is still available on Firefly for members of the King’s community with access.
Meanwhile, Lower Sixth students Steph Barlow and Tiffany Batt made contact with King’s St Alban’s and took over the running of the ever-popular Chance To Dance event. Both girls were such a gentle and inspiring presence in the rehearsals, exactly what our young Prep School dancers needed. Parents and guardians were able to attend the March performance in person and the evening in the Wightman Studio was a delightful celebration of the ability and talent of our youngest Foundation performers.
Early on in this year’s process, Gold Leadership projects got under way. The first erred on the side of caution and, instead of inviting a live audience, created
Then the Summer Term took off in a whirlwind of Arts Award activity. On April 27th, the Keyes Building foyer was transformed into a mini art-gallery, with a
collection of amazing visual arts works by our Silver and Gold Arts Award candidates. Visitors were then taken downstairs to the John Moore Theatre for a showcase of performance arts works. As well as being a celebration of the new works produced for their qualification, the whole evening had actually been organised by two of our Lower Sixth Gold students, Maddie Cartelet and Abi Gamble. They were ably supported by Lower Removes Caitlin Rutter and Lana Woollaston from the Silver cohort, who were also using the event to demonstrate their leadership skills. The quartet curated, rehearsed and produced the Exhibition and Showcase as a platform for all the Arts Award work generating during the year to be presented to an audience and the enthusiastically positive reception was thoroughly well deserved.
The very next day, Lower Sixth students Maple Unwin and Sean Ryan took to the theatre stage to host the L4 Shakespeare Fest. Every single member of L4 contributed to their form’s mini-Shakespeare piece; it was no mean feat to co-ordinate nearly 90 pupils on stage! The forms celebrated each other’s efforts, but Sean and Maple were also able to invite parents and guardians to attend in person. It was lovely in this postCOVID era to have a full auditorium again, enjoying drama work from our youngest Senior School pupils. After a two-year hiatus, it was great to have this ambitious, whole year group project back on stage.
Two Gold Arts Awards Essays:
The Superhero Movie: is it ‘Cinema’?
[Note: while the toxic culture that has been built around ‘spoilers’ could be an essay in itself, I should mention that I discuss certain plot points of the film Avengers: Infinity War.]
The superhero film has been both financially lucrative and criticised by cinema titans for the past decade. In 2019, while promoting his film The Irishman, Martin Scorsese came under fire for saying he did not believe superhero films were ‘cinema’. He went on to say, “Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks.” I am going to explore the new trend of superhero movies that have become an integral part of our pop culture and what I believe are the intentions behind Scorsese’s comments, while also exploring Steven Spielberg’s idea of the superhero film being a new ‘Western’. I shall refute the latter, and justify the former, because it does not seem like superhero films are a new Western by any means, they are here to stay.
Within a week, we were back in the theatre again. Lower Sixth students Sophie Pitts and Abby Trow had organised a LAMDA showcase. The quality of work on display in the theatre on the evening of May 3rd was extraordinarily high. Upper Remove pupil Emilia D’Adda, who completed her Silver Arts Award last year, has this year won a coveted place in the ranks of the National Youth Theatre, and anyone witnessing her compelling monologue from Jean Anouilh’s Antigone that evening would be in no doubt that her place is well deserved. Congratulations, Emilia! The whole evening was a triumph and, with so many of the pieces coming from the exam repertoire, this bodes well for this year’s LAMDA exams. Good luck to all involved!
The following evening, Lower Sixth Salvador Kent hosted an evening of his own new writing for both stage and screen. The writing and performances were incredibly mature, as was Salvador’s handling of the Q&A session which followed the works. He held court superbly as his audience quizzed him about his influences, his working methods, and his future plans. It was a very new event within the department and a joy to see entirely student-led work celebrated and supported in this way.
Time then to breathe and put the finishing touches to portfolios documenting these extraordinary arts journeys. The leadership projects are just the tip of the iceberg, the
In 2005 Marvel Studios was formed. It was the first major independent studio to be formed since Dreamworks. The second in command at the time, Kevin Feige, had a vision of a shared universe where superheroes would cross from one film into another. When he took charge of the studio in 2007, he began work on his vision for this ‘Marvel Cinema Universe’ which he later referred to as the ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe’ (MCU). Since its conception, the MCU has seemed to redefine the blockbuster, by taking obscure, slightly ‘nerdy’ source material, like Iron Man and Hulk and turning it into an integral part of our pop culture, with Marvel films regularly grossing hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars.
The MCU, while a bold idea, was one of many redefinitions of the superhero film that had occurred over the last decade. Sam Raimi’s Spiderman trilogy had been met with huge box office and critical acclaim, showing that there was an appetite for big budget superhero films. The Dark Knight trilogy was seen as a redefinition of what a superhero film could be, and also picked up critical acclaim. Superhero films were
visible audience outcomes of work created but just a fragment of the work undertaken. Pupils from Bronze upwards were also composing and publishing online their reviews of other live arts events throughout the year, and our annual edition of Gold Standard, where our Gold students publish their articles debating prevalent arts issues, went to press in April. Extracts from some of those articles can be read elsewhere in The Vigornian and the whole magazine is available in an online format at https:// madmagz.com/magazine/1994362
Coming full circle to a successful moderation in June was the perfect end to a spirited year. Congratulations to all involved; the pupils have been inspirational and we look forward to them inspiring a whole new cohort in September.
doing well at the box office and in the press, so, when the MCU launched, it was a resounding success. Over the past ten years pop culture has become increasingly defined by Marvel’s successful superhero films (and its less successful imitators) in a way it was not in the past. This MCU, which was referred to by early critics as a ‘glorified tv series’, has seemed to dominate the box office and has been met with almost consistently positive critical acclaim.
In 2015, Steven Spielberg made some comments where he predicted the superhero movie “would go the way of the Western”. To put this into context, the Western was the most popular film genre in Hollywood from the 1930s until the 1960s; some Western films were incredibly lucrative and often dominated the box office. However, towards the latter half of the sixties, the Western declined in popularity and was no longer the compelling box office draw it used to be. Spielberg was essentially comparing the superhero movie to the Western; he believed it was a phase that would run its course. He predicted, “There’s going to be an implosion where three or four or maybe
even a half-dozen mega budget movies are going to go crashing into the ground, and that’s going to change the paradigm”. He then theorised this would lead to having to pay different prices for different films, “You’re gonna have to pay $25 for the next Iron Man, you’re probably only going to have to pay $7 to see Lincoln”.
Spielberg was making two mistakes here in my opinion. Firstly, he did not anticipate the rise of streaming and how this was going to change our media consumption significantly. Secondly, he made a misstep by comparing the superhero film to the Western. A common, weak argument that superhero fans feel they have to rebuke is, “There are too many superhero films nowadays.” The superhero fan would typically say, “but compared to the Western, there’s far less superhero films being produced than there were Western films when the Western was a lucrative genre.” However, this can be clearly explained. The Western is a significantly more versatile genre than the superhero film and there were countless indie productions as well as major Hollywood Westerns. The Western was a genre that lent itself both to small and big budget films and, what a Western actually is, is quite loose. A Western is not so much a trope as it is a film exploring a time period, meaning that plenty of films that you would not initially think are Westerns can technically be classed as such. Besides, Westerns may have had success at the box office, but there were still plenty of other genres being explored at the time, which still achieved box office success; A Streetcar Named Desire was a box office hit, as was La Dolce Vita. In 1951, when Streetcar was the fifth highest grossing film of the year, there were not even any Westerns in the Top 10 highest grossing films. Quantity of films made does not equal box office success.
It is possible for the comparison between the Western and the superhero flick to be made on a superficial level: the tropes of a ‘typical’ Western with ‘goodies and baddies’ and a Third Act final showdown is similar to that of a superhero film. However, while the Western allows for experimentation and differing budget sizes, the superhero film only really lends itself to huge budget blockbusters and little attempt has been made to explore morality within these films. Even when philosophical questions are probed in MCU films, they are often glossed over, or merely used as filler in-between the action. I take Avengers: Infinity War (2018) as an example, one of the better MCU films in my opinion. The ideas that Thanos has about population control, which serve as justification for his wiping out half the population of earth, are clumsily introduced but never really
explored. On my first viewing of the film, I did not even pick up on the idea because MCU films are not dialogue driven. Instead, dialogue, character development and themes are things that occur in-between the large action set pieces. These set pieces are not particularly compelling either, given that there are no stakes. Walking out of Infinity War, having seen half of the characters turn into dust, I did not feel any kind of loss. Everyone in the cinema knew that, somehow, they would bring them all back, in some convoluted way, involving time travel and a big fight. In MCU films, ‘good’ always prevails and, if it does not, it will in the next film. There are no stakes, no payoffs, because in every single film, we know the outcome.
Bergman. But they talk about it like it is”. Compare these ‘serious’ superhero flicks to highly acclaimed Westerns. The latter are clearly leagues above, with Westerns often making critics’ polls for the greatest films of all time (superhero films do not get that honour nearly as often).
To put it bluntly, the Western is a more versatile, critically acclaimed genre that encompasses all sorts of films of differing budgets and quality. To compare it to the superhero film, which is essentially dominated by two very large comic book brands (especially the MCU) and rarely makes a foray into more artistic ventures, with the times it does being massively overhyped, is lacking nuance, to put it mildly. Spielberg’s categorisation of the superhero film as a ‘new Western’ was not only crude, but also wrong.
Westerns may have had good and evil, but there was a deeper exploration of morality in many Western films. Spaghetti Westerns specifically were notorious for their murky antiheroes. What enabled this nuance was the fact that Western films extended beyond the ‘Hollywood Western’, so there was more room for serious filmmaking under the Western brand. While a case can be made that there have been ‘serious’ superhero films, these films often have been incredibly overhyped and instantly revered as masterpieces by ‘fanboys’ on release. For example, Joker, the 2019 film, is just a rehashed mix of Scorsese’s King of Comedy and Taxi Driver, except with characters from comic books. It is by no means a bad film, but it is not the art cinema everyone was claiming it to be. Another example, Logan, the 2017 film, offered a gritty end to the Wolverine story. Ethan Hawke, in an interview for The Film Stage gave his take on that picture, “Now we have the problem that they tell us Logan is a great movie. Well, it’s a great superhero movie. It still involves people in tights with metal coming out of their hands. It’s not Bresson. It’s not
Four years after Spielberg’s comments, Scorsese made the comments with which I introduced the piece, claiming Marvel films were “not cinema”. He said this following a tumultuous production of his epic The Irishman which had been ‘saved’ by Netflix (following Paramount deciding not to distribute it thanks to its growing budget). Netflix, along with other streaming services, had spent the past few years facilitating films that would not have received a wide viewership if it were not for their streaming platforms. The cinemas had been monopolised by big studios and it was rare to find a film like, Marriage Story or even, The Irishman at your local Odeon, or Vue. The year The Irishman had a limited release, Avengers: Endgame became the highest grossing film of all time, with other extremely high grossing films that year either being re-makes (The Lion King, Aladdin), sequels (Jumanji 2, Toy Story 4, Frozen 2, Star Wars 9) or superhero films (Spiderman: Far From Home, Joker, Captain Marvel). Scorsese’s recent film The Wolf of Wall Street had played to commercial success, but distributors believed The Irishman was not going to perform at the box office. Netflix picking it up was a testament to the influence it was gaining in the film world, with Netflix productions featuring heavily at the Oscars that year. The ‘popcorn flicks’ that were the highest grossing of the year, however, were essentially exclusively Disney, MCU (which is owned by Disney), one Sony pictures film, Jumanji and one Warner Bros film, Joker. This was not a freak year either, with years preceding it showing a similar pattern of superhero films, sequels and re-makes having what is almost a monopoly on cinemas, while Netflix and other streaming services picked up films that were not Disney or sequels. Scorsese argued that the superhero films of the MCU could not be compared to what he called cinema,
“It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.” His comments were met with instant backlash from critics, and directors and actors from the films themselves. Robert Downey Jr quipped that the films “play in theatres”, while James Gunn said “he [Scorsese] judges” superhero films without even seeing them.
While the comments Scorsese made were controversial, I cannot help but sympathise with them. He did not specifically ‘bash’ superhero films; he was honest enough to say they were not his thing; he just made the distinction between this new ‘art form’ of the superhero movie and what he defined as ‘cinema’. He had made comments in the past about long form television being a new art form, and here too he said that long form television is not ‘cinema’. For Scorsese, the superhero movie isn’t ‘cinema’ because it does not convey “emotional, psychological experiences”and for me I think this is, for the most part, true. The concept of a superhero is so far fetched and detached from reality that I think it is difficult even to take seriously on a metaphorical level. Taking superheroes deadly seriously does not really end well; for example, the Zack Snyder Man of Steel and Batman vs Superman films that were unintentionally comical in their dark colour grading. The MCU worked because it had a mixture of humour, action and a couple of emotional moments as filler in between the action, as mentioned previously. But the lack of stakes essentially means that MCU films fall into a formula that can be best described in the exact way Scorsese chose to describe them: theme park rides. When you get on a rollercoaster, you might get a thrill, a temporary kick, you might look back and say “that was a fun time”, but it will not move you at a deep level; it will not make you question your humanity, your values, the reason you live. Film, i.e. cinema, has the power to do that, and it is the lack of ‘cinema’ in today’s movies that Scorsese was lamenting. When you walk into a cinema, it is becoming increasingly difficult to watch ‘cinema’, as it is increasingly suffocated by sequels, children’s films and superhero films, and I think this is Scorsese’s real lament and his real point; one that was glossed over thanks to all the controversy stirred up by his comments.
I do not think Scorsese’s criticisms apply solely to superhero films as well. I think he would apply the same logic to a midnoughties Eddie Murphy comedy, for example. Scorsese is someone who does not enjoy formulaic, big budget studio produced movies and he is trying to make the point that we should have variety and quality in our cinemas. While I understand the backlash to an extent; those who
argue, for example, how much time and effort goes into making those MCU films, it is clearly striking a chord with the argument that “these films are made for the art of it” is naïve. Actors in the MCU sign massive contracts (including theme park rides) in their deals. Marvel sells toys, Lego sets, mugs, jumpers, all sorts of different products relating to their films. They structure their films in such a way that you have to have a solid understanding of MCU ‘lore’ (which you gain from buying and watching more of their films). Marvel Studios is first and foremost a business and the films they make are just one of the many products they are selling: just another theme park ride.
The rise of streaming services, the rise that Spielberg did not see coming, led to films like The Irishman being allowed to be made in a climate like today’s. However, since the launch of Disney+ in late 2019, Marvel studios has quickly started producing content for streaming platforms, for example, Wandavision. This shows that the MCU has versatility in mind and is willing to adapt to the ever-growing ways we can tell stories, on film, in comics, on TV and on streaming services. It will continue to branch out into different aspects of media and probably continue to be as lucrative as it is at the moment. Spielberg was wrong - these are not a ‘new Western’ – they are an integral part of pop culture that is here to stay for a while and, rather than die out, they will adapt.
What Scorsese is railing against with his comments is the commodification of the medium he has used to express his art for his entire life. He wants there to be a space for the films that he calls ‘cinema’. He wants genuine, human exploration to be shown in cinemas where they are meant to be shown, for this kind of ‘cinema’ to be introduced to the next generation of media consumers. At the moment, when the vast majority of your local cinemas rarely play this kind of ‘cinema’, Scorsese has noted an issue, and was shot down for doing so. Maybe his rhetoric was a little brash, but he said what he said with heart, and I side with him.
So, superhero films are not ‘cinema’; at least not the kind of ‘cinema’ both Scorsese and I love, the kind of ‘cinema’ that makes you feel a connection with something so incredibly human, the kind of ‘cinema’ that can be linked to, perhaps, the greatest human expression, art. It is this ‘art cinema’ both Scorsese and I feel is missing from major cinemas and, while it is nice to see art film being given a platform in film festivals and with streaming services, it would be nice to see them on the big screen again too.
Although there has been visible progress towards gender equality in the dancing world, I feel public perceptions of this subject have not changed significantly. For the uninformed, dance is associated with petite, dainty girls fluttering around the stage in pretty pink tutus. They are trained by disciplined older women with hair slicked back into tidy buns who shuffle around the studio with a walking stick in hand. As a result of their ignorance, numerous individuals assume that dance requires limited training and commitment, and that being a dancer is not the most respectable choice of profession, particularly if you are a man. I have researched the impact that gender can have on your career as a dancer and have evaluated the effects on male dancers of the view that ballet is a ‘feminized’ art form.
In many ways, ballet is regarded as a dance style deeply rooted in tradition; the depiction of male and female dancers in productions exemplifies this point. The Romantic era saw the creation of ballets based on classic fairy tales which represent a gender stereotype of women being weak and submissive and men as powerful and brave. As a result of the fairy tales on which the ballets were based and the social guidelines of the time, unvarying and strictly binary roles for men and women were imposed, enforcing gender ideals that are no longer upheld by current society. Additionally, by separating male and female dancers into two distinct categories, we restrict the types of movements that they can each execute which, in turn, limits not only their physical expression through their dancing but also their emotional expression through the role that they play. Even though dance is known for its deeply established sense of tradition, would it not make sense to restructure dance training so that future generations of dancers have a more enriched knowledge and calibre of dance?
The majority of classical choreography does not allow for these conventional gender roles to be switched. For instance, ballet typically requires females to dance delicately ‘en pointe’ while males are obligated to perform several dynamic jumps and quick pirouettes; there are a few exceptions to this custom including Sir Frederick Ashton’s adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where a male dancer performing Bottom dances ‘en pointe’ to give the impression of donkey’s
hooves. However, these exceptions are few and far between. The muscles and control required to master a balletic technique are difficult to acquire without years of training so, even if choreographers begin to create more gender-neutral pieces, as long as the dancers continue to perform in these disparate ways, these pieces will find it difficult to succeed. Admittedly, males and females do have distinct physiological variances which contribute to the choreographic contrast between the two sexes. For instance, a female would not be able to carry a man over her head and comfortably sustain him there in the majority of circumstances; this is the only occasion, however, where gender roles are based on reasoning. In reality, it is only outdated social standards that discourage men from dancing ‘en pointe’ and women from walking a man off the stage. As a form of art, ballet is ideally suited to embrace these more inclusive ideas, just as society has discarded the stereotypes that enforced the inequality.
One of the main issues I have with public opinions of the arts is the way dancing is considered a ‘normal’ hobby for a little girl; however, any little boy who wishes to express himself through ballet is almost always met with looks of disapproval and is subject to insensitive comments and labels such as ‘homosexual’. This was evident in August 2019 when Prince George’s interest in ballet was mocked by US TV host Lara Spencer who, after discovering George’s passion, remarked, ‘‘I have news for you, Prince William: we’ll see how long
that lasts’’. Laura’s incredulous reaction supports the notion that dancing is viewed as an effeminate and odd activity for a male body despite the fact of its high physical demands. There is still the outdated idea that for men sport should be constructed as a masculinising experience, exposing them to an atmosphere that promotes supposedly masculine characteristics such as, ‘mental toughness’ and developing a broad, muscular physique. This in turn results in men seeming to have more limitations regarding what is deemed appropriate when attributed to dominant and narrow concepts of masculinity. Ultimately, when a male participates in dance, he is pressured to negotiate his identity by leaning more towards the ‘cool stuff’ that embodies more conventionally acceptable forms of masculinity; this explains the abundance of male dancers in the hip-hop industry.
While women clearly dominate most roles in the dance industry, it is men who often receive the most recognition in hugely successful and critically acclaimed works. For example, Matthew Bourne, Wayne McGregor and Liam Scarlett are the names dominating the stages in ballet and, as expected, all of these names are male. In fact, distinguished male figures occupy 72% of artistic director positions of companies throughout the world and an outrageously mere 9% of renowned works are femaleled choreography projects. These subtle injustices, that are not made clear until statistics are given, go all the way back to the way dancers were treated as children.
As soon as an individual first enlists in a dance college it becomes clear that there are different expectations for male and female; from the start males are seen as individuals unlike females who quickly get to know that they are replaceable. This ‘token boy’ position cannot help but reinforce resolve and advocate an entitlement to individual advancement. Moving forwards in leadership positions, females should feel as though both they and their work are respected in order to inspire upcoming groups of dancers to carry on displaying their work and seeing dance as a potential career.
To conclude, I believe it is ballet’s outdated gender roles that continue to promote concepts about gender that today’s society has abandoned. While ballet is a long-established art form, there is still a way for restructuring within it; ballet can and should be an art form incorporating both established and contemporary aspects. There is a demand for representation and worthy choreographic work in the dance industry from all gifted people regardless of sex; overall the production must speak for itself. It is the dancers who are beginning to discard the notion of the strictly binary roles created for men and women and who are now able to explore and enrich themselves in a whole area of dance they were previously losing out on.
Grace MillerExtracts from two more Gold Arts Award Essays:
Throughout the 21st century there has been a wide debate about which art form is better, digital or traditional art. To understand the argument, one must look at its origins.
The term digital art was first used in the early 1970s when a man named Harold Cohen created a painting program which was later known as AARON. The program involved a robotic machine creating large drawings on sheets of paper that were placed on the floor. Cohen continued to advance the AARON program until, in the 1980s, it started to do fewer abstract drawings; rocks, plants and people were starting to be drawn.
This version of digital art is hardly the one we know today, as advancements in technology and programming have led to many developments in the digital art world. New versions of digital art had begun to appear rapidly, and more are still being developed and tested. iPads, drawing tablets and computers are some of the most favoured methods to draw with as they are easy to use for beginners, but allow for professional use as well. This is more in line with what the Tate describes digital art to be: something that “can be computer generated, scanned or drawn using a tablet and a mouse”.
Traditional art, however, is considered to have a deeper history, as art done in this way has been created for thousands of years. The first use of what we see as traditional art is cave paintings during the Upper Palaeolithic Period, which saw the emergence of more sophisticated tools being used by cave men. Drawings on stone walls using hand and earth-made colours, depicted hunting and migrations. The drawing aspect of art was the main
form used, but even early on, the term art began to split into different subjects such as sculptures and models, jewellery and craftsmanship. The use of art in storytelling and the passing down of knowledge has been used for thousands of years as a way of cultivating culture and human legacy.
Mesopotamia was the next step in the evolution of traditional art, when cities and writing began to emerge in its society. It is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system. Their art was created using gold, lapis, wood and clay, making jewellery and sculptures (to represent and honour their gods), furniture and mosaics. They are probably best known for creating art through pottery. Later, the iconic art of the Egyptians was created. A distinct style influenced by ancient culture.
followed his lead and ten years later Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The conversion of the surrounding lands was made, mainly by the Romans adopting other gods into their religion but stating that they were not gods, twisting the stories to fit their idea of one true God. Art was a good way of showing other lands stories and tales of your religion even if they did not speak your language, making the Romans able to convert many people by showing biblical art of their stories.
In my opinion, however, the civilisation with the biggest impact on traditional art was the Romans. The Romans conquered most of the surroundings of the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia. They united all surrounding cultures and opened various new trade routes across Europe. This allowed art to spread across the lands rapidly on the back of Christianity.
The empire was mostly a polytheistic civilisation, supporting the worship and belief of multiple gods and deities. Later, Rome was converted to Christianity as the Emperor Constantine became a Christian on the way to Rome in 313 AD. His armies
Traditional art was used to show various historic events in ancient civilisations and continued to be a way of telling stories of the past. From the Roman Empire, traditional art styles developed into Gothic art in the 12th to the 15th century, seeing a development in architectural design in cathedrals and stained-glass windows. The Renaissance period in the 15th and 16th century was when Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was created. Following the Renaissance came the Baroque period in the 17th century, seeing the rise of the painter Caravaggio and the manipulation of light to create dramatic, emotional pieces. Later the Impressionism, Expressionism and Abstract movements made a route to deviate from the norm. Art kept developing and evolving with the times. Famous artists emerged, their work defining their individual eras and styles. Art was seen as a noble thing with kings, queens and nobles getting portraits of themselves or commissioning work from artists.
Art has always been a form of selfexpression. Anyone who wants to pick up a brush or clay can create something from their own imagination. This brings us back to the original point: traditional art has such a rich and diverse history of change and evolution. The debate of this is better is backed up by several points. One of these is that digital art is now involved in photography, animation, film and graphic design. It has been able to apply itself to various professions like traditional art has. Using programming to allow a user to make 2D and 3D shapes and models which are used for in-depth world building and design, some might say, is even better than traditional art.
Gamble
Book illustration has always been prominent within literature, as its form perfectly contrasts that of the boring, black text on blank paper. When used profitably, illustration creates an elaborately comprehensive, extended layer, causing interest where none can be perceived. Illustration, when added to scripture, allows the words conveying messages to become extended; the visuals add to what the mind lacks. Though some could argue it deprives individual imagination, it acts to frame the tale, creating more room for deeper fascination, enlarging the capability of the story with such vivid explorations of the creator’s desired world. It causes inspiration, without hindering imagination.
Illustration can justifiably be defined in many alternative ways, such as the debate whether illustration is a fine art, applied art or even a decorative art. Nonetheless, one thing can be commonly accepted: it is an art form that shifts the way we interpret a subject, whether that be a decorative border surrounding the edge of the respective page, or a detailed art piece that could befittingly stand alone.
Book illustration dates back to the 15th century, in the form of block books (short, concise novels consisting of 50 leaves [pages] or fewer). Within this period, illustration was dominantly experienced with ink, charcoal, metal-point, moisture extracted from bark and, notably, blood. Though not all of these methods applied, this era of illustration can be most noticeably shown in the famous biblia pauperum (paupers’ bible), which is remarkably similar to today’s graphic novels. However, there are no ‘POWS’ or ‘WHAMS’ in this sort of thing, setting it apart from today’s commonly known cartoons.
Famous and well-known authors such as Charles Dickens used illustration to add further to his remarkable stories, wishing them to be “matched precisely with his own conceptions”. Dickens worked intimately with his illustrators, desiring to capture his characters to the nearest possible measure of perfection. Dickens’ most famous illustrator, H.K. Brown, worked closely on
many of his most famous novels, such as the indispensable, solemn narrative of David Copperfield (published in 1850). Brown’s interpretation of the characters and their situations through visual effects became as important as the scripture, communicating Dickens’ mature themes and motifs. Dickens began to use Brown’s sketches as a source of further inspiration, much like the vast Yorkshire landscape, which sparked countless tales for Thomas Hardy.
Despite all the deserving qualities book illustration possesses, its value is now disregarded as relevant: merely an addition to a childish tale, something to brighten up the pages, not to be taken with the uttermost seriousness.
When you think of book illustration, a rush of nostalgia comes over you, stories such as, Biff and Chip, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The BFG, to name a few. This is the result of society causing many to associate illustrated novels as ‘picture books’, something meant for children between the ages of 7 to 12. This is just one example of many myths surrounding the art of book illustration. Others include the idea that “pictures make it easier to consume books” and “pictures are only good until you learn to read chapter books.” This sort of mind set has caused many books to become devalued, due to their association and reliability on their respective illustration(s), which is the case with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Nevertheless, the enchanting tale of Lewis Carroll would just not be the same without John Tenniel’s charming depictions of Carroll’s imaginative creatures and situations, such as the “ranting, bucktoothed Mad Hatter” or of “Alice eerily elongated after eating the currant cake.”
Trinny NielsenFrom a drama perspective, September 2021 looked far more hopeful than the previous couple of years. The calendar was more densely populated and planning for those events, whilst still dependent on contingencies, seemed more realistic.
We were firing on all cylinders right from the start, getting co-curricular clubs and performance opportunities back up and running and, from the October half-term onwards, events came thick and fast; the packed schedule had a joyous sense of old familiarity to it.
We were delighted to accept an invitation from Worcester Cathedral to provide performances for their Cathedral at Night celebration in October. Lower Sixth students, Charlie Lewis and Anna Morrison performed a new devised work composed around the theme of Angels, whilst Salvador Kent penned an original monologue, inspired by TS Eliot’s Ash Wednesday for Maple Unwin to perform. The results were exquisite, with works that were both thoughtful and thoughtprovoking performed against the glorious backdrop of the Lady Chapel. Salvador went on to refine his script and submitted it to Worcester Theatre’s Taster Pots showcase of new work, where it was performed as The Dreamcrossed Twilight Between Birth and Dying in March of this year.
Straight after the October half-term break, the GCSE groups performed their original devised works, with the usual blend of murder, mayhem and existentialist angst.
We were then able to get them back out to see true live theatre, in the flesh, not just a digital stream! Two coachloads headed north to the Birmingham Hippodrome to see Blood Brothers. The impact of COVID could still be felt: the auditorium was still less than half-full and enforced isolations had taken their toll on the cast. By the time understudies had stepped up to principal roles, it left one valiant chorus member multi-roling all the remaining incidental female characters. The absolute commitment to the mantra that “the show must go on” meant that the overall effect did not disappoint. Our pupils were entranced, seeing their study text fully realised live on stage; the sheer joy of being back in a real auditorium was palpable.
The very next day, we were able to welcome Mike Southern of Stage-Ed back into school. Mike, a long-serving member of the West End cast of Blood Brothers, is an established friend of the department. During lockdown, he and Stage-Ed cofounder, Steve Palfreman produced amazing online resources but it was a welcome return to our sense of normality to have a professional theatre practitioner with us in person in the studio, putting our pupils through their paces. We were also
delighted to welcome Genevieve Say from Splendid Productions a few days later, who worked with Sixth Form students on the theatre practitioners Antonin Artaud and Mike Alfreds.
Before we knew it, December was upon us. We still had to be reasonably cautious and kept our Lower Years’ Christmas Show as a digital event, but the compilation of songs and sketches by our youngest Senior School pupils was as compellingly quirky and celebratory as ever. The event that dominated December, though, was the Senior Production. We were back, and back with a vengeance. You can read the full round up of We Will Rock You elsewhere in the magazine.
When January came round, there was only one thing on our older pupils’ minds, apart from their mock exams, of course! That was the London Theatre Tour. After a two-year hiatus, we were back in the West End. Heading straight to the iconic Pineapple Dance Studios, cast members from the award-winning Come From Away led our Fifth Form, Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth pupils in a recreation of key scenes. That evening, we saw those sequences in context, enjoying a sell-out performance at
the Phoenix Theatre. The standing ovation was unanimous and sent the pupils to bed happy in our Covent Garden hotel (with a nail-biting FA cup penalty shootout first for some of our cohort.) On the Saturday morning, we ventured back out to Covent Garden to enjoy the Art of Banksy exhibition. Lunchtime gave Mr Haynes time to be inspired by the rooftop vista from our Royal Opera House base and the set design for the summer term production was born. The afternoon took us to Wyndham’s Theatre for the stunning new stage adaptation of Life of Pi. Thanks to departmental contacts, Lower Sixth Sophie Pitts established contact with puppeteer, Tom Larkin, as part of her Gold Arts Award studies so that by April she was officially conversing with an Olivier Award Winner, Tom having scooped the prize for Best Actor in a Supporting Role with his fellow puppeteers for the outstanding artistry we witnessed at that remarkable matinee.
It had been such a marvellous relief to get the pupils back in the West End, with their like-minded peers, to enjoy theatre-making and theatre-watching at the highest level. That trip was definitely a strong barometer reading on the normality scale.
The Spring Term brought more performance opportunities. The Removes production of Grimm Tales (adapted by Carol Ann Duffy) was imaginatively and evocatively staged in the impressive surroundings of College Hall. It was the perfect backdrop to these eerily gothic cautionary tales, and you can read more about the production elsewhere.
Our A-Level students performed their own original pieces in two hugely contrasting theatrical events; one was a witty murder
mystery, the other, a shocking exploration of living with dissociative identity disorder. Meanwhile, our GCSE pupils staged a stunning range of scripted extracts. From leery club bouncers to devil-summoning feminist rebels, the pieces had it all, and the combination of creative energy and professionalism was a real treat for the small audiences who experienced the performances.
There was a similar audience treat in store for our Lower Remove pupils, who had the opportunity to see the National Theatre’s touring production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Nearly 90 pupils joined the trip and were bowled over by the ingenious staging that allowed the audience to experience the world as if they were in the neuro-diverse shoes of central character, Christopher Boone. Not only was it an eye-opener for them on theatrical techniques, but it was also an interesting perspective on A-Level Maths. I bet many of our U6 would have welcomed the giant confetti cannon at the end of their maths exam!
The final term in the John Moore Theatre has been a rollercoaster of different staged events. Many were student-led events as part of the Arts Award, which added to our sense of pride in getting such a full programme back in front of live audiences.
Finally, we really saw the talent that is emerging from our youngest years when the Lower Fourth and Upper Fourth took to the stage for their production of Mary Poppins Jr. The whole production was an absolute triumph. Flo Sinfield was entrancing as the title character and her
fellow principals were equally superb. The Banks family, Tigo Marskell and Florence Bellairs as Mrs and Mrs Banks, and Henry Friend and Sophie Purves as Michael and Jane, were an absolute delight, whilst Luca Sterckx was an utterly charming and cheeky Bert. They were surrounded by a superb supporting cast of actors, singers and dancers, who revelled in the opportunity provided for them under Miss Williams’s and Mr Allsop’s direction. Our Sixth Form mentors, expertly coordinated ‘on the book’ by Lucy Allsop, led an enthusiastic and resourceful crew of new Lower Years technicians.
Despite the challenges of the last few years, seeing our youngest pupils shine on and off the stage is a great indicator of the further successes they will enjoy in future years. Our older pupils have proved their resilience and bounced straight back into spectacularly creative theatre-making this year. To end the year knowing that these talented Lower Years are waiting in the wings for the Seniors to pass the torch on to them has really felt like we’ve been able to draw a line under creativity through COVID and move on.
In February 2022 we opened the doors of College Hall and welcomed audiences to two performances of the Collected Grimm Tales, the first full-scale production in this historic setting to be led by the drama department at King’s since 1982.
Having set our sights on, and secured the rights for the Collected Grimm Tales as our 2022 Removes Production, attention immediately turned to deciding upon the venue most appropriate to host a collection of subtextually sinister and gothic mini plays. College Hall, boasting its grandeur, beautiful stained-glass windows, a natural eeriness and ancient feeling of coldness bellowing from the stone Cathedral walls captured the creative vision for which we were looking. Although transforming the space into a theatrical venue was a somewhat gruelling and lengthy process, we reaped the benefits we sowed.
Our imposing, illuminated tree, assembled to loom over College Hall, transformed itself into the gingerbread house in Hansel and Gretel, ‘Mother Spirit’s’ tree in Ashputtel, the palace in Iron Hans and The Lady and The Lion, grandmother’s house in Little Red-Cap and the home of the seven dwarfs in Snow White
College Hall is an ethereal setting which matched the theme of the play, and made it feel more vivid and true when acting. The audience sitting in a traverse arrangement made us focus on our spatial awareness and was great for learning to communicate a character from all angles. The mini plays were a wonderful experience, as we got to
act alongside everyone on stage and made it feel friendlier, connecting us in a flow of stories. The Collected Grimm Tales has been vastly different from previous productions and musicals done at King’s, but it was a great experience to able to act in different settings.
Lola BellOpening the evening was none other than Hansel and Gretel. The sorrowful tale of siblings finding their way back to safety through the woods was expertly captured by Elizabeth and Timothy Radford. The pair had to battle the evil tricks set out by their mother, Emilia D’Adda, overcome a near death encounter with a ghastly old witch, Jessica Meci, before being reunited with their loving father, Eric Dykes. Following this sombre and frankly macabre story, was some much-welcomed comic relief as, in The Golden Goose, Dummling, played by Emelia Simpkin, set out to complete tasks for the king and en route was burdened with local villagers following his every move, having become attached to his goose’s golden feathers. Moving on to none other than Ashputtel, more popularly known as Cinderella, and played by Esther Good, battling the wicked ways of her malevolent stepmother, Caitlin Clements, and stepsisters, Maya Sumera and Grace Jansen van Vuuren, before finding her happily ever after with Prince Charming, Barnaby Richards. Closing the first act was Iron Hans, a wild man cast under a spell binding him to an ‘iron-like’ form, played by Jack Bulbulia, who escapes from the cage in the castle he is being held at by the king. A scabby servant boy, Harry Flood, is taken by Iron Hans into the forest to complete a series of challenges where his hair is magically turned golden when he reaches into the spring. The boy with the golden hair wins a competition set by
the Princess, Imogen Moore, and takes her hand in marriage.
I loved being a part of the Grimm’s cast as I thought that being privileged enough to perform in College Hall for the first time in years felt so amazing and it was a new experience performing to audiences on either side of the stage! I loved being able to perform and rehearse with the year below too as, last year, we could only perform with our own year group in Burning Bird and it was great to expand friendships. I loved every second of being part of this production!
Emilia D’AddaDeep in the forest, The Lady and the Lion, a story linking to the well-known Beauty and the Beast, reveals bravery, courage and love at its finest and opened our second act. The lion prince, deftly played by Maya Sumera, wins the heart of the lady, elegantly performed by Caitlin Clements, who manages to break the spell of an evil enchantress, Samantha Capell, which originally bound the prince into the body of a lion until darkness fell and he
was transformed back into his authentic, handsome self. Following this dazzling piece, we moved into the woods for Little Red-Cap, a different variation of the wellknown Little Red Riding Hood. On her way to visit her grandmother, played by Milly Yates, Red-Cap, played by Ellie Cartwright comes across a calculating wolf, craftily acted by Eric Dykes, who follows her, sneaks into her grandmother’s house, gobbles her up, gets into her nightclothes and tucks himself up in bed, waiting for Red-Cap to arrive for her visit. Machiavellian by nature, the wolf eats Red-Cap too. The Huntsman, played by James Capell, recognises the Wolf’s disguise and rescues Grandmother and Red-Cap: all’s well that ends well for everyone, except the Wolf. Following a rather grim tale, the cast progressed into a more jovial, repetitive and, you guessed it, dark rendition of Clever Hans. It’s safe to say that following the events in this fable, Hans and Gretel’s engagement was called off. Ending our production was everyone’s favourite fairy-tale, with a twist, Snow White. Hannah Bowen fitted perfectly into the role of being ‘the fairest in the land’ and while the devilish Queen, played by Emilia D’Adda, plotted to take over this title by disguising herself as a menacing beggar; performed by Jessica Meci, the seven dwarfs came to Snow White’s recue and led her prince, Charlie Flood, to revive her with true love’s kiss.
The cast and crew must be commended for their professionalism and teamwork throughout the entire process, particularly in the hours and minutes leading up to production week. Although COVID caught up with us in the end, leaving us with no option but to cut The Magic Table, The Gold-Donkey and The Cudgel in the Sack and making the running order two acts rather than three, I must make a special mention to Caitlin Rutter, Barnaby Richards and Samantha Capell. By standing in as understudy roles at the last minute, and allowing eight pieces to go ahead unscathed, we were able to set out what we aimed to achieve: a fluid, fun-filled and ’grim’ adaptation of well-known childhood classics.
May I first of all say how much I enjoyed the production of Grimm Tales last night. It was a brilliant evening of ensemble playing with really imaginative use of space and setting and the enthusiasm of the whole cast was a joy to behold. College Hall was the perfect place and the lighting and sound added so much to the gothic surroundings!
I don’t think I can claim that we singlehandedly saved the world or even rock’n’roll, but it did feel as though the cast, band and crew of We Will Rock You saved everyone’s faith in the uplifting power of live theatre.
It would be fair to say that the road to production week had been very rocky (and we’re not talking about the style of music!) Although both the Drama and Music departments have been exceptionally proud of how creative outcomes have still been achieved during the pandemic, we would have been very naive to think that the enforced hiatus in preparing projects as ambitious as a full-scale musical hadn’t had repercussions.
Creating live arts events demands a remarkable leap of faith. Developing all the tangible skills required is hard work in itself, but every one of those skills and creative resources is deployed in anticipation of the response from the audience. Until you get to opening night and enjoy that audience reaction, you never know for certain if it’s all been worth it! Experience teaches you to trust your instincts as you try to anticipate what your audience wants and needs but such experience is the one thing the arts has been denied for the last couple of years. We’ve kept smaller scale and digital events alive but the collective memory of bringing a full-scale production like this to fruition was a little fuzzy! The commitment of the intensive workload and the sheer emotional investment seemed more daunting than usual, given how long it had been since we had all taken that artistic leap of faith together.
In the arts, context is everything, and that was certainly true of the ultimate success of We Will Rock You. Not the crazy, futuristic, satirical sci-fi context of Ben Elton’s libretto, but our own context: we were putting on a show! So, very early on in the process, Mr Haynes cracked open the radio mics: why flog harmonies to death in a dry acoustic when you can hit the reverb and crank everything up to eleven? Mr T [Taranczuk] went crazy over half-term programming the vocoder and rehearsals became a magic box of musical special effects. Our amazing live band joined us far earlier in the process than usual, Miss Gamble seemingly attached LEDs to anything and everything, whilst Miss Lane choreographed even the most incidental of transitions. I abandoned all hope of the plot actually making sense and, instead of fine-tuning scenes, just ran and ran and ran the whole show again and again. By throwing ourselves headlong into show-mode, we managed to capture the
spirit of the show and the scenes started fine-tuning themselves. By the time we made it to production week, we were fairly confident we had a hit on our hands; I had even stopped writing notes(!), but we still needed that audience.
Even that aspect of the production had required a huge amount of faith. We delayed putting tickets on sale. We had contingency plans for every conceivable situation. We just didn’t know. We were finally able to open the doors on the first night…
…and what a show! The audience laughed at the very first cheap gag (Boris Johnson’s 2025 release of Edith Piaf covers) and from there on we didn’t look back. The atmosphere was utterly joyful: isn’t it amazing how clearly you can still see people smiling even when they’re wearing masks? What made it so joyful? Where do we start?
Technically, the show ran like clockwork. DSM on the book, Tim Morris, in his final show, called the show expertly, moving from cue to cue with an experienced eye. Alongside him, Will Emsley and Jamie Waters, also in their final shows, ran the lighting and sound desks respectively: no mean feat in such a technically challenging show. Their enthusiasm and experience translated to the rest of the crew: a blend of ‘old hands’ refining their craft and showing the potential to fill the voids that will be left by our superb U6 technicians, and wide-eyed new recruits lapping up the experience. The showband also featured a winning combination of old and new. Tom Kingsford-Dowd and Jamie Kemp, with seven school musicals between them, know that the showband doesn’t just play: they perform! Down the years they have learnt to embrace the theatricality and the costumes. That now includes the make-up. As U6 students come to the end of their King’s journey, there will be many a show band photograph to revisit as OVs! They proved to be superb mentors to new recruit, Jack Barnett. For Jack, this was his first time drumming for a show band, a distinct skill in its own right, and it was lovely to see him grow into the role, knowing that he will be the one inspiring the musicians who will be coming in to replace Tom and Jamie in the years to come.
On stage, we had a similarly magical combination of old and new. Leading lady, Amelia ‘Mim’ Davies, has been in every Senior Musical since she was in L4, initially ‘gatecrashing’ the senior productions in children’s roles (Gretl in The Sound of Music and Ngana in South Pacific) before taking on ‘legitimate’ named roles once she reached the Fifth Form. Bowing out in
the U6 as the feisty heroine, Scaramouche, belting out those great Queen numbers in her amazing voice, was a fitting end to Mim’s King’s performance career.
By contrast, her leading man, Henry Halford was appearing in his first King’s theatrical production. We were aware of Henry’s musical talents but the voice, the acting and the dancing were a revelation. He swept his audience away with him as Galileo Figaro on a mission to save rock’n’roll as though he had been playing leading roles his whole school career. Henry and Mim’s on-stage rapport was electric and their rendition of Who Wants To Live Forever was particularly stunning.
Playing their evil nemesis, Keely Jennings pitched the beautifully unhinged character of Killer Queen just the right side of pantomime villain. Keely has been a stalwart of productions at King’s since Lower Fourth but her distinctive pop vocals and strong stage presence were made for this leading role and blended superbly with principal newbie, Gabby Singleton who, as henchman Khashoggi, matched Keely evil laugh for evil laugh.
The unsung hero of the show is Britney Spears! It can be easy to overlook a
character who’s dead by the interval but Jack Davies’ scene-stealing performance made sure that was never going to happen. This was Jack’s first leading role, but it was easy to see how his apprenticeship as a reliable ensemble member down the years has helped him hone his craft. His exceptional comic timing had the audience lapping up Britney’s crazy exploits (not to mention the kung-fu moves).
Playing opposite Jack was Riya Mayilvahanan as Ozzy Osbourne. Riya’s stunning vocal talents are well-known in the King’s community, and she is no stranger to leading roles but, as a Fifth Former, this was Riya’s first Senior Production. Her rendition of Only The Good Die Young proved that the music theatre legacy of the likes of Mim and Keely will be in safe hands when this year’s U6 depart.
The character of Buddy has the dubious honour of trying to generate the illusion that the plot of We Will Rock You actually makes sense! Zoe Souter triumphed in the role, navigating the circuitous explanations of how rock’n’roll (and the world) will be saved, and being rewarded with a chance to shine in the poignant number, These Are The Days Of Our Lives. She was backed throughout by the terrific ensemble of
Bohemians, hiding out in the Hard Rock Cafe waiting for their messianic ‘Dreamer’ to finally appear and save the world from Globalsoft’s evil clutches.
The image of the Bohemians, bedecked in LED helmets as they are brainwashed by Khashoggi, was as striking as that of our comically committed chorus of Yuppies and GaGa Kids rocking their pastel wigs and LED sunglasses. The photographic evidence will be there for them to look back on and hopefully think Those Were The Days Of Our Lives.
For the production team, the performances most certainly were. Being creative has been an uphill struggle these last two years. Knowing how much everyone still needs those creative outcomes has put extra pressure on everyone’s shoulders at exactly the same time that the process itself has become more challenging. This show really was the ultimate leap of faith, and we are so grateful to our immensely talented cast, band and crew for leaping with us!
Mary Poppins Jr: A Musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film by Cameron Mackintosh and Disney.
With blue skies outside and the sun shining brightly, in June 2022 the John Moore Theatre opened its doors to our audiences for two highly energetic and exhilarating performances of Mary Poppins Jr, expertly performed by our Lower Years cast, with backstage, lighting and sound skilfully orchestrated by our budding and talented technicians.
The arduous work and demanding rehearsal schedule followed the audition process, which had taken place in March 2022, where we were impressed by the talent and abilities of the Lower and Upper Fourth Form pupils.
One stand-out audition came from the multi-talented and highly proficient Flo Sinfield; she was the clear choice to play the leading role of Mary Poppins, the magical nanny on whom the musical is based. Flo was consistently professional throughout the process and her ability to capture the subtle mannerisms of the well-known character and take complete command at such an early stage in her acting career at King’s was truly commendable.
I remember when I found out I was playing
Mary. My friend and I raced up to the Keyes Building, and I let out an astonishingly loud gasp after seeing my name at the very top of the paper. After I got home, I immediately started highlighting my lines. I was buzzing and from then on Mary Poppins became a huge part of my school life. Playing the lead gave me an opportunity I could only have wished for.
My favourite part of being in the cast was the sense of community that came with it. I have developed some lovely friendships, which I will hopefully carry through my whole school life. I will remember Mary Poppins as a magical experience that bought so much joy into my life. When I had a tricky day at school, going to rehearsal always cheered me up. Performing in front of the audience was ‘practically perfect’ in every way... literally!
Flo Sinfield
Luca Sterckx instinctively had the ‘gift of the gab’ and stage presence needed to portray the character of Bert successfully and executed the role exceptionally well. There is plenty for which to commend Luca, especially as musical theatre is slightly out of his comfort zone. His interpretation of ‘chimney sweep’ and ‘jack of all trades’ Bert left the entire production team smiling from ear to ear during the rehearsal process.
Finding out I was portraying Bert was at first mind-blowing, but also rocked my nerves. Thinking about singing to a packed audience and how out of my comfort zone it would be was daunting. Learning the songs, especially some of my solos, was like a whole new, flummoxing experience. On opening night, my nerves sky-rocketed to an all-time high. Channelling these nerves into adrenaline helped me perform to the best of my ability during the two nights that I spent on stage, surrounded by my supportive fellow actors, and I would like to commend them all.
Luca SterckxHenry Friend, playing Michael Banks, is a fine example of an actor with an innate ability to portray a rebellious, well-mannered boy from a well-to-do family, generating many laughs from the audience with his expert performance. His stage partner and fictional sister, Sophie Purves left her audience in awe with her exceptional depiction of Jane Banks as angelic, witty and charming.
When I heard that the Lower Years Production was going to be Mary Poppins Jr, I really wanted to play the role of Jane and when the cast list went up, I was absolutely thrilled to see that I had been given the part. I enjoyed all the rehearsals and getting to know all the other cast members better. When it came to the performance evenings, I loved how everything came together and how all the hard work paid off. It was extremely exciting to perform in the theatre in front of a large audience. I will remember this production as hopefully the first of many during my time at King’s.
Sophie PurvesGeorge Banks, played by Tigo Marskell in his stage debut at King’s, cleverly captured the progression of his character from a serious and strict work-driven banker to a loving, caring husband and father to the Banks children and his socialite wife, Winifred Banks, charmingly performed by Florence Bellairs.
As I stepped onto the stage on the evening of the final performance, I remembered our first rehearsal, where we went through the first few pages of the script. It made me realise just how far we had come. I would like to thank the tech crew for making the production as magical as it was, Miss Williams for her direction and always being there for help and support, Mr Allsop for teaching us how to sing the songs and Mr Haynes for adding the ‘magic’ to the technical design.
Tigo MarskellDuring a more tranquil moment in the narrative, Ava Hackett captivated her audience with her beautifully sung rendition of Feed the Birds. As Ava sat spot lit in warmly toned lighting, framed by sunset projections of St Paul’s Cathedral and flocks of birds flying looming above her, she had the entire auditorium hanging on her every word as she, and Flo Sinfield, taught the Banks’ children a valuable life lesson: “don’t judge a book by its cover.”
In a sudden plot twist in the musical version, Matilda Evans, playing Miss Andrew, George Banks’ terrifying childhood nanny, went face-to-face with Mary Poppins in a battle between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ with a breathtaking interpretation of an incredibly challenging musical number, Brimstone and Treacle.
I really enjoyed Mary Poppins Jr during the nine weeks that we were rehearsing. It was a good chance for me to step out of my comfort zone and to become friends with people in my year and in the year above. I hope everyone enjoyed it.
Matilda Evans
Alongside the principal roles named above, we were blessed to work with a large and committed cast comprised of an all-dancing, all-singing, multi-roling, and costume-changing chorus. There were several highlights along the way, most notably the cast’s enjoyment when witnessing Mr Allsop’s quest to cameo as a baritone version of Bird Woman as often as possible, and how he shocked the cast by revealing his tremendous talent to dance Step in Time with his knees reaching impressive heights!
The production team thoroughly enjoyed putting Mary Poppins Jr together and I want to thank the cast for working tirelessly to produce this magnificent show. It was certainly a highlight of my academic year and career thus far as a director, and a joy to share the experience with so many familiar faces.
At the beginning of the school year, we welcomed two new Gap Students to the department. Ed Byrne and Adam Fyfe spent the year as Organ Scholar and Choral Scholar respectively in the Cathedral Choir, as well as assisting in the Music Department at School. They have supported lessons with the Lower Years as well as assisted with and, at times, rehearsed some of the school ensembles. Their commitment and willingness to get involved has been superb all year. Ed takes up the post of Organ Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford in September 2022 and Adam has been appointed a Lay Clerk at Chichester Cathedral. At the end of the school year, we said goodbye to two of our peripatetic teachers. Megan Webb has taught violin and viola at King’s for over twenty years, during which time she has seen many changes to the School and Music Department. She is retiring and looking forward to spending more time with her family. Marie McNally has taught woodwind at King’s for the past five years. She has just completed a Doctorate and will be changing careers to become a Psychology teacher at Hereford Sixth Form College, whilst continuing her freelance performing career. We wish all of them the very best for the future.
The musical year began cautiously with some COVID restrictions still in place. Rehearsals with our larger ensembles were limited to sectionals until later in the term. The two winners’ concerts of the music competitions did not take place; instead, music staff filmed the competitions and edited videos for release on Firefly and social media. Audiences remained masked and socially distanced for much of the year. Despite these limitations, the review
of the year below clearly shows that staff and pupils have been able to resume their musical activities as much as possible and have continued to set high standards of performance.
For the first time in two years, the Music Department was able to organise two music competitions at the start of the Autumn Term. There were 100 performances during both events with a record number of 60 pupils taking part in the solo round of the House Music Competition, featuring pupils in the Middle Years and Sixth Form. It was a wonderful day of music-making, where pupils thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity not only to perform but also to hear and support their fellow musicians at a time when participating and watching live music has been so challenging. They were provided with some valuable feedback from the adjudicator, Worcester Cathedral’s Director of Music, Samuel Hudson.
The Lower Years event consisted of the solo round, which featured 40 pupils in three categories, vocal, instrumental and piano, and the Form Song competition. For the majority of pupils in both year groups, it was the first time they had performed as a soloist at King’s in College Hall. All the performances demonstrated the strength of music at King’s with well-prepared and confident renditions of the music they had rehearsed, and this bodes well for the future. Form and music staff worked together for three weeks, preparing a song for each group to sing. The Lower Fourth winner was L4E, with Coldplay’s Viva la Vida, and the runner up was L4D, with Bastille. U4A were the winners of the Upper Fourth competition with their
excellent performance of The Lion Sleeps Tonight. This included some impressive three-part harmony, as well as guitar and djembe accompaniment and lots of onesie costumes! U4D were runners up with a rousing performance of Radioactive. The adjudicator for the day was Ben Sawyer, an experienced choral director, teacher and educator based in Gloucestershire.
There have been six Young Performers’ Concerts across the year, in a variety of venues, featuring over 50 pupils in a wide range of instruments and genres. Increasingly, parents and friends are taking the opportunity to hear these concerts, leading to a warm atmosphere for our younger musicians, who enjoyed the support and offered some fine performances.
Children from Year 4 to Year 9 from across the Foundation gathered in the theatre for a day full of musical delight in February’s Orchestral Workshop. A forty-strong orchestra warmed up by looking at the repertoire for the day; Vivaldi, Joplin and James Rae all proved popular choices. Mr Gunter was delighted that the pupils were allowed to experience such a rewarding day of music-making. The workshop showed the benefit of making music together. The concert was a joyous occasion; the performers’ faces were full of focus and determination and the audience were treated to delicate music playing. All the music performed in the concert was unseen before the workshop and the musicians rose to the challenge.
In November, The King’s Swingers visited the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for an inspirational day of jazz music coaching. We were hosted by staff and students of the Jazz Department in a variety of sessions which culminated in an extraordinary concert in their stunning Bradshaw Hall. The day began with the Swingers as well as the Groove Diggers from Winterfold taking part in some warm-up activities. After lunch, the Swingers had an afternoon sitting alongside students from the Conservatoire’s two jazz ensembles: the Jazz Orchestra and the Ellington Orchestra. This involved working on some pieces that the Swingers had rehearsed beforehand such as Ellington’s classic Take the A Train and a more contemporary piece called Alfredo, which was written by an Old Vigornian, John Parricelli (W 1966-1977) for his album Alba in 2008. At the end of the day the band performed a side-by-side concert in the Bradshaw Hall. King’s had some solo spots playing Green Onions and a beautiful arrangement of Over the Rainbow. The rest of the programme involved the pupils sitting alongside the two Conservatoire bands and performing
some extremely challenging music. Fifth Form Music Scholar Florence Price was given the opportunity to be the guest vocal soloist in Ellington’s Take the A Train, while Upper Remove Music Scholar Jack Barnett had great fun trading drum kit solos with the senior Conservatoire drummers. The finale featured over 60 performers on stage, all playing together to make an extraordinarily uplifting sound.
In March, the King’s Swingers performed at The Elms School Jazz and Swing Evening. This was an invitational black-tie evening featuring jazz musicians from four schools: King’s Worcester, Cheltenham College, Shrewsbury School and Uppingham. The band performed at this event two years ago and it was one of the last live musical performances that our pupils were involved in before the first Lockdown. The Swingers got the second half underway with the theme tune from Peter Gunn before Alfred Kelsey accompanied Florence Price in two songs. The band resumed with a selection of well-known tunes including I Got You, My Funny Valentine and Watermelon Man
After a 21-month gap, Open Mic Night returned to a live format with three gigs. The first two took place in the Mulberry Marquee, which proved to be an excellent temporary ‘outdoor’ alternative with pupils and parents spilling out of the marquee onto the lawn and beyond whilst keeping warm with hot chocolate! Upper Fourth pupil Ava Hackett made her live debut in November, accompanying herself on the guitar. This was followed by another debut with Archie Guck playing a banjo solo called Crocker Creek. More debuts followed including Hannah Bowen in the Upper Remove and Lower Sixth student Henry Halford with his beautiful rendition of Stay. There was a debut from Fifth Form band called (and dressed as) The Checked Shirts comprising of Emilia Downing, Harry Downing, Jacob Smith, Joe Harper, Anton De Vos and Ben Branchett performing What You Know
In March’s Open Mic Night, forty pupils took part in twenty-four performances including solos, duets, trios and bands. The evening began with three Upper Fourth pupils performing Dancing in the Moonlight. This demonstrated the talent that these evenings can look forward to in future years.
The Summer Term Open Mic Night returned to its spiritual home of The Michael Baker Boathouse after a two-year COVID-induced absence. Thirty pupils took part as singers, guitarists, drummers and accompanists in a fantastic evening of pop music of various genres ranging from The Beatles and The Who through to Adele and Matt Maltese.
There were debuts from younger pupils including a self-accompanied performance of Mumford and Son’s Little Lion Man given by Louis Healey-Maddams and Imogen Taft and Kitty Rice performing He Won’t Go by Adele. In the week leading up to the gig, several bands were put together for oneoff performances. One example was Fifth Former Elijah Broadbent singing Billy Joel’s Just the Way You Are. A band comprising of a Lower Remove bass player, Eleanor Witt, an Upper Remove drummer Jack Barnett and two Lower Sixth pupils, Alfred Kelsey on the Rhodes piano and Ruby Kimber on the sax, accompanied Elijah beautifully. The second half was mainly comprised of Upper Sixth performances with solos by Sam Clifford, Sophie Lloyd and Amelia Davies. Jamie Kemp and Tim Morris performed an excellent duet called Daughters by John Mayer before the Upper Sixth band finished the evening off with a short set of songs which began with them jamming along to Jonny B Goode with a somewhat surprised guest appearance from guitar teacher Mr Crocker! These termly events are very popular amongst pupils, staff and parents and, whilst we say goodbye to a talented group of Upper Sixth musicians, there is plenty to look forward to with new stars emerging.
Four Upper Sixth (Year 13) Music Scholars were invited to participate in Worcester Cathedral’s lunchtime recital series in the Autumn Term. Henry Bowers, Oliver Annable, James Patten and Charles Pilman presented a programme of trumpet, saxophone, ’cello and organ music to a large and appreciative audience in the nave of the Cathedral. In the Spring Term it was the turn of the Chamber Orchestra and the Chamber Choir to perform in the Cathedral. The string players began the programme with a mix of genres; works by Bartok and Grieg were placed on either side of an arrangement of Lennon and McCartney’s A Hard Day’s Night. The expressive playing of the Grieg was particularly impressive. The second half of the programme featured the choir in works by Franck, Mendelssohn, Schubert and Chilcott, the last featuring a delightful solo from Fifth Form Music Scholar, Florence Price. Both ensembles were in fine form and both concerts were an excellent showcase of music at King’s to a wider, more public, audience.
In November, a professional choir, the Armonico Consort invited the Chamber Choir to join them for one of their 20thanniversary concerts at Malvern Theatres. The concert showcased some of the most extravagant and rarely performed choral masterworks of the Renaissance, all written in at least 40 parts, by Tallis, Striggio and Biber. The singers were joined by a large and varied number of instrumentalists,
on strings, wind, drums and keyboards, all making an impressive and multilayered surround sound. The Choir were honoured to take part in the memorial service for Lady Morrison, in Worcester Cathedral in October. Lady Morrison was a former Governor at King’s and a great supporter of music at the School and Cathedral. The music was directed by the Cathedral’s former organist, Adrian Lucas, and included Mendelssohn’s O for the Wings of a Dove and Parry’s I was Glad, memorably augmented by the trumpets of the Coldstream Guards.
In January, as far as we know for the very first time, the Chamber Choirs of the three Cathedral Choir Schools, King’s Worcester, King’s Gloucester and Hereford Cathedral School, joined forces to sing Choral Evensong in Worcester Cathedral.
The world-famous Three Choirs Festival has been taking place in these three cities for over three hundred years. The combined sound of 70 young singers was exhilarating in the Nave of the Cathedral. The choir was directed by Director of Music, Mr Taranczuk, who wrote, “standing in front of the combined choirs was a special moment. Music, and singing in particular, has been hampered by the pandemic. This service, performed by so many young and talented singers, is a sign of what is to come as all three schools look to resume their full programme of music performances.” The three choirs will join forces again in Gloucester Cathedral next year.
Following on from the raft of fundraising efforts in the early part of March, the Chamber Choir released their own charity single to raise funds as quickly as possible for those in need in Ukraine. The single is a Ukrainian song called Shchedryk, written in 1916 by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych and is available for download across major streaming platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Apple Music and Spotify. The tune is a well-known Christmas carol called Carol of the Bells. Former Director of Music at Worcester Cathedral, Adrian Lucas gave up his time and expertise to record and film the song professionally and we are very grateful to him. Pupils across The King’s Foundation have raised nearly £7,000 to support their chosen charity, Save the Children via the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
In May, the Lower Years Choir joined forces with pupils from Hereford Cathedral School and King’s St Alban’s to sing Choral Evensong in Worcester Cathedral. For the majority of pupils, this was their first time singing in this style of service, and it gave them a real taste of life as a cathedral chorister. There was a huge amount of music to prepare, and they
had to work hard to learn a Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, the anthem, Quilter’s Non Nobis Domine, the responses and a psalm. Singing with full organ accompaniment was incredibly stirring and made all the work worthwhile. As the fifty singers processed into the choir stalls, they were met by a large congregation of supportive parents and friends. The sound of so many combined voices resonating in the large spaces of Worcester Cathedral was truly memorable.
The School Concert in December was the first opportunity in nearly two years for many of our larger ensembles to perform. These ensembles have been unable to rehearse effectively throughout that time and the personnel has changed significantly since their last performance in March 2020. As the date of the concert had crept into December, the programme featured some lighter Christmas repertoire. The First Orchestra began with Barrell’s East Anglian Overture, demonstrating some intricate passages from the woodwind players. The Wind Band played a jolly Caribbean Christmas arrangement before tackling a lively medley of songs from The Blues Brothers. The Chamber Orchestra were in excellent form with five short pieces by Bartok and a quick blast of Frosty the Snowman. The King’s Swingers entertained with the First Funky Noel and there were excellent contributions from the Lower Years Choir, Orchestra and Flute Group. The Chamber Choir and School Choir finished the concert with more Christmas tunes. Many parents commented how enjoyable it was to watch their pupils performing again and to see how much the pupils enjoyed performing to such an appreciative live audience.
The Summer Term School Concert began with the King’s Swingers and a lively set of pieces including James Brown’s I Got You and concluded with guest vocalist, Upper Sixth student Amelia Davies joining the band to sing A Natural Woman. The
Lower Years Chamber Choir’s songs included a light-hearted piece about Mozart called A la Cart and the Lower Years Orchestra performed two well-known pieces from the orchestral repertoire; Grieg’s In the Hall of the Mountain King and one of Brahms’ Hungarian Dances. The School Choir sang three contrasting pieces including an American sacred song, a little bit of musical theatre and one of Verdi’s popular opera choruses from Nabucco. The Wind Band had already performed Lord of the Dance at the start of term service in the Cathedral and gave a second rendition in the concert. The opening solo was performed by flautist Felicity Quiney. Oliver Annable featured as the soloist in a beautiful rendition of the theme tune from Cinema Paradiso and the band concluded their set with the Ron Goodwin’s rousing theme to the film 633 Squadron
The Chamber Orchestra were on good form with Albinoni’s Sinfonia in G, and the
concert concluded with the First Orchestra and soloist James Patten performing the first movement of Lalo’s ‘cello concerto The conductor of the orchestra, Mr Gunter, said, “This performance held the twin joys of a fine young soloist playing with finesse and passion, and an orchestra very much rising to the not inconsiderable demands of a tough score and the challenges of accompanying a peer. All involved should be proud of what they achieved.”
During the year, the Music and Drama departments staged two musicals. In December, the Senior Production was We Will Rock You. The plot of the musical doesn’t make a great deal of sense with much of it written to set up one Queen song after another, typical of a jukebox musical. Lower Sixth pupil Henry Halford was appearing in his first King’s production and played one of the lead roles with aplomb. Alongside him was Amelia Davies who has been in every Senior School musical since she was in the Lower Fourth, when she played Gretl in The Sound of Music. Together with the rest of the cast they romped their way through a catalogue of classic Queen songs accompanied by a pupil band of Tom Kingsford-Dowd on bass guitar, Jamie Kemp on lead and rhythm guitar and Jack Barnett on drums, with Mr T directing on keyboards and vocoder! Tom and Jamie have been exceptional in numerous musicals over the years (Forbidden Planet, Little Shop of Horrors and Made in Dagenham). The skills required to play in a show band cannot be overestimated, not only being able to play the music, but to be able to adjust on the fly when the music is changed at very short notice or a cue line is missed and the band suddenly jump have to forward several bars! It keeps you on your toes and these two are very much in
the professional mould. They were able to support Upper Remove pupil Jack Barnett drums playing in his first show and he was superb as ‘Roger Taylor’!
of the Royal Schools on Music) diploma. David Gee achieved a Merit on the trombone and Sophie Lloyd also achieved a Merit for her singing diploma. Three pupils were awarded Distinctions; Charles Pilman on the organ and David Wills on the piano. David now possesses two music diplomas, as he passed the same exam on the oboe last year! The youngest to achieve this diploma is Upper Remove pupil Oliver Perkins in singing. Two pupils passed the London College of Music Musical Theatre Diploma; congratulations go to Keely Jennings and Riya Mayilvahanan.
Rehearsals began in March 2022 for the Lower Years’ musical, Mary Poppins Jr, a skilful reworking of the full stage musical into a one-act, high-energy show. The cast enthusiastically learnt the large number of memorable songs, and the performances towards the end of June combined superb acting, singing, dancing, set-design, and technical help. Congratulations to all involved!
Over the course of the year over 100 Senior School pupils have passed ABRSM, Trinity and London College of Music exams. King’s continue to have a great deal of success in practical music exams, with fifteen pupils having successfully passed their Grade 8 exam. Beyond Grade 8, more and more of our pupils are continuing to stretch themselves with diploma exams, which feature a challenging 30-minute recital. Five pupils passed the ARSM (Associate
There have been three solo concerts showcasing our more experienced pupils and these have been renamed as Cleobury Concerts in honour of Nicholas Cleobury (Ch 58-68) and his late brother, Sir Stephen Cleobury (Ch 58-67).
The Autumn Term concert featured pupils from the Lower Remove to Upper Sixth, and music from Bach to Richard Rodgers. It was a wonderful display of musicianship, from those more experienced to some making their Cleobury Concert debut. Between the solos were items from new pupil-led groups, and the Chamber Choir brought the concert to a close with Chilcott’s arrangement of The Gift to be Simple and Matyas Seiber’s Three Hungarian Folksongs. The Spring Term concert was an optimistic and affirmative presentation of a wide variety of music by some of King’s most advanced musicians. Amongst the many soloists (with strings, woodwind, brass, guitar, piano and organ all well represented), the concert opened
tremendous job this year, taking on a full schedule and quickly learning a great deal of new repertoire. Alongside a full complement of boy choristers, they are sustaining an ongoing tradition of music in Worcester Cathedral which stretches back for centuries. We congratulate all the choristers, boys and girls, on all they have achieved this year, and thank them very much for all they have done.
with the Guitar Group playing songs by The Stereophonics and Metallica, featured the combined Flute Groups playing David Bowie halfway through, and closed with three songs from the Chamber Choir. The Summer Term Cleobury Concert was a real tour de force and the biggest solo concert of the past 10 years! In addition to excellent performances by soloists and the Chamber Choir, the concert also featured several chamber music pieces which had been rehearsed by pupils themselves in the weeks leading up to the concert. This included a wind trio, wind quartet, string trio and a piano quintet featuring four of our younger string players and Alfred Kelsey on piano in a performance of Fossils from The Carnival of the Animals
We were honoured that Nicholas could join us for two of these concerts and the pupils greatly benefitted from his many words of support and encouragement offered in rehearsals. At the end of one concert Nicholas spoke to the audience saying, “It was a pleasure to be back in College Hall and be able to meet and hear so many present-day King’s musicians. Music at King’s seems to be in ‘rude good health’ and brilliantly overcoming the restrictions of COVID. King’s gave Stephen and me a wonderful start and is doing so for so many pupils today.”
It is wonderful to write looking back on a highly successful and landmark year for Worcester Cathedral Choir. In September 2021, and in close partnership with the King’s School, we welcomed our first girl choristers to a new departmental model in which, for the first time, opportunities for girls in the Cathedral Choir match those on offer to boys. This first group of new girl choristers have done a
At the start of the year we also welcomed a number of new lay clerks, choral scholars, and an organ scholar. With the choir stalls full, much of this year has been dedicated to re-establishing our routine after the pandemic, and allowing the changes mentioned above to bed in and take root. As well as contributing to a host of wonderful cathedral services over the course of the year, the Choir also visited churches in Fladbury and Hagley on two separate occasions, and most of our singers took part in the Three Choirs Festival in Hereford this summer, including a BBC Radio 3 broadcast and a
world premiere sung by the Youth Choir which included many King’s pupils. We are looking forward to an equally full and exciting schedule next year.
As the year comes to a close, we record our thanks to those moving on from the choir. Two choristers from King’s have come to the end of their time as trebles, Felix Tunnell and Sophie Lloyd. Felix and Sophie have sung as choristers for many years, and both have served in the role of Head Chorister. In this role they have helped to inspire the next generation of choristers, have reached the highest levels of musical achievement, and have sung numerous solos often at highprofile occasions. They and their families have given so much to the Choir and the Cathedral over a number of years, and for that we thank them most warmly. We also wish them well in all their future endeavours, musical and otherwise, and hope that singing and music will always be an important part of their lives. Thank you, Felix and Sophie!
It is safe to say that this has been one of the best athletics seasons in King’s history. Not only have there regularly been fantastic numbers, both at training and competing, but we have seen numerous successes across the age groups in all the major competitions.
44 athletes from U4 to L6 qualified to compete for Worcester City in the County Championships, with many competing in two events; this meant that King’s made up well over half of the district team. In total we won eight gold medals, 11 silvers and six bronzes, making us one of the most successful schools in the county.
Gold Medals Silver Medals Bronze Medals
Jess Day Javelin JG
Ollie Mason Javelin JB
Ruby Collins Javelin IG
Maddie Worth Discus IG
Alex Evans High Jump IB
Will Mason Javelin IB
Ollie Rooksby Discus IB
Evie Hawkesford-Johnson 3000 SG
Phoebe Martin 1500 JG
Ella Purves 800 JG
Lily Widmer 300 JG
Dan Arridge Triple Jump JB
Henry Horsfall Shot Discus JB
Maddie Worth Shot IG
Alex Evans Javelin IB
Zach Mason 200 IB
Harry Paddock 100 IB
Ollie Rooksby Shot IB
Following on from their success at the County Championships, 14 pupils went on to compete for Hereford and Worcestershire in the prestigious Mason Trophy inter-counties competition. This is an opportunity to test themselves against some of the best athletes in the country. A special mention must go to Jess Day, Alex Evans and Henry Horsfall for winning medals.
Mathilda Penny Javelin JG
Will Fleming 300 JB
Rosa Jukes Triple Jump IG
Lottie Kilbey 300 IG
Phoebe Reuben Long Jump IG
Ethan Gill IB
Later in the term it was the turn of U14s (Lower Fourth and Upper Fourth pupils) to compete in their County Championships. Again, King’s made up 60% of the district team and had some impressive performances across the events. In total we won six gold medals, six silver medals and five bronze medals. Three of the four athletes in both relay teams were from King’s and they came home with a bronze and silver medal as well.
Gold Medals Silver Medals Bronze Medals
Anna Chapman Discus
Phoebe Martin 1500
Mathilda Penny Javelin
Lily Widmer 300
Ollie Mason Javelin
Ethan Winning Hurdles
Charlotte Turner Hurdles
Jack Fletcher Shot
Oscar Sharman Long Jump
Matteo Sobey High Jump
Roman Williams 200
Boys Relay
King’s took teams of five boys and four girls to compete in the County Combined Events Championships, where pupils compete in a pentathlon. It was the first time any of the pupils had taken part in such an event and they all performed exceptionally well throughout a busy day of events. Roman Williams won the Junior Boys’ gold medal, with Ollie Irwin and Matteo Sobey tied for the silver medal. This qualified them to compete for Hereford and Worcester in the Regional Finals and all the boys can be very proud of their performances.
The Track and Field Cup is a highlight for many pupils through the season, as pupils score points for their individual performances which are then combined for the team total. All four teams scored well in the county round, with the junior girls and boys qualifying for the Midlands A final, for the top eight schools in the region and the inter girls qualifying for the Midlands B final. The junior girls finished in fourth place, which is our highest-ever finish and a sign of the strength we have in the junior age groups.
Ella Purves 800
Sophie Purves 800
Hebe Swift Hurdles
Peter John Triple Jump
Girls Relay
Well done also to the nine pupils who have set new school records through the season, writing themselves into the history of King’s Athletics.
Sports Days are always a wonderful part of the athletics season, with nearly every pupil in the School competing for their House or Form. The team spirit displayed and the encouragement for everyone competing was a pleasure to witness and is a testament to the King’s community spirit. Congratulations to Choir House, who won the title in both the Senior and Removes event, and to Lower Four A and Upper Four B, who won the Lower Years event. The individual awards in the Removes and Lower Years competitions went to the following athletes: UR: Ethan Gill, Will Mason and Phoebe Reuben. LR: Frankie Barry and Joe Dowling. Upper Fourth: Hattie Watts and Roman Williams. Lower Fourth: Anna Schoonenberg and Ryan Widmer. LMS
1st XI
After a disappointing season last year, the 1st XI performed beyond most people’s expectations and made 2022 a season to remember.
The squad hit the ground running at the annual pre-season trip to Bishop’s Stortford College, with two excellent performances. The team were then brought quickly down to earth in the early stages of the season by losing their first three games, to Cheltenham College, Hereford Cathedral School and Dean Close. The next game, against Sir Thomas Rich’s would, unbeknown to us at the time, prove to be the turning point of the season. After restricting the visitors to only 92, a comfortable victory looked possible. However, the game went right to the wire and took an unbeaten partnership of 13 for the ninth wicket to scrape over the line. After that win this young team never looked back, growing in confidence each week and going on to secure victories in the next 13 out of 16 matches, playing an exciting brand of cricket in the process.
In previous seasons our success has been built on the consistency of our bowling attack and once again the whole group impressed. The team were blessed with excellent variety in both the seam and spin departments and, as a result, were able to put the opposition under huge amounts of pressure throughout their innings. Our spinners were once again the main threat, with George Tomlinson (33), Ollie Yip (22) and Jamie Thorp (17) taking the most wickets. Henry White (14) also impressed with his left-arm seam and opened the bowling in all formats.
However, the major difference this season was with the batting. Runs have previously been hard to come by, but this could not have been further from the truth this year and was the main reason for our success. George Tomlinson was once again the standout, scoring 676 runs at an average of just over 45. Wicket-keeper Cam Jones (559), Monty Jelfs (443) and Sam Hawes (376) all put in stellar performances with the bat, which meant runs were never hard to come by. Josh Richardson also performed well, especially in our T20 campaign, and his runs and overall dominance at the top of the order will be sorely missed next season.
Along with the comprehensive win against RGS in the annual block fixture, thanks to a fine 78 from Upper Remove Ollie Yip, the highlight of the season was
the side’s extended run in the National T20 cup. After wins against Dean Close and RGS, Worcester in the group stages and a comprehensive win against Warwick in Round Two, thanks to a blistering 62* from Josh Richardson, the side faced Malvern College in the regional semi-final. Unfortunately they never really going and Malvern College ran out comfortable winners, thanks to a spectacular innings from their opening batsman.
Overall the 2022 season was a very successful one, not only in terms of results but also with the number of individuals performing superbly throughout the season. A record 13 boys have qualified to feature in the prestigious Wisden Almanack and even more impressive is the fact that nine of them have at least one more year at school. Seth Essenhigh and Henry Hawes from the Lower Removes and Ollie Yip in the Upper Remove had all cemented their place in the team by the end of the year and all managed to put in match-winning performances.
A special mention has to go to the Upper Sixth pupils, Josh Richardson, George Bartram, Alex Terry and Oliver Annable, who leave the School after showing outstanding commitment to the cricket programme throughout their time at King’s.
Huge thanks must go to Gilly, who was everpresent at all training sessions and once again provided excellent support for the
1st XI cricketers. Mr Williams also provided excellent support for the team, especially during the winter and pre-season training programmes. Current Worcestershire professional, Charlie Morris was again an excellent addition to the coaching team and we look forward to welcoming him back next winter in order to continue the
development of our seam bowlers. Thanks must also go to our fantastic grounds team, who prepared excellent wickets for both matches and training; their continued effort and support is much appreciated.
The introduction of an U17 team is a relatively new one and each year they only play in the U17s National Cup competition. This provides a great opportunity for some of our younger, more talented cricketers to be exposed to a similar environment to that they would experience playing in the 1st XI.
Being drawn away against Shrewsbury, one of the top cricketing schools in the country, was going to be a difficult start to the Cup. The task was made even more difficult as Shrewsbury posted 223-3 from their 30 overs. At the half-way point of the King’s innings, we were within touching distance, thanks to a quick-fire partnership of 68 between Seth Essenhigh and Monty Jelfs. However, both soon departed, leaving the lower order with too much to do, and the side eventually fell short by 38 runs. Even though the side started with a defeat, there were lots of positives to take from a good performance and this was a sign of things to come as the team entered the Plate Competition.
The first round of the Plate was a home T20 match against QMGS, Walsall. Jelfs was again in fine form with the bat and scored
George Tomlinson had a fantastic season for the 1st XI and U17s. He scored 676 runs at an average of 45.07 and took 33 wickets at an average of 13.36, the latter statistic meaning he took a wicket for every 13.36 runs he conceded from his bowling. He also set a school record for the highest score by a King’s pupil when he scored and unbeaten 170 against Queen Ethelburga’s College in the quarter final of the national plate competition.
a magnificent 85 from just 38 balls. He was offered good support from Tomlinson, who also scored a half-century, off just 30 balls. The mammoth score of 206 in their 20 overs was too much for the visitors and we ran out comfortable winners by 105 runs.
The team then travelled to Wirral Grammar School in the next round. The batters once again found their form, with captain Cam Jones scoring his maiden century (100*) and Tomlinson again reaching 50; Essenhigh provided a cameo to finish the innings. Henry White and Henry Hawes did a fine job with the new ball, taking early wickets and not allowing the Wirral team ever to get going, helping us to win by a comfortable margin of 82 runs.
The U17s now faced Queen Ethelburga’s from York, in the quarter-final of the competition. For the first time in the season, the side found themselves under pressure, after losing two early wickets. However, Tomlinson was able to continue his fine form and scored an extraordinary 170* off just 86 balls. His innings included 12 fours and 12 sixes, setting a new record for the highest individual score by a King’s
Mr Holliday writes, “In my first season as the third team coach I have been impressed and entertained by the level of commitment, teamwork and sportsmanship displayed by the third team players this season both on and off the field of play. Apart from perhaps their first game, they have enjoyed highly competitive games throughout the season, with some good personal performances throughout the squad. Both bowling and batting have been rotated throughout the squad to enable all players to be actively involved in games and also enhance their own personal cricketing skills.
“The team have also used their social media profile to enhance the team’s reputation
pupil in the process. Jones also carried on his form from the previous round with a fine 86 to help the team reach an unsurpassable 294 from 30 overs. Hawes again took three wickets with the new ball, but the man of the moment Tomlinson showed his class with a wicket and three catches to see the team home.
The U17s now face Stowe School in the semi-final of the competition, which will be played at home in the first week of September on our return to school.
It has been wonderful to see the success and development of the team this year and more pleasing still is the fact the side was made up of no fewer than six players outside the Sixth Form, a promising sign of future success.
A special mention should go to Mr Williams for his continued support of the U17s in both training and matches and to the groundsmen for all they do in providing excellent wickets for both training and matches. SG
amongst fellow pupils, which also seems to have been successful.
“Going forward I would strongly encourage all the players to continue playing, both in and out of school, as they are all good enough to be of benefit to other teams.”
The overall results are played six, won two, lost four. Against Cheltenham College, we lost by 125 runs; against Sir Thomas Rich School, we lost by two wickets; against Malvern College, we lost by two wickets in our first match and won by 44 runs in our second; against Prince Henry’s High School, we lost by two runs in our first match and won by 6 wickets in our second.
U15
This proved to be an enjoyable season, with our small but keen squad of players. Training sessions were always positive and progressive, with a strong focus on improving individual skills. We struggled to produce challenging targets during the first part of the season, but we became more competitive as our key batsman found form and confidence. Felix Forrester scored a patient 50 in an impressive 80 run partnership with Charlie Felton against Bishop Vesey’s, and made four other scores of 25 or more.
U14
2022 proved to be a very enjoyable and successful cricket season for the Under 14s. The side had an impressive fixture list, which included the new additions of Stowe, Shrewsbury and Malvern College. One of the pleasures of the summer was seeing how we competed against such wellrenowned cricketing schools. For instance, at Stowe School, our batters posted a huge total of 193-5 in just 20 overs. We then restricted Stowe to 110-6, thereby winning by 73 runs. The performance against Shrewsbury School, an institution which has produced many first-class cricketers, was equally impressive. Despite missing a couple of regular players, King’s U14s managed successfully to chase down a tough target of 157 in just 18.2 overs. The season was rounded off in style with a splendid effort against Solihull School in a 40-over match. Playing on Solihull’s 1st team pitch, we scored a staggering 313 runs, then managed to bowl out a highquality opposition for 242.
Next year the U14s, who will then be U15s of course, will compete in the National Cup. This was made possible by us winning the U14 County Cup final against Bromsgrove School by seven wickets. This was a pleasing effort, as it was a repeat of the County Cup final from 2021, when the result went the other way. At the end of the match, the Bromsgrove coach was extremely complimentary about the fielding of the King’s players. This was one of a number of occasions this year when the opposition coach commented favourably on our fielding. The side is fortunate to have a number of excellent all-round athletes in its ranks. However, what has been particularly pleasing has been the determination from the less natural fielders to put their bodies on the line in the field. Excellent fielding is a tell-tale sign of a good team spirit.
The U14s have good depth in their squad; many players who regularly turned out in the B team would be A team players in other year groups. Every week some U14 players played in the U15s, and many
The season’s highlight was without doubt the fine win over a strong Bromsgrove side in the semi-final of the County Cup. King’s produced a disciplined bowling performance and some excellent ground fielding to restrict Bromsgrove to 120, which was sensibly chased down for the loss of only two wickets. Despite another superb opening spell from Will Mason in the final, Malvern proved to have two much strength in depth for us and progressed to the national stage of this competition.
The team’s captain added, “I have really enjoyed captaining the side this year and feel I have learnt a lot about this important job. Beating Bromsgrove in the cup was a great team performance, and gave us much more belief for the rest of the season.”
The overall results are played 10, won three, lost seven.
JJM / MCPperformed exceptionally well, including Will Thorp, who scored a match-winning century for the U15s against Hereford. Additionally, U14 captain Henry Hawes and wicket-keeper Seth Essenhigh regularly played for the School’s 1st XI.
There were many outstanding individual performances with bat and ball in U14 matches this season. Cricket is an individual as well as a team sport and it is only right to say “well done” to those who achieved individual milestones. However, the contributions of all players in the squad are necessary and crucial in order to produce a successful season. This was never truer than this year, as on many occasions key players were absent, due to calls-up for the County, U15s, 1st XI or England Hockey. Despite these challenges, the U14 team continued to perform admirably, owing to other players in the squad being willing and able to “step up”.
The Under 14s are a very competitive and sporty group of young people and it has been a real privilege to look after them as their coach for the last two seasons. I have also enjoyed getting to know many of their parents, who put so much time into supporting their children at school fixtures, as well as at local cricket clubs. I look forward to seeing many of this fine group of young cricketers play in the School’s 1st XI in the years to come.
Batting statistics
(Scores of 50 and above for the U14s)
Noah DuPont 81 not out v Solihull
Seth Essenhigh 50 not out v Bromsgrove, 63 v Stowe, 100 not out v Dean Close, 103 not out v RGS, 103 v Solihull
Henry Hawes 53 not out v Bromsgrove, 50 v Sir Thomas Rich’s, 84 v Stowe, 77 v Bromsgrove (County Cup Final)
Sufiyaan Riaz 58 v Bishop Vesey’s Will Thorp 56 not out v RGS, 74 v Solihull
Fred Tomlinson 59 not out v Shrewsbury
Bowling statistics (5 wickets or more for the U14s)
Hassan Fiaz 6-13 v RGS (5 of which were clean-bowled)
Harry Flood 5-12 v Dean Close
Played Won Lost Tied/Drawn Abandoned 15 12 2 1 2
GLW
Before the cricket session even started, there was great buy-in from the U13s, turning up week in, week out on a Friday for winter nets. Thus, with plenty of practice under their belts, the U13s started with a comfortable win over Hereford Cathedral School.
Facing a strong fixture list, the U13s battled well throughout the season; their hard work and determination paid off towards the end with some great performances and results. At no point did the boys’ commitment and
The cricket season was undertaken positively by the U13s this term. From the start, there was an excellent turnout to Games sessions and training, making places in the team highly sought after. This excitement and eagerness from the U13 B team spiralled into the first game against Sir Thomas Rich’s. The boys put on a good display of fundamental skills but unfortunately this was not quite enough to displace the well-drilled opposition.
As the season progressed, it was pleasing to see that many of the players started
U12A
Mr Holliday writes, “I have seen a consistent improvement of the team throughout the term, which has culminated in some good team performances at the end of the season. This improvement has been based on good teamwork, hard work in Games lessons and the after-school club and working on team development areas.
“We had a challenging start to the season, with both the games against Sir Thomas Rich’s and KES Birmingham seeing the batting collapse and achieve small totals. Further work was done in the nets and the team were unlucky to fall just short when chasing 125 against Monmouth School.
“Unfortunately, the same batting issues appeared against RGS when, having bowled well and made a solid start to our innings, we collapsed with our batting, with too few batters building a score.
“However, following further work, the last two games saw a good improvement, with 125 made against Bishop Vesey’s and 88 against a strong Manchester Grammar team. I have seen great improvements in both our bowling and fielding in every game. I am confident that, with continued work on our batting to build innings, the team will again go on and be successful next season.”
One of the players adds, “This season has
willpower dim, as they continued to turn up in force to practice on a Wednesday after school.
Everything the boys had been working hard at over the course of the season in practice really came to a head at Solihull Sixes, where they won three from three in the group stages. Coming top of the group, we went into the semi-finals to face Warwick, who we had already faced earlier in the season. The U13s did themselves proud but came up short by only two runs. The
to find their feet and slot into a position in which they felt comfortable playing. It was satisfying to see them gel as a team, both during training and during fixtures, with their comradery and motivation only growing stronger. Sadly, their impressive attitude was not quite enough to gain the U13 B team a win this season but the real improvements they have made were shown with the commitments they offered to training sessions, often wanting to go on into the late evening to build upon specific skills. I would commend this group of lads for their spirit, regardless of the result they
been challenging, bringing together a team who previously had never played together. The start of the season was very difficult against some exceptionally strong sides. Since half term there have been signs of significant improvement and the results have been more encouraging. Particular
boys used this confidence from the Sixes to bring home a convincing win versus Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School to finish off the season on a high.
One of the team added, “I have loved playing cricket for the U13s this year. Training has been great fun, with Solihull Sixes being a real highlight of the season.”
The overall results are played 13, won six, lost seven; one match abandoned.
were facing. The boys always had a smile on their face and showed enthusiasm throughout some very tough fixtures.
One of the team added, “Cricket has been great this year with fixtures against good teams, allowing us to push ourselves.”
The overall results are played five, won none, lost five; one match abandoned.
mention should go to Angus, for his exceptional performance with the ball, and to Biff, for his all-round efforts in the field and with the bat”
The overall results are played six, won one, lost five; two matches were abandoned.
BMWMiss Douglas writes, “The U15 soft ball team has probably been one of the most, if not THE most enthusiastic sports team in the School. The girls have been committed to both training and matches all season and they were all keen to improve their skills week by week. They worked cohesively as a team and were complimented on their enthusiasm and sportsmanship by every opposition coach after our fixtures.
“A highlight of the season was the one and only win against RGS, which was a very close game, ended on 40 runs for RGS and
It has been a tremendous U15 Girls Cricket season. The team have displayed a natural affinity with the skills required in all elements of the game. The season began with the U15 Lady Taverners Indoor Competition, in which the girls won both their Area and County rounds. Consequently, they progressed to the Midlands Finals held at the Edgbaston Indoor Cricket Centre.
The girls made a strong account of themselves from the off with a hard-fought victory over St Helen’s and St Katherine’s. Tight bowling from Frankie Barry, Fen Harper and Tilly Cook meant they were able to restrict the opposition’s scoring. Unfortunately, after losing early wickets in the semi-final, the girls posted a below-
43 for King’s. The girls played tactically throughout this game, keeping track of the score and even when having to field second, they came back to win on the final ball of the game, as one of our top bowlers took the vital wicket.
Our fielding required some work early in the term but after consistent practice and input from the girls, these key skills strengthened and the nearly all the girls made some excellent catches during matches. The format of pairs cricket has allowed the girls to take on more responsibility while
par score which Edgbaston High School for Girls were able to chase down.
One area of the game which has improved throughout the season has been our fielding. The strength in depth of the squad has been evident, with all members of the team able to contribute to restricting the oppositions’ runs. The team has been expertly led by Tilly Cook as Captain, who has been a role model to her peers, with her passion and experience shining through.
The main highlights of the season must include the superb cup run, in which the girls made it to the last 16 of the Schools Magazine National Cup. This included wins over Malvern College, Bromsgrove School and Norwich School, before losing to a
organising the pairs and the order of bowlers, which they have done really well. Overall, it’s been a fantastic season with many highlights.”
The team’s Captain adds, “I have had a great time playing cricket this year. I’ve loved playing in the all the fixtures, even when we didn’t win.”
The overall results are played six, won one, lost five; one match was abandoned.
strong The Perse School. Highlights also included Bryony Gillgrass making a match winning 114* against Bromsgrove, Grace Jansen van Vuuren’s explosive innings of 46 against Cheltenham Ladies College and the excellent partnership between Millie Comer and Liv Kent to seize back a win over Solihull.
One of the team adds, “I have really enjoyed playing this season and was especially proud of the team within our cup competition and in reaching the Midlands Indoor Finals. Hopefully next year we can learn from our mistakes and progress to the finals.”
The overall results are played 15, won 13, drawn 1, lost 1.
This season has been highly successful, with many players from both the Lower Fourth and the Upper Fourth either continuing their cricket or taking up the sport for the first time. Although training has been somewhat challenging, with other co-curricular activities happening at the same time, the players who have attended training have continually developed all of the key fundamental skills in order to play pairs. Taking the approach that every player must learn how to bowl, bat and keep wicket has allowed them to keep their options open. Sophie Purves, Florence Venables and Heidi Miller, to name but a few, have all performed superbly this season, often winning the Most Valuable Player award for bowling, batting or fielding.
Another of my aims this season was to encourage all players to experience hard ball cricket, with some moving up and playing in fixtures. This is our ultimate aim
This season has been the first opportunity to introduce an U13 girls’ hardball team. In this first year, the team was a mix of Upper Fourth and Lower Fourth pupils. Despite challenges to attend training due to balancing a range of commitments, the players have demonstrated excellent commitment, with a number of players transitioning from the softball to hardball game thanks to the regular training they have received.
The season has been very mixed, as we
and should be something that all players are aspiring to do.
The squad’s enthusiasm and teamwork for the sport has grown over the season. They can now appreciate the importance of communication, working together and to individuals’ strengths, plus showing each other continued support
One of the players added, “No matter whether you’re in the hardball of softball team, we have worked hard and developed our skills throughout the season. We all supported each other in the wins and the losses. This season has been very busy, with matches every Saturday. Mrs McGinley has been very impressed with our hard work over the season and all of us have improved. We look forward to developing our skills further next season and we would like to thank the teachers who have kindly supported us.”
have had to adapt to changing formats since not all opposition teams have been able to field a hardball team. We have developed our fielding and are looking to reduce the number of extras given away to help us to close out games. However, we have made strong progress with our batting and bowling; this is something that was particularly demonstrated at the Abberley Hall Cricket Festival. The increasing number of players who have transitioned to the hardball format is very pleasing and most encouraging for next season.
One of the players added, “The experience of this season has given us a chance to practise and show off the skills we have learned during training. We have all enjoyed playing.”
The overall results are played 14, won seven, drawn one, lost six.
After 18 months of disruption to the equestrian calendar, it has been fantastic to see pupils from the Lower Fourth to the Upper Sixth out and about, competing in various disciplines across the country. It was evident to see, even during the winter months and despite the restrictions on travel and lack of competitions last season, that our riders had been working hard on their own at home, keeping their horses ticking over and ready to be competition fit. It has been really pleasing to see the dedication of our pupils and they have most certainly reaped the rewards of their hard work and commitment to their horses and training over the enforced ‘offseason’ we all experienced.
Laurie Checkley won the NSEA Area Show Jumping Competition, held at our local competition centre Allen’s Hill. He will progress through to the National Finals, which will be held at the prestigious venue of Hickstead. Having navigated five different courses at the Area and Regional competitions, Lucy Allsop and Laurie qualified for the National Pony Club Spring Festival Finals. Here they finished
individual third on the podium for Laurie in the 1m and first and second team for Lucy in the 90 and 1m classes respectively. Lucy has also represented Ledbury in tetrathlon competitions, a multi-sport event over two or three days requiring each athlete to swim, shoot, ride and run. Lucy has had multiple successes in the tetrathlon, including qualifying for the Pony Club Championships and Junior Internationals later this summer.
Several of our younger riders have also been busy at NSEA grassroots and Pony Club competitions, displaying their talent across a wide range of disciplines: dressage, show jumping and the exciting spectacle of arena eventing, which sees riders navigate a combination of knock down show jumps and solid cross-country fences against the clock.
Football had a great season; 94 fixtures were played and over 250 boys took part in these. Both numbers and commitment in training have been fantastic.
At senior level there were over 40 pupils turning up to training for each session, meaning there was lots of competition for selection and a great deal of quality to choose from to form the three senior teams.
Prior to the season starting in January 2022, 40 senior footballers went to Manchester City FC on the 18th of December for an action-packed three days on the Football Development PreSeason Tour. Pupils from the Fifth Form, Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth trained in the state-of-the-art facilities which are home to the Manchester City First Team as well as elite academy teams. They had three quality training sessions with Manchester City coaches and each of the three squads played matches against local opposition, with the 1st XI and 2nd XI victorious in their respective games. There was also time to go on a behind the scenes Etihad Stadium Tour and visit the National Football Museum. Overall, this was a fantastic trip and provided some wonderful experience in preparation for what ended up being a most successful season.
On a beautifully crisp 4th January, two OV teams played final pre-season fixtures against our current 1st XI and 2nd XI pupils. This has become a muchanticipated event in the OV calendar, providing the chance to catch up with OVs and also give the current squads a final test ahead of the season. The matches were closely contested, with the 1st XI OVs securing a 3-2 win and the 2nd teams a 2-2 draw.
Following these initial fixtures, the team grew and improved with each game, tactically working much better in their positional sense as a team and proving to be very resilient in defence. There were many tightly contested matches but the commitment and willingness to succeed helped the team achieve positive performances, which in turn rewarded them with good results. In the last nine fixtures the team only lost one match, thanks to their resilience to keep going till the end. This was shown above all in the highly anticipated Challenge Cup Match against RGS. After missing out on this fixture in 2021, this was another muchanticipated event and had been in the minds of the senior footballers since the start of the year.
King’s started strongly, scoring the opening goal. We continued to pressurise RGS through the first half but were unable to add to the lead and, going into the half-time break, RGS were awarded a contentious penalty, which they took to level the score at 1-1. At the start of the second half RGS came out stronger, putting the boys under pressure, and were able to capitalise on this to take the lead after 15 minutes. Following substitutions, King’s again began to take control, creating several good chances, and pulling level with a very well-taken goal. The final few minutes of the game were very exciting, with a few good chances to take the lead, but unfortunately, we were unable to convert any of these into a goal and the contest ended in a two-all draw.
Since 2016 we have won three and drawn three matches. For the Upper Sixth footballers, this has meant that they played in this year’s team and the winning team in 2020. The Fifth Form players have enjoyed the experience and will go on, we hope, to have two more opportunities to play in the fixture. Well done to all the players who played in the match and to all the boys who have been working hard all season with
the football squad. It was also great to see a broad range of year groups supporting the older boys, being inspired for their turn when it comes!
The biggest positive for the team and the coaches overall was how much tighter we were in defence to reduce the number of opportunities given to the opposition but still creating many chances when we attacked. Top goal scorer was the captain, Dylan Briggs and Player of the Season was Ben Amos, “the rock at the back”. Special mention also must go to Jack Havercroft for being ever present and super consistent throughout, playing every single first team fixture.
Overall Results: Played: 12 Won: 6, Drawn: 3, Lost: 3.
U15A
The U15s had an enjoyable season, with pleasing technical progress being made by most. Every member of the squad bought into the team’s philosophy of trying to play football the right way, looking to play out from the back with fluid, passing football. Their attitude towards training was good and participation levels were pleasing. The boys showed good resilience during a number of matches and kept going with a good attitude even when things weren’t going their way. The two main highlights of the term came against Wolverhampton Grammar and RGS Worcester; the boys played with real attacking intent throughout to achieve resounding wins. Their inconsistent results were due to player absences rather than any lack of effort on the pitch. We look forward to seeing these boys progress and push for the first and second teams next year.
One of the players added, “I thoroughly enjoyed being part of this team throughout the football term. I feel I have progressed well as an individual and we worked hard as a team.”
The overall results are played 10, won three, drawn one, lost six.
U15B
This proved to be a really enjoyable season, working with a very committed group of players. Our first game against a strong Chase side came before we had trained properly, and the 5-0 score-line reflected this. A much closer game against QEH
followed, and we were unlucky to concede late on when chasing a winner ourselves. The two wins which followed against Pates (4-1) and RGS (1-0) were largely down to a well-organised and athletic back four, who were very rarely second best when it came to pace or determination in the tackle. Our best attacking play came in the last fixture at Wycliffe (4-1) when we moved the ball confidently in windy conditions and produced three exceptional finishes. Good numbers were seen at training throughout the season, and there was always a healthy competition for places.
Will Tucker added, “I enjoyed the role of captain this year and was pleased with the way the team gelled as the season progressed. We were outplayed by one or two good sides, but never lacked for effort or determination.”
The overall results are played six, won three, lost three. MCP U14B
The boys have worked really well as a group this year and we had good numbers to training every week. They worked hard on their skills and showed good progress across the term. We weren’t the most physical of teams but relied on teamwork and passing the ball around to create opportunities. The team scored some excellent team goals and won more games than they lost. We showed great team spirit all season, with people willing to play out of position if and when necessary. We also had a variety of goal scorers and didn’t just rely on the strikers. The term culminated with us putting it all together in an excellent performance against Wycliffe College. Lots of multi-pass movements ended with multiple probing balls into the box, and we scored a number of goals to finish the season on a high with a good victory. Well done to all involved!
One of the team adds, “I have enjoyed playing football this year. We really played well as a team, keeping our shape and passing the ball around. We had some really good wins but, most importantly, we enjoyed ourselves.”
The overall results are played seven, won four, lost three.
CA
U13A
Mr Holliday writes, “Having played very little football together over the last two seasons, as this season went on I have seen
the team mould together better; this has enabled more football to be played and the team become stronger defensively. The players have worked hard, both during lessons and after school to also improve their skill base, which will help them going forward with their football.
“The season got it a challenging start, suffering a heavy defeat on a difficult playing surface and again at the QE Bristol, but this was an improved display. The team was unlucky to lose to RGS 2-0, with the second goal coming late on when we were pushing for an equaliser.
“Having done some work on shape and defending, the team went on a run of two deserved wins against Wolverhampton and Hereford, 6-0 and 4-2 respectively. We ended the season with a narrow 5-4 defeat to Hereford.”
One of the team adds, “Due to COVID, this was our first season of football at King’s. As the season went on, we improved as our tactics and teamwork developed. We would like to thank Mr Holliday for his coaching, and we look forward to improving further next year.”
The overall results are played six, won two, lost four.
U12A
The U12A team had a superb start to their Senior School football experience at King’s. With only one training session before their first match, the boys quickly started to work together as a team and utilise each other’s strengths. They have made great strides in a short space of time, particularly around their ability to develop the high press. Their passion to support each other when in possession is natural and resulted in some outstanding counter-attacking goals.
A highlight of the season was the terrific performance against an older, more physical Priory School squad. The U12As showed true grit and determination to gain the win, but even more importantly than that, they really began to show their character and enhanced cohesion as a team. They all possess a comprehensive range of attributes that will see them go far.
They are an extremely coachable group of footballers, and we shall look on with keen interest to see how they progress next year and beyond.
One of the players added, “Great contributions all round. Our strength in defence allowed the midfield to create so many chances. Thanks to Mr Woodward
for coaching us; we all can’t wait till next season!”
The overall results are played seven, won six, drew one.
During the season, the boys listened carefully to advice, encouraged each other and certainly weathered some inclement conditions. They showed an enthusiastic attitude during training and were willing to play in different positions. They were really excited to have matches again this season and showed great passion and skill in their play. They outclassed the opposition on a number of occasions, notably in fixtures versus Hereford Cathedral and The Downs Malvern. With such highscoring games, a wide range of boys were able to get their names on the scoresheets, while Biff Harper was ever agile in goal.
One of the players added, “It was great to be able to play proper football matches again. Having developed our skills and teamwork, we are all excited to see what we can achieve next season.”
The overall results are played six, won five, drew one.
The C team had a lot of fun this season, building their skills and playing together. In training they were eager to take on new ideas and focus on each skill; their enthusiasm and willingness to play out of position meant we could experiment with a variety of strategies. A number of boys had not played football fixtures before but were quick to learn and respond decisively under the pressure of match play. It was pleasing to see such good results, with a clean sheet kept in goal through both matches.
One of the players added, “We really enjoyed the games, and the training was enjoyable too!”
The overall results are played two, won two.
Will Chapman and Sam GreenThis year’s First Team was a great mix of pupils from across five different age groups, the first time this has ever been the case. They have been a hardworking and committed group, who have played every game with massive heart and massive smiles; this has made them a fantastic group with whom to work.
We started the season very well, with some excellent performances in both cups; in particular the penalty shuffles competition against Princethorpe showcased some super individual talent and composure, allowing us to progress through the early stages.
It was excellent to welcome Sedbergh to play in the third round of the ISHC cup, providing an opportunity to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the country. The game could not have started better, with a well taken goal in the first two minutes. Although we eventually lost, the girls played some of their best hockey of the season and coped very well with a host of National League players. That famous quotation, ‘we learn wisdom from failure much more than success’, was certainly true for us and the girls should be very proud of the performance they put in.
The mixed season is always a really good way to develop hockey in the Spring Term. It is an opportunity for boys who play hockey outside school to represent King’s, and also a chance for those who have not had much opportunity to develop their skills.
The atmosphere at training has been fantastic, with numbers increasing each week. The focus is always on skill and fitness development, but in a fun-filled and competitive environment. There is not much opportunity in team sports for the boys and girls to compete together, so mixed hockey gives one chance for pupils
The 2nd team has had a strong year, playing lots of fixtures with quite a few weeks having a fixture on both the Wednesday and the Saturday. With a high number of players committed to the team for both training and match play, we have been able to develop the team tactics and other things considerably, including the short corner routines, of which the team now has four. A highlight of the season was the 1-0 win against Solihull School. The first half of the game was very evenly matched, with the quite a few opportunities for both
The girls have worked hard to showcase their sport and have an opportunity for a crowd to support them in the annual RGS fixture. Unfortunately, COVID reared its head again and meant there were restrictions and reduced numbers, but it was still great that they had their opportunity in the spotlight. The game was played in fantastic spirit by both sides, with clear cut chances being very limited at either end due to the defensive work-rate and compact nature of the game. RGS did manage to take one of the few chances, which gave them the victory, but the girls still felt really proud that they could play with their families and friends supporting them.
The end of the season tailed off a little, with several injuries and illness affecting the team meaning that performances didn’t reflect the heights of earlier in the season. However, the girls never stopped supporting each other on and off the pitch and were an excellent, cohesive team all the way through the season.
Charlotte Morgan and Jess Waddington, the co-captains, added, “Over the seven years at school, hockey has given us so many opportunities and new skills which
to learn so much from each other.
The team started their matches very well, creating lots of chances and playing with a fluid formation. Their confidence in each other continued to develop and allowed for a more passing-based style of play. Unfortunately, the team always struggled with taking their chances and making their goal scoring opportunities count, which cost them in their final matches of the season.
It was particularly good to see so many siblings playing together in the same team; at one stage on the pitch there were three
schools which neither managed to turn into a goal. The girls had a strong defence and held onto the ball, making some lovely transfers round the back. In the second half the girls came back in with more energy and willpower to end up getting the one and only goal after a lovely cross played across the D. The girls showed great commitment throughout the game and never let their heads drop when opportunities didn’t quite work out. The 2nd team have bonded really well as a team and always show excellent sportsmanship and enthusiasm in every aspect of the game.
we were able to develop. We have made such good friends and have been able to have a very cohesive squad this year. We look forward to playing with or against each other at clubs, uni or national level in the future. We have also loved having the opportunity this year to have our game against RGS showcased. We are so grateful for the continued support from Mrs MillerSymonds throughout all our time at Kings.”
The overall results are played 17, won nine, lost eight.
family groups accounting for seven of the 11 players!
Charlotte Morgan and Jess Waddington, the co-captains, added, “We have loved the opportunity to play mixed hockey again this season and bring the boys into the team. They bring a different style and dynamic to the team, which is always a great change and way to develop our hockey.”
The overall results are played five, won three, lost two.
Abbie Jones, the captain, added, “I have had an amazing time playing hockey at King’s. Being captain in my final year was a real honour and I have had a great time playing with all the girls; I am going to miss playing for School.”
The overall results are played 17, won six, drawn three, lost eight.
This season twenty-two pupils have regularly trained and committed to hockey at this age group and they have been a real delight to coach and watch as they develop further. Many of the players have joined local clubs to extend their hockey and represented Worcestershire County. Due to COVID-19, many of the players had limited opportunity to play 11-a-side hockey and they have really stepped up to make the transition, making real progress since their U12 and U13 performances. The U15s competed at the U16 EH Tier 3 County Competition, were crowned champions and went on to represent Worcestershire at the regional tournament at Rugby School. Their attitude was excellent, and they worked hard throughout the day, but faced challenging competition. In the ISHC, the team were knocked out in the first round but continued their run in the plate competition, where they performed excellently away at Nottingham High
The girls showed excellent commitment and a desire to win right from the offset. The very nature of the U14s is the transition from seven-a-side to a full 11-a-side structure. This comes with complexities of new formations and a range of positions to fill on the pitch. However, they were able to adapt well and utilise teamwork to improve tremendously throughout the season, integrating both new and existing players seamlessly into the team.
School, but were sadly beaten by a very strong King’s Bruton team in the next round. Their effort and attitude playing after long journies has been excellent.
One of the players added, “This season we have seen great improvement in our team through our enthusiastic attitudes
great achievement and one of which the girls should be really proud.
One of the players added, “I joined the School this year and have been trying my best to settle. Hockey is a sport I love, and this year was a very successful season for us. We all learned new skills, and from the matches we lost, we came back harder.”
The overall results are played 18, won 12, drawn one, lost five.
U14B
The team have been endlessly energetic and showed a desire to improve in each and every training session. As a result of their dedication and teamwork they were able to improve not only their individual skills but also their team performances.
on and off the pitch. Our team has great determination do our best and has shown resilience in all our matches.”
The overall results are played 22, won 10, drawn three, lost nine.
U13A
Our U13A team have had a really good season this year. The results have been mixed, but despite this everyone has improved week by week and meshed well together as a team. An outstanding performance this year was their trip to Ware in the second round of the cup competition, where they won 8-1 with over half the team scoring. As a team the girls have continued to support and encourage each other whilst maintaining great commitment to both fixtures and club. Another highlight of the year was the final game of the season where the girls had a solid win over King Edward’s Five Ways with a score of 6-0. It was lovely to see them all enjoy themselves and see how much they have come on over the season.
A highlight of the season was when the team progressed through both county and zonal rounds with ease and therefore sealed a place at the Midlands Hockey Finals. Despite some tough matches throughout the day, the girls remained resilient and fought until their last match. Special mention must go to Immy Taft (GK), who made numerous outstanding saves throughout the season and who contributed enormously to the success of the team.
A strength of the team was their ability to create linking plays, working the ball from our defence through to the dynamic forwards. As a result, the team were able to score numerous goals and finished the season with a +27 goal difference; this is a
Highlights of the season have been scoring some excellent team goals, learning new formations and passages of play for an 11-a-side pitch and developing a squad with the strength and depth to play numerous positions in order to better the team performance. Our standout performer has been Caitlin Rutter (GK), who has kept the team in contention in close matches and motivated them from the back.
One of the players added, “I have really enjoyed hockey this year and have loved being a part of our team.”
The overall results are played four, won two, drawn one, lost one.
Overall, the year has gone well, with all the girls improving their individual skills, including hitting, pushing and lifting the ball, along with some 3D skills. The team has shown great determination and sportsmanship throughout the year.
One of the players added, “I have had a great time playing hockey this year. I really enjoyed playing in lots of matches all through the year.”
The overall results are played 12, won five, drawn three, lost four.
U13B
The B team had some exceptional performances from all the girls. They are all very enthusiastic and work really well as a team, always supporting each other during games and training. Their commitment to
both training and match play was second to none, which resulted in a win at the county tournament, which was the highlight of the season.
They worked consistently as a team throughout the tournament with some high scoring games early on. The final game was the deciding one, which they ended up winning due to some excellent defending; our goalkeeper also made some exceptional saves.
The final game of the season ended with a 5-1 win for the girls; individually they offered some great performances, showing off their sharp short corner routines, which led to a couples of goals.
One of the players adds, “Over the season we have learnt how to work as a team and improve our individual hockey like hitting the ball and some 3D skills.”
The overall results are played 12, won six, drawn one, lost five.
The U12A hockey team have been a delightful group of girls to work with throughout the season. They have made a huge amount of progress as a squad, showing fantastic determination and teamwork. With high numbers at training, selection was always difficult.
As the season progressed, their formation improved and they passed the ball around with more confidence, creating opportunities and communicating well. Once they realised that they were a capable team, their performances went from strength to strength, with the highlight being the 6-6 thriller against King’s Warwick. This was quickly followed by wins against Bablake and Wrekin, both of which showed a good display of attacking and defensive skills, applying pressure to the opposition and carrying
the ball confidently to make some nice leads. The girls have all improved as individual players and should be proud of what they have achieved this year. Their constant energy and enthusiasm have been fantastic, which meant spirits were always high. I look forward to seeing what is yet to come from this group of players.
One of the players added, “This year I have really enjoyed the very sporting attitude and perseverance that the A team has shown. We have progressed a lot and we just cannot wait for another excellent season of hockey!”
The overall results are played 14, won six, drawn one, lost seven.
U12B
The U12B team began their King’s school hockey journey with a mixture of experience. Their skill, strength and confidence were quick to improve as they picked up new skills, quickly enabling them to become more confident players. As a team, they worked very well together and the opportunity to play matches allowed the girls to try different positions and understand how playing the ball wide and high gives them more space to play.
In the latter part of the season, they had several victories, beating RGS, Bablake and King Edward’s, but a particular highlight for this determined group of players was the County Tournament, when they won two of their three games and scored some fantastic goals. I have been impressed by how the girls pushed each other in training, clearly motivated to improve their play. It was fantastic to see the improvements made and their commitment to training pay off.
One of the players adds, “I really enjoyed playing in this team this year. We played well, won many matches, and worked well together as a team. I can’t wait for next year.”
The overall results are played 14, won six, drawn one, lost seven.
U12C
The U12 C team have played some good quality hockey this season. A win early in the season gave the girls confidence, which led to further successes on the pitch. They have worked on their body position, carrying the ball wide and high when attacking, and how to move around players to keep possession of the ball.
They are a dedicated group of girls who have committed fully to training, which has developed their skills, led to good teamwork, and built their resilience. They support each other well both on and off the pitch. Notable victories came against King’s Gloucester, where their work rate and positive attitude was a pleasure to watch. With other comfortable wins against RGS and The Chase, it was clear these girls can learn quickly from experience and will continue to go from strength to strength next season. Well done on super season!
One of the players adds, “The opportunity to play some matches this season has been fun. It has been good to put our skills into practice when playing other schools.”
The overall results are played four, won three, lost one.
U12D
It has been a pleasure to watch these girls enjoy playing hockey, trying new positions and responding well to feedback . We have focused on the fundamentals of the game, getting into a good body position, dribbling the ball and passing with control and accuracy. I have been delighted with their teamwork and the confidence with which they play matches. Their formation is taking shape and they have been versatile in the positions they play, which has developed their understanding of the game.
They move the ball well in the attacking end, creating space to look for scoring opportunities. They have had some tough opposition, but it is always good to see these girls leaving the pitch with a smile on their face and come back for more training each week. Highlights include the match against The Chase, which saw a fantastic work rate, lovely wide passes and two fantastic goals. Lots to work with moving forwards into the new season. Well done.
One of the players adds, “Hockey has been great this year, especially as some people in our team have never played before we joined school, I hope next year will be as good!”
The overall results are played three, lost three.
Rebuilding at the beginning of the season is often to be expected but having to rebuild throughout the season can be tricky. Yet with the philosophy of “leaving their dress in a better place than where they found it” this set the tone for the season; Emily was at the forefront of every training session and game, accompanied admirably by her assistants (Jaz, Abby & G), and the team went from strength to strength.
No doubt the biggest challenge is the integration of Fifth Form players into the squad, and this year was no different; at times, the younger athletes needed to step up to prove that they deserved their place, and on many occasions they contributed significantly to the successes of the team.
Squad highlights started in training, whether they were dancing along to their pre-match playlist or completing Mrs Longley’s conditioning session on a Thursday evening in the middle of winter. The group showed composure, readiness and passionate grounding, ensuring that no one was left behind.
The squad would say that their season encompassed a “mixed bag of results”, facing top teams such as Hartpury, Solihull and Wrekin, who all made it to National Finals during their season. But, as we know, progress is not linear, and the squad knew that they would need to continue to build and improve on their weaknesses to come good when it mattered.
Momentum was certainly building throughout the season and the one-goal loss to Monmouth came at just the right time. That one hurt, but as I often tell them, “If you don’t win, you learn” and off the back of that came a dominant performance against Malvern, setting the squad up nicely for the Superball.
I have watched the footage of that game over and over, and the strength and persistence to stay within the game no matter the score was learned from the
previous matches. At halftime, King’s Worcester were trailing 13-16. During their half-time team talk, we talked about the power of possession, to hold them up through bold defence and to keep the belief. With one minute left at the end of the game, we took the score level and the atmosphere in the arena was absolutely electric. Spurred on by the crowd, the girls moved the ball back straight away from the centre pass and quickly got back into the D. With 17 seconds to go, our Goal Shooter Maddie Worth won the rebound and passed to Goal Attack Tamara Marsden, who kept her cool and put the ball through the net! With 12 seconds to go, King’s Worcester had taken the lead for the first time in the match. They demonstrated that team sports cannot be won by a single individual; grit, resilience and the self-belief that they knew they could win the game, enabled them to do just that.
win against Cheltenham Ladies’ College. The match against Malvern College showed the real grit of the team; they never gave up and the encouragement from the bench showed great team spirit, despite coming away with a loss. This was good preparation for the following match in the Worcester Arena, where we gave a dazzling display of fast attacking and tight defending play against RGS. With half the team leaving to go on to university, I wish them every success in their netball careers.
Harriet Raybould, the captain added, “Our second team has had a really successful season and all members have made so much progress both individually and as a squad. I’ve really enjoying getting to know the girls across the school and they have all dedicated much effort to their training, resulting in our biggest win again RGS at the Superball. Thank you to the girls and Mrs L for all the memories; I know all the U6 in the team, including myself, will miss playing with the rest of you next season!”
The overall results are played 11, won seven, drawn one, lost three.
The seniors started off the academic year on September 1st with pre-season down at the fields. It was wonderful to see how excited all the girls were to see each other and finally be allowed to play the sport that they love with their friends. It is safe to say that, despite the lack of fixtures last year, the girls arrived enthused and determined to have a more ‘normal’ year on the court, learning and sharing experiences with their teammates.
ten.
EKM
This year the 2nd VII squad consisted of a talented group of athletes who were constantly pushing for a place in the 1st team. Their focus at training was commendable and they were ably led by their captain, Harriet. The season started off with a tough match against Wrekin College, where we came away with a draw despite the constant substitutions we made as we found working combinations on court. By mid-season the team’s confidence allowed them to play with flair and accuracy, resulting in a very satisfying
I was impressed with their attitude, getting stuck into game-based scenarios from the start, and the fitness they had maintained on their own over the summer and lockdown periods was pleasing to see. The 3rds had a large squad of 13, often being asked to play up a team in fixtures, showing that they were all versatile players who could integrate quickly into different teams and combinations.
The season started with a tough fixture against a strong Millfield side, where we did not come out victorious on this occasion. Despite this early set back, the girls regrouped and went on to win the remainder of their matches. A highlight to finish the season was a fast paced and high scoring game on both sides against King Edward’s Bath.
The overall results are played six, won five, lost one.
U15
This squad developed throughout the season and towards the end they were putting out performances of which they could be proud. Some are continuing to try to find their best position and, with such versatility in a skilful squad, this facilitated the opportunity to try out new combinations. This was imperative in certain games when players had to “stepup” and use their skills against a certain style of play, with the overall aim of turning the ball.
By the final four games of the season, the squad had most definitely settled and that was evident with the performances that they were producing. Against Hereford they had patches of excellence, using the width of the court to open up the shooting circle, enabling both shooters to rotate effectively. However, a convincing win against King Edward’s Bath was a fitting end to the season for this squad. I hope that all these players continue to play in their senior years and that they will look forward to the prospect of playing Senior Netball. Special mention must be made of those players who played for the County and those selected for the Severn Stars Nova academy.
One of the players added, “This year the U15 teams have had a very positive season. We have trained weekly and have been focusing on creating space for each other and using different manoeuvres to attack. This has paid dividends as the season progressed, with real improvements made in understanding and reading the game, team bonding, strategy and tactics. We are very much looking forward to moving up next year and combining teams with the Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth, where we
will develop our understanding and skills further.”
The overall results are played 13, won six, drawn one, lost six.
U14
The U14s have been a pleasure to coach this season; netball club has been well attended, with 33 girls regularly training and representing the School at fixtures and tournaments. The girls arrived at preseason training eager to get back to playing netball and excited with the prospect of an uninterrupted season ahead of them. Many of the U14s were also mentors at the Lower Years’ Netball Festival in September, where they helped to coach and umpire the youngest of our Senior School netballers, demonstrating excellent leadership skills and passing on their skills and passion for the sport.
The U14 A team enjoyed a positive season, which saw them progress through to the West Midlands regional finals. They showed determination and resilience to advance through the group stages and eventually reach the semi-final, despite a couple of tough matches. One of the highlights of the season for the girls was being crowned County Champions, made even more special by the fact that we had utilized the depth and versatility of the full squad of 12.
With so many girls dedicated and eager to play, we were able to put out an A and a B team, allowing us to make the most of rotations within and between the squads, which enabled us to showcase our versatility and ability to adapt and work
together as a team. The girls bought into the ethos of working hard for each other on and off the court, which made every game a win even if this was not reflected on each and every score card.
Grace Jansen van Vuuren, the U14A captain, added, “I absolutely loved this netball season. We had an extremely good team, and we had a good go at winning most of our matches. I loved working with my team and leading them to victories with my vicecaptain, Millie Comer right by my side. Our team learnt so much this season and will come back even stronger next year.”
The overall results for the A team are played 10, won eight, lost two.
The overall results for the B team are played eight, won two, lost six.
The U13s started the academic year on August 31st with a pre-season training session at the fields. It was lovely to see so many U13 girls there and realise how excited they were to see all their friends and play netball after a long time away from the sport about which they are so passionate.
The U13A team had a lot of fixtures this year, including several tournaments. The team had a tough start to the season with their Cup Game against a strong Maynard School team. The girls showed great resilience and in turn massive improvements from this. Their work rate in training and their determination resulted in them having a great second half of the season, despite having to deal with player availability suffering due to illnesses and COVID-19 protocols. The girls highlighted their teamwork and respect for one another as they welcomed girls from the B team. The highlight of the season was definitely coming second in the District Tournament and progressing to the County Tournament, where the girls made it to the semi-finals, with a lot of B team players stepping up for the A team.
One of the players added, “This year’s netball training was a really enjoyable experience. The coaches helped us develop individually and as a team, allowing us all to grow more confident with each other. My favourite part of the season was playing netball with a team who enjoyed netball just as much as I did.”
The overall results are played eight, won five, lost three.
EKMU13B
The U13B team had a good number of fixtures this year. The team showed their resilience and teamwork, always trying their best in everything they did and working hard right until the final whistle, no matter what the score was. Their determination to work on skills in training and develop their game play was evident through their improved performances as the season progressed. Every player in the team improved their skills and developed as players.
The B team had a lot of players play up for the A team at different points throughout the year, highlighting the improvements made throughout. It was a real highlight to finish the season with the fixture against King Edward’s Bath; although it was a draw, it highlighted the teamwork and resilience of this group of girls, as they welcomed several girls from the C team who played up for this fixture.
One of the players added, “Throughout the season I think that we improved as a whole team, learning new skills during training that we were able to put into play during our games. Individually I think that a few of the drills we were taught have helped me improve on my dodges, as well as helping me to master the basics.”
The overall results are played ten, won four, drawn one, lost five.
U13C
The U13C team did not have many fixtures this year, but this had no impact upon their attitude towards training. The girls were always very well motivated and determined to enjoy their netball whilst learning and working together with their teammates. The hard work from the girls was shown in the improvements they made throughout, which resulted in the C team having a good number of players play up for the B team at different points throughout the year. This was definitely a highlight of the season, as it emphasised the girls’ resilience and passion to learn and improve. It was lovely to see the girls finally able to play together as a whole team in their three C team fixtures, as they had been working really hard as a team during all of their training.
One of the players added, “Over the past year I have learnt new skills and expanded my knowledge of the game. I have become more confident in receiving and passing the ball and can’t wait to take these skills forward to next term.”
The overall results are played three, won one, lost two.
U13D
Just like the C team, the U13D team did not have many fixtures this year, but their approach to training was just as strong and unaffected. Ultimately it was great to see them able to put the skills that they had worked on so hard and developed during training into their two fixtures. They have been so passionate about their netball, always turning up to training despite the lack of fixtures. Therefore, the highlight of the season was definitely their first fixture and the excitement and enthusiasm of the girls to play was great to see.
One of the players added, “I think I have improved a lot and used lots of my skills in the games. I have enjoyed netball this year.”
The overall results are played two, won one, lost one.
U12
The enthusiasm and delight that Friday’s U12 netball brought to the end of each week was a joy to behold. There were nearly 30 girls keen to have a go at all aspects of the game and it was a challenge for the coaches to select teams for the upcoming matches.
U12A
The U12A team started the season off well with wins against Wrekin College and RGS, but then struggled against King’s High, Warwick and Bromsgrove. Many players played in several positions as they tried to adapt their skills to different parts of the court, and over the year the girls made enormous progress. In the District Competition they showed real spirit and determination, coming away with three wins and the title ‘District Champions’.
The U12B squad had a smashing netball season. All the games they played were well-contested and the team’s positivity remained strong even when the score
did not go our way. The most notable highlight for them was also winning the District Tournament, beating four local schools confidently on a very cold February afternoon at CWLC. In the C and D teams the girls were just as determined and had several good performances over the season.
The aim of the season was to enable players to work on their versatility, trying new positions and challenging themselves to gain new skills. We demonstrated this with our shooters playing in defence and our centre-court players working hard together. With their endless energy and enthusiasm for the game, it has been such a pleasure to coach this group of players. I very much look forward to seeing the girls progress in the future.
Chloe Noble, who captained the U12As for a number of their matches, added, “The Under 12As and I have very much enjoyed this netball season. It has been amazing to have so many opportunities for matches and learning experiences. As a team we have collaborated well and have learned so much from all the coaches. They have pushed us out of our comfort zones, helping us to try new things in netball, and most importantly have taught us great teamwork.”
Another player added, “Netball club has been the highlight of my year! We have all looked forward to the Friday evening training sessions and I can’t wait to get back on the courts in U4.”
The number one aim of the U12 netball club was enjoyment and we certainly achieved this throughout the year.
The overall results are as follows:
U12 A: played 11, won five, lost six.
U12 B: played nine, won four, lost five.
U12 C: played six, won four, lost two.
U12 D: played four, won two, lost two.
Captains: Alice Baker, Luke Beever
Vice Captains: Jack Barclay, Alice Clarke
Keeper of Boats: Matthew Daniels
The Boat Club has enjoyed a brilliant year, with the competition calendar full again and enthusiastic rowers filling the Michael Baker Boathouse with a vibrancy missed over the past two seasons. The year started on the back of a summer of racing, where the Boat Club went to two major events.
The 2021 British Rowing Junior Championships were attended by our Senior Girls’ Pair of Georgie Thorp and Alice Baker. Their performance was exceptional; they pushed all the way to the finish in a tight final to claim the gold medal. This was a terrific end to their magnificent performances together in the Pair.
Henley Royal Regatta was delayed until August due to the pandemic. Our Boys’ Quad Scull prequalified on performances throughout the season; they were joined at the event by our Boys’ and Girls’ Eights. All three crews raced superbly well in their first rounds but could not quite overcome their opponents.
We had record numbers joining rowing this year from the Lower Remove ranks and the whole club united in their efforts to train hard, race well and support each other and the wider community. Our annual Charity Challenge returned, and we raised more than £6000 for the mental health charity, MIND. We were able to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the magnificent Michael Baker Boathouse. The results of our senior rowers were exceptional over the season, with our crews amongst the top units across the country; this is indicative of the incredible strength in depth of the rowers, resulting from their hard work and dedication. The results at the National Schools’ Regatta were brilliant, with seven crews reaching finals. Our younger rowers have come on in leaps and bounds throughout the year and their well-deserved wins and fabulous results in the latter events show that patience and effort pay enormous dividends in the longer term. The season finished in fine style with a celebratory garden party and a festive King’s Regatta attended by many OVs alongside our rowers.
Throughout the season two of our rowers, Captains of Boats, Alice Baker and Luke Beever have been trialling for selection to the Great Britain Under 19 Rowing Team. Alice was selected for the GB Team at the Munich International Junior Regatta in
May, where her Four won their event and Alice brought home her first international on-water medal, no less than a gold.
The trialling process continued for them, and we were all delighted that they both made GB Teams for the summer internationals. Alice was selected for the team at the Under-19 World Rowing
Senior Girls Coach: Mr Bird
The Senior Girls began the year with a strong winter season, securing medals in all the head races we entered, including a win in the Eight at Wycliffe Big Boats Head. This prepared us well for The Schools’ Head of the River in March, where we raced on the Tideway for the first time, finishing in a strong fourth place against tough competition.
Over the Easter Holidays we attended a productive and enjoyable camp at Radley College, during which we turned our focus to finding the speed needed for the regatta season, as well as going on a punting trip in Oxford and ‘swimming’ in the boats. We placed third at Wallingford Regatta in the Coxed Four of Cat Lucas, Alice Baker, Izzy Trow and Alex Barry, showing our strength against other top girls sweep programmes across the country, and some of the
Championships, held in Italy. Luke was selected to represent Great Britain in the Coupe de la Jeunesse held in Spain.
Amelia Phillips was selected for the Welsh Junior Team to represent Wales at the Home International Regatta held at London Docklands against crews from England, Ireland and Scotland. It was also great to see numerous Old Vigornians prominent in all aspects of the sport: racing in all levels of competitions, including international crews, winning Henley Medals and officiating.
Club Awards
Rower of the year Alice Baker
Crew of the Year Luke Beever, Ned Meredith, Jack Barclay, Matthew Daniels
Crew performance of the year Boys' 2nd Quad Scull (NSR)- Charlie Webster, Leo Rendall-Baker, James Stevens, Finn Watkins
Coxswain of the year Eleanor Hill
Most Improved Coxswain Shri Raajkumar
Most Improved Rower Mason White Services to Rowing Leo Rendall-Baker
Club Woman of the Year Alice Baker
Clubman of the Year Luke Beever
Upper Sixth won their first ever pots at Worcester Regatta in a close race against the Fifth Form. At the National Schools’ Regatta our Championship Eight narrowly missed out on the A final in a close race to the line and went on to win the B final, demonstrating what the commentator described as “an object lesson in synchronicity”.
Towards the end of the summer term, we just missed out on side-by-side racing at Henley Women’s and qualification for Henley Royal Regatta, but we are proud of the way we have worked together as a squad throughout the year, developing in every training session and race, and have produced some fantastic results, as well as learning valuable skills we will take on into the future.
Alice BakerThe Senior Boys started the year with preseason training in Singles and many long Ergs, aiming to build up stamina for the approaching Head Season. We kicked off the season with events such as Worcester and Wycliffe Small Boats Heads, where we had victories including Ned Meredith and Finn Watkins claiming the Open Doubles at the latter event. Wycliffe Small Boats was also the first event which involved the sweep programme, where we boated a Coxed Four of Shri Raajkumar, Ben Beedie, Tom Kingsford-Dowd and Henry Halford, coxed by Charlie Webster, which went on to finish third against Senior and University Men in the Open Category. Next up was Wycliffe Big Boats Head, where the Championship Quad of Ned Meredith, Luke Beever, Jack Barclay, and Matt Daniels won the J18 Quads with other Quads coming second and fourth in that competition. This also saw the sweep project post another respectable second, beating a university crew on the way in the Open Fours Division. Worcester Big Boats Head was a wet and windy event which saw a victory in the J18 quads and the First Competition Eight take to the water. The Schools’ Head was the squad’s first outing on the tideway, where we boated a First Eight which placed fifteenth. Two days later we went to Dorney Lake for the Junior Sculling Head; the two J18 Quads placed an impressive seventh and twenty-third and a J17 quad of Henry Halford, Bobby Riddell, Will Probert and James Stevens, finished eighth in their division.
Coaches: Mr Robins and Mr Houghton
The Fifth Form Girls have had a momentous year in rowing. At Worcester Big Boats Head in February, they pushed through challenging conditions and managed a very impressive second place in the Women’s J16 eights. This was followed by another impressive result at the Schools Head of the River Race on the River Thames, where they managed to come eighth against a very tough field of competition. As the
Coach: Mr McDonald
This year, the Fifth Form Boys once again had to manage their training around the Coronavirus pandemic and also had to prepare for their GCSE exams, which they all took very seriously, acting as the sporting scholars we expect to see in the Boat Club. Participating in a variety of races taking them across the south of England, including three appearances on the Olympic Lake at Eton Dorney, racing against the best junior
This year the Senior Camp was at Radley College, where the squad spent five days finalising the crews for the upcoming regatta season and taking full advantage of the facilities that Radley had to offer, most notably the rowing tank that we used to make small adjustments to the rowing stroke before taking to the Thames to practise these skills. This was a very enjoyable week for the squad, where we bonded over games of pool and football.
The regatta season started off with Wallingford Regatta, where the Championship Quad missed out on a final by 0.8 of a second in a remarkably close race. The next day, at the Junior Sculling Regatta, we entered two J18 Quads; the Championship Quad of Luke Beever, Ned Meredith, Jack Barclay and Matt Daniels placed an impressive fifth in the country, with the Second Quad of Charlie Webster, Leo Rendall-Baker, James Stevens, and Finn Watkins coming fifteenth.
We then came back to compete in some of the local regattas. Shrewsbury Regatta saw the Championship Four of Bobby Riddell, Henry Halford, Tom Kingsford-Dowd and James Launder coxed by Shri Raajkumar take the victory in the Coxed Fours by five boat lengths, while Worcester Regatta saw Will Probert take victory in the J17 singles.
The National Schools’ Regatta saw superb performances across the board. The Champ Four placing an amazing eighth after a hotly contested final showed how the squad had embraced the sweep side of the sport. The Championship Quad placed
weather started to warm up, they went to Easter training camp at Radley College, where the squad was pushed to new levels of training intensity and volume. They all proved they were a determined and incredibly competitive squad, relentlessly pushing each other to go faster. They also enjoyed some great team-building activities, such as punting in Oxford, where despite the sunny weather most of the squad came away soaked. After this the girls put in fantastic efforts at the National
a deserving top 10 in the country with some very tight racing, but the highlight was the Second Quad coming third in the Second Quad event, receiving well-earned bronze medals. The Championship Double of William Probert and Ben Beedie also put up a good fight in a tough division.
The Senior Boys then combined the Second Quad and the Champ Four together, to form an eight for Marlow Regatta and ultimately Henley Royal Regatta. At Marlow the Championship Quad posted yet another impressive time and made the B final. The Eight made the C final, which was an amazing achievement due to their inexperience in racing in the Eight, plus not having a rudder to steer the heat! Next up was Henley Royal Regatta and the Championship Quad were rewarded for their arduous work and superior results with pre-qualification for Henley in the Fawley Challenge Cup. The Eight had to travel down to qualifiers where 19 boats raced for eight places. The Eight produced an amazing row to qualify for the prestigious Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. To qualify almost our entire Senior Boys’ squad was an incredible performance. Both crews raced fiercely but were both knocked out in the first round. This marked the end of what has been an amazing race season for the squad.
James StevensSenior Boys Most Improved Rower Ben Beedie
Senior Boys Rower of the Year Luke Beever
Schools’ Regatta; the Four managed a very impressive fifth in the B final and the Quad narrowly missed the semi-finals, placing thirteenth overall. Throughout this season the Fifth Form Girls’ squad have shown some incredible drive and dedication to rowing and will surely have another great season next year.
FF Girls Most Improved Rower Emilie Cartelet
FF Girls Rower of the Year Freya Davis
crews in the country whilst also competing locally and trying new things, challenging themselves in Single Sculls and learning to race in Coxless Quadruple Sculls ready for the bigger challenges in Sixth Form rowing. During their Easter holidays they were able to go on their first residential training camp as members of the Boat Club, away from home for a whole week and learning to regulate their own sleep, revision and training schedules and complete some serious mileage for the first time. They have
overcome so much in their brief time in the sport, but they continue to want to learn and teach one another, demonstrating real maturity and teamwork.
FF Boys Most Improved Rower Greg Smith
FF Boys Rower of the Year Oliver Bladon
Coach: Mr Booth
The Upper Remove Girls had an amazing start this year, beginning the season with Head races held at Worcester, Wycliffe and Dorney Lake. Despite the poor weather, we managed to race and improve our rowing skills, particularly at the Worcester Small Boats Head, where one of the J15 Girls’ Quads had an exciting win.
The Upper Remove Girls took part in the one million metre charity row, building their strength physically and as a community within the Boathouse. After Christmas we all travelled to Dorney Lake to compete in the Junior Sculling Head, with the A Quad of Lucy Fryers, Rebecca Nosworthy, Ruby Ingles, Emily Andrews and Amelia Venables coming forty-fourth and the B Quad of Tilly Bayliss, Daisy Phillips, Bea Benvie, Ellie Cartwright and Amy Smithson coming forty-ninth out of 65 crews.
Our first regatta of the year was the Junior Sculling Regatta, held at Dorney Lake. This involved a 1900 metre time trial for one of our Quads, where Emily Andrews, Amelia Venables, Rebecca Nosworthy, Ruby Ingles and Amy Smithson were pleased to progress to the D final. This was followed by a 2000 metre side-by-side race, where the Quad broke away from the other crews to secure first place. The Shrewsbury Regatta followed shortly afterwards, the two King’s Quads both reaching the final where Daisy Philips, Lucy Fryers Tilly Bayliss, Ruby Ingles and Emily Andrews managed to pull ahead and win. We
participated in other regattas including the Worcester Spring Regatta and the National Schools’ at Dorney Lake. The Stratford Junior Sprint Regatta was the final event of the season, and we entered two Singles, two Doubles and two Quads. The girls rowed well on a difficult course, which resulted in one Double and both Singles getting through to the final. Sadly, despite rowing particularly well, the Double of Rebecca Nosworthy and Ruby Ingles came second in a close race. The Singles took part in another King’s vs King’s final, the river providing a challenging race for Emily and Amelia, resulting in a first Singles win for Amelia.
We have had an exciting year of rowing, full of fun and laughter, with several wins under our belt. On behalf of the Upper Remove Girls’ crews, we would like to thank all the coaches, especially Mr Booth, for their time, help and guidance (and flapjacks); we can’t wait to get back on the water!
Amelia
Eleanor Cartwright adds, “The King’s Day Regatta was the perfect way to finish the season, and a few of us took a stab at the Siblings Double races, which proved to be a blast! It is always a pleasure and a privilege to be able to row on the River Severn”
Coach: Olly Timlin
This season was a real eye-opener in terms of the level of commitment and training required to ensure we are competitive in our first taste of regattas and has shown the boys how hard we need to work to grow into a successful team. The boys have thoroughly enjoyed this year, with the winter season providing a taste of how the club travels and prepares for events all the way to the regatta season in which the boys experienced highly competitive events, thankfully in much warmer settings such as Dorney Lake. The boys have also experienced many selection processes such as seat racing, which was extremely competitive. The National Schools’ Regatta was the pinnacle of the year, seeing both crews succeed in the time trial against some tough opposition whilst enjoying themselves and the atmosphere at such a large national event. Finally, the boys have really enjoyed spending time with the coaches and developed a great foundation of knowledge for the many years of rowing to come. Beyond the obvious fitness and competitive gains the sport has offered us all, the squad has forged an incredible bond, providing us all with an excellent community outside of the classroom and a determination to succeed in everything we do.
Coaches: Mrs Bladen, Miss Ellender and Mr Blakemore
My first memory of rowing started way back in September. Nearly everyone in the Lower Remove signed up and soon we were all in a Single Scull, rowing around the river, with some of us falling in! As the months progressed, we started doing jogs, exercise videos, circuits and core-targeted workouts and, as winter came, we started the ‘ergos’, where we focused on technique and power. We slowly progressed by adding in each movement over time so that when we came back after Christmas to start the Quads, our technique and stamina had improved.
As the spring returned, we very enthusiastically started on Quads. We learned to row in time and started perfecting the start and end of strokes over the course of the next four or five weeks! Rowing Camp was an opportunity to row for three days with a range of different people and boats, adding in Doubles at this point too. We started each day with stretches before moving onto the river in Quads, Sculls or Doubles; a few hours later we were all enjoying homemade food like brownies and cupcakes, some of which were themed for Easter! We then rotated onto boats for an hour or two before having lunch. On all three days, after tiring sessions of rowing we soon were eating chicken burgers and chips, chicken wraps filled with delicious fillings and other luscious flavourful food. Soon we returned to the river to complete two more sessions with a break and snack in between. After the three days of laughter, memories, splashing and of course rowing, we left, only to return for the summer term, where we had our first regatta in Shrewsbury! We developed our Quads and went to Worcester Regatta and Stratford. As we began to get used to racing, we ended up with both our Girls’ and Boys’ Quads winning their races!
This year of rowing has been truly inspiring for everyone in the club and has been such an amazing opportunity.
LR Girls Most Improved Rower
LR Girls Rower of the Year
LR Girls Coxswain of the Year
Lower Remove Boys
Coaches: Mr Sharp, Mr Emsley and Mr Fyfe
This year in rowing we have seen the Lower Remove Boys progress from first time rowers to our debut at Shrewsbury Regatta and our first victories at the Stratford Junior Sprint Regatta.
In the winter term, we focused on technique and fitness, working with our coaches to improve these vital components of the sport that would put us in good stead for the future. Moving into the Spring Term, we increased our time on the water, racing, and training in all boats from Single Sculls to Coxed Quads. Our unity as a squad became clear through our teamwork and commitment and we were deemed confident enough to begin to train our regatta technique.
During the Easter Break, the Boat Club hosted a training camp for the Lower Remove and Upper Remove squads, and it was attended with great enthusiasm. Our technique and speed soared over the three days, despite some poor weather conditions, and many capsizes.
Coming into the Summer Term, the Lower Remove Boys were introduced to the public during our first ever regatta in Shrewsbury. Unfortunately, victory wasn’t to be ours, with all crews suffering losses, but the boys walked away with the ambition of improving and working harder towards the next regatta. Our second regatta was in our home city of Worcester, where the boys raced in Doubles and Coxed Quads. Sadly, yet again we did not succeed. However, the boys pulled their weight and we put in a huge amount of time and effort, along with the coaches, to push for the Stratford Junior Sprint Regatta. We were not disappointed. Three of our four Quads took the podium with wins against local rivals, RGS, and many other schools and an all-King’s final.
Overall, it has been a remarkably successful first rowing year.
Jasmine Shukla
Carys Macleod
Fen Harper
Isabella Briggs
Fielding a very strong squad, we went into the season with high hopes. We started exceptionally well, with strong wins against St Peter’s Gloucester and our first ever victory against a very physical Sir Thomas Rich’s team. We went into the first round of the National Cup in a confident mood and at times played exceptionally well, for example against Bromsgrove, outscoring them six tries to four. Unfortunately, errors in range of the posts prevented us from pulling away and a one-point loss put us in the Plate competition. Traveling to Abingdon for the first time was a great experience and, in front of a big crowd, the team managed some difficult patches of play to progress to the next round. During half term we were invited to the St Joseph’s College Festival. Despite a number of significant absentees, the young squad performed exceptionally well against some of the top teams in the country.
In difficult circumstances, a strong win against Malvern in the Nat West Plate set the squad up for the local derby game. As always, the game at Sixways against RGS was one of the highlights of the season. In front of over 3,500 fans and live streamed to a further 6,000 or more people, this was a hugely pressurised game that the 23-man squad handled superbly. Despite going behind early on, a dominant display by the forwards put the team on the front foot. Scoring six tries in such a high intensity game demonstrated the ability of the squad to perform under pressure (it’s definitely worth watching the highlights on YouTube!) A number of significant injuries to key players at the back end of the season and the volume of high intensity games made it difficult for the squad and some frustrating and narrow loses followed.
This was a talented squad of players, who always put everything into each game and worked exceptionally hard for each other.
My thanks go to Messrs Greenall, Wilson and Williams for their hard work and support throughout the season. I would also like to thank the ground staff, who produced fantastic playing surfaces for all the age groups.
Alex Terry, the team captain and member of Worcester Rugby Football Club’s Elite Squad added, “This year’s 15s season was a great success, with our best performance coming at the Modus Cup match. Another highlight would be gaining our first win over Sir Tommie Rich at first team level. It was a great privilege for me to captain a side full of so many talented players.”
The overall results are played 12, won seven, lost five.
JJM
1st VII
2022 was another strong 7s season for King’s. It is extremely difficult to win a trophy at any of the tournaments we enter, owing to the standard of the opposition. To add two more items of silverware to the cabinet is a fantastic achievement and one that was based on a great team spirit and a level of determination that is rarely seen.
The season started well in Stratford, with some solid performances and a narrow loss to the Warriors Ace Scheme side. The North saw a serious step up in the quality of opposition and in the sheer determination of our squad. Beating a strong Hymers side in the final was a fitting end to an excellent day of 7s.
The real highlight of the season was at the King’s tournament, re-named in memory of Marc Roberts. In appalling conditions, which only deteriorated as the day went
on, the team came from behind in both the semi-final against Ellesmere and the final against Bromsgrove. Finding the energy and belief to dig deep, soldier on and win when you are 10-0 down against a team who had won their previous three tournaments was exceptional and something I know Marc would have enjoyed witnessing.
The Nationals brings its own challenges, not least playing over two days and managing the fatigue. A good first day with some tricky games saw the team top their group and progress to Day Two. To reach the quarter-final, we had to beat a very athletic Bishop Wordsworth team. It needed a few special moments to see them off and set up a game against St Peter’s York. They were a big physical side, who we managed extremely well until the last play, where they scored to level and
set up extra time and the dreaded Golden Try. Unfortunately, our victory was not to be, but losing to the eventual finalists was no disgrace.
It was a very enjoyable season and a fantastic squad with whom to work.
The captain, Alex Terry adds, “This year’s 7s season was an extremely good one, winning the North of England 7s plate and our own tournament from 10-0 down against Bromsgrove. Injuries eventually caught up with us as we exited the Nationals in the quarter-final in extra time. It was a pleasure to be part of such a determined squad.”
The overall results are played 22, won 18, lost four.
JJM, SG
2nd XV
We experienced a tough start to the campaign, away to Sir Thomas Rich’s. Their season had begun a week ahead of ours and their previous fixture gave them the edge over us. It was clear from our commitment that we would have a very competitive season ahead.
Ably led by our captain, Felix Slaughter, the boys went from strength to strength. A handful of matches were lost to COVID, but the squad built a degree of momentum ordinarily only achievable in more normal times. We secured some finely balanced wins, but none finer than the match closest to home, with the biggest crowd. Under the spotlight of supporters on both sides, far bigger than many 1st XV matches would entertain, we had to find a new level of strength. From every area of the pitch, and in each
U16A
The boys worked incredibly hard this year and can be pleased with a successful campaign. They were passionate about their rugby and worked hard to improve throughout the season. Most matches were very good contests, so to lose only two was a good effort as each of those matches could have gone another way on a different day. Valuable lessons were also learned on each occasion.
Our two best performances were hardfought wins against St Peter’s High School and QEH Bristol. In both games, the result was in the balance right until the final moments of the match. The team showed excellent resilience to hold on for the victory.
Despite some inclement weather in the Spring Term, we managed to play in two
Sevens tournaments and, on the whole, made some good progress. Whilst we didn’t necessarily chalk up a huge number of wins, we definitely showed good improvement across the season, and scored some excellent tries in the process.
Overall, the boys can be really pleased with their efforts this season.
One of the players adds, “I have enjoyed training this year; the opportunity to have an extra training session each week helped to move my game forward.”
The overall results are played seven, won four, drawn one, lost two.
passage of play, the boys united to form an unbeatable unit. Whether lifted by the supporters or simply eager to take their final opportunity to compete against their friends and rivals up the road, the boys’ spirit and unity brought them together to play for each other, and for the School. This was a match I won’t forget; not for the victory but for the team spirit generated by the collective goal.
We had a great run-in to the end of the season. The squad was large, and everyone had their moment to shine. It was a most enjoyable season with a good group of lads.
The overall results are played nine, won seven, lost two.
U15
The season came thick and fast with minimal respite. At the beginning, it was clear to see that the U15s were low in confidence from previous seasons, which fed into their first two games. With more training sessions under their belts, the boys really started to gel as a team and hit their straps. They rallied in numbers and started to take the game plan and make it their own. The U15s grew in confidence, beating some well-known schools such as OSH and Bristol Grammar and climbing to heights they had never reached before.
With the confidence gained from the 15-a-side game, the boys had a successful 7s season as well. Due to many having other school commitments, training sessions were few and far between, so coming into the first tournament at Warwick, the boys did not know what to expect. We started off with an unexpected win against a strong Millfield side, where the boys showed great resilience and determination. Continuing in the same vein, we went on to win all the group games, going through to the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, this ended up being a trend, where the boys would get through the pool stages comfortably but became unstuck during the knockout element of the competition. All in all, it was a season of which everyone who participated could be proud.
One of the players adds, “I have really enjoyed my rugby this year, with a highlight being the 7s tournaments, where we came together as a team and did really well.”
The overall results are played 11, won seven, lost four.
BMW, GVW
U14A
This was an outstanding season with an outstanding set of boys. Training set the benchmark for all that followed: the intensity with which drills and runs through were completed meant that even the best players were constantly being challenged; it was no surprise that we got more injuries in practice than we did against other schools! This level of effort was player-driven and showed that healthy competition within a squad is the best motivator and leads to higher levels of performance.
No school mounted a real challenge to this group, with all games being won by over 50 points; even an extra fixture postChristmas away at Bromsgrove led to an 11-try demolition. It is impossible to pick out individuals to highlight as this was truly a team; there were no weak links and a number of boys who would normally have played regularly for a King’s A team rarely had opportunities.
The 7’s season was highly successful: we won the plate at Dean Close, the main competition at Solihull and lost to the eventual winners of the National 7s in the quarterfinals at Rosslyn Park; most people who watched the side were staggered at the quality of rugby that was played by such a young group of players. It was a real pleasure working with this squad and I look forward to seeing them develop further as they progress through the School.
One of the players adds, “The team
performance against Bromsgrove, winning of the Solihull School 7s tournament by beating Warwick in the final, and the amazing games at Rosslyn Park are the standouts for me in what was an incredible season.”
The overall results are played 12, won 12.
AADG
U14B
The season got off to a slow start, after the first two matches of the season were cancelled, although it was abundantly clear from the intensity of the initial training sessions that this was no ordinary U14B side. Eight overwhelming victories followed, and the side was never really challenged in any fixture.
It is testament to the quality of this year group that many of these boys would have normally been A team regulars, although it was pleasing to see quite a few of them step up to this level and acquit themselves well when they were required to do so.
Quite simply, it was an absolute pleasure to witness the passion and considerable skill that they displayed in training and in every game that they played; they tackled everything, and the quality of their handling astonished many of the opposition coaches. As a teacher one is supposed to reflect on areas of improvement for next year and I would urge them to focus on their singing on the way to away games; their coach at
U15 will inherit a very talented squad but must also invest in a quality pair of earplugs.
The overall results are played eight, won eight.
U13A
The boys have undoubtedly had a very strong season this year, dominating in Rugby Union and making good progress in Rugby Sevens. The big, strong runners have made significant inroads against most teams, and this has been backed up by some excellent running lines from the backs. Tackling has probably been the most impressive aspect this year, showing excellent and consistent technique against all opposition and a passion to want to pass the game line.
I’ve been pleased to see the squad work better as a team as the season has progressed and avoid using individuals to make the hard yards. A few boys who started in the B Team have forced their way into the A Team this year, which shows excellent potential for the years to come. This squad has the potential to become a great team as they progress through the School.
The overall results for the 15-a-side matches are played nine, won eight, drawn one.
The overall results for the 7s matches are played 14, won nine, lost five.
The U12As were a delight to work with this year. They trained very hard, with excellent attendance at sessions throughout the season. With tough early fixtures against St Peter’s and Sir Thomas Rich’s resulting in narrow losses, it was wonderful to see their resilience and passion demonstrated in later victories against Loughborough, RGS, Old Swinford Hospital and more.
The ‘waterfall’ Sevens tournaments included numerous fixtures, and it was fantastic to see the teamwork and skill level really improve. The boys were able to keep possession and wait for a gap, before scoring decisive tries. Very impressive victories in the latter stages of the KES Birmingham, Bishop Vesey’s and our home tournament were the result of genuine passion and determination.
This is a side that, whilst small in stature, has excellent attitude and a willingness to learn. They will go a long way!
One of the players added, “A real highlight for me was playing in the Sevens tournaments: the chance to spend a whole day playing rugby, being with friends and putting it all on the line was the best!”
The overall results are played eight, won five, lost three.
JOH U12BDespite the reduced format for this age group, the U12B boys were enthusiastic and enjoyed their training throughout the season, relishing the opportunity to develop personal skills and foster a good team ethic. Despite heavy defeats to Sir Thomas Rich’s and QEH Bristol aside, they were never outplayed in matches, and they scored very pleasing victories in half of their fixtures, most notably in the close games against St Peter’s, Gloucester, Bristol GS and Bishop Vesey’s.
Many boys will continue their development as rugby players, and I look forward to seeing how they fare further up the School. The group has a number of good prospects for promotion to the A team.
One of the players added, “The chance to play competitively against other schools was great and, as I grew in confidence, my rugby really improved”
The overall results are played eight, won four, lost four. RJD
With COVID-19 causing great disruption to training, the swimmers have had a tough 18 months or so. But they have more than risen to the challenge, and we offer a massive “well done” to them all; their perseverance and hard work definitely paid off throughout the year, providing among other things the fantastic opportunity for some to swim at the prestigious venue of the London Aquatics Centre.
In November, seven swimming teams from King’s Worcester competed in the English Schools’ West Midlands Swimming secondary qualifier at Malvern College. Twelve schools from Worcestershire and Herefordshire chased a coveted place in the National Finals at the London Aquatic Centre later in the month. Pre COVID-19, the top 30 schools in each age group qualified for the final, but this year it was extra tough, with only the top 20 qualifying. In the qualifying round both the junior boys and the junior girls all swam strongly and were placed second in both the freestyle and the medley relay.
In the intermediate age group, the girls and the boys all swam competitive races, finishing first in every race. In the medley relay, the boys ranked twentieth nationally and sneaked through into the national final. In the senior age group King’s fielded three teams. One boys’ team outswam their competitors, gaining first places in both relays; the two girls’ teams were placed in an exciting first and second place. The A-team girls were placed first in the West Midlands region in both relays and recorded very fast times, ranking them ninth in the country in both relays.
Later that month, eight swimmers travelled to the London Aquatics Centre for the English Schools’ (ESSA) Secondary Teams National Final. With several large specialist swimming schools such as Millfield, Plymouth and Mount Kelly competing in this prestigious event, places were always going to be competitive.
The senior girls have always been particularly strong and have qualified for this event for the last four years. When a last-minute dropout threatened to cancel our entry, we were thrilled that Amelia Phillips was willing and able to dive in and join Izzy Trow, Betsy Richards and Felicity Quiney to compete. The girls put on a gutsy and strong performance and were placed 19th place in both relays. They showed good skills and professionalism on the poolside and should be proud of their achievements.
The intermediate boys, Ben Gooch, Aled Lee, Harry Chandler and Dan Arridge had sneaked into this event in 20th place and were happy to qualify. With Ben on backstroke, Aled on breast, Harry on fly and Dan on freestyle, the boys swam amazingly, smashing their short course entry time by a whopping four seconds and placed ninth into the final. With the excitement of the occasion and pure determination, the boys swam even faster in the final and went up two more places to finish seventh in the country. All four boys are in the same age group category next year, so we are naturally very excited for the future.
There was plenty more success in the Pool this year. Ben Gooch won Silver in the 50m backstroke in the age 15 and under category at the West Midland Short Course Championships and Hannah Woodcock broke the Senior Ladies’ Worcester County record in the 100m Individual Medley in an amazing time of 1.04.71.
In March 2022, King’s had an amazing total of 20 pupils qualify for the Worcester County Swimming Championships. This event takes swimmers from all the local clubs, including Wolverhampton and Halesowen. Harry Chandler was simply on fire, winning an amazing 12 gold medals in the 14year age group
and five Junior Championship titles. The Junior trophies go to the fastest swimmer who is under 16 years old on the last day of the championships. This is even more impressive considering he hadn’t turned 14 at the time of the competition.
Also swimming with great success was Aled Lee, winning two gold, five silver and two bronze medals in the 14-year category. Dylan Lewis won gold in the 200m and bronze in the 100m backstroke in the 13-year age group. Ben Gooch, swimming in the 15-year-old category, also took the pool by storm, winning two gold, six silver and two bronze medals. Catherine Hamilton competed in the 13year age group, showing great fitness and stamina to win silver in the 1500m (60 lengths) freestyle and the 200m butterfly.
Competing in the girls’ 14-year-old category were Frankie Barry, Jess Day and Grace Ryder. Frankie Barry took the sprints by storm, winning gold in the 50m freestyle and butterfly and bronze in the 50m backstroke. Jess Day showed her strength in all four strokes by winning
The U15 girls and boys have played some great tennis this year. Although the scoreboard did not always go in their favour, their determination and resilience were great to see. The level of tennis produced throughout the year was excellent, with the girls and boys often coming up against top county players and producing some very fine play. The passion and positive attitudes that were always displayed on court, alongside the improvements shown, were delightful to see.
The girls took part in the County Doubles, where they showed great resilience after suffering a tough defeat to Bromsgrove, even though they played well. Many games went to deuce; however, unfortunately the girls could not quite manage to get the edge in these games. The resilience and motivation they showed to come back from this and win their final match against Malvern College, with great intensity and consistent play, was a testament to the girls and their passion and determination. This was undoubtably the highlight of the season for the girls, as they came away silver medallists.
The highlight for the boys was their fixture against Bromsgrove. Although they did not get the win, the level of tennis was outstanding, and the support and encouragement that the team had for one another was lovely to see.
silver in the gruelling 400IM and bronze in the 100IM, also winning bronze in the 200m backstroke.
Grace Ryder dominated the breaststroke races by winning gold in the 50m, silver in the 100m and bronze in the 200m. Hannah Woodcock continued with her recent success by achieving eight gold and four silver medals in the 17 years and over category and winning an extraordinary six Open titles as the fastest female overall. Her 100IM was the standout performance of the championships, as Hannah managed to break her own county record in the heat and again in the final!
Bella Barry has struggled with injury, so she focussed on her key events, winning gold in the 17 years and over 50m butterfly and bronze in the 100m. Bella also retained her senior title for the 50m in a well fought race. Like Hannah and Bella, swimming in the 17 years and over category, Izzy Trow swam an impressive 400IM to achieve a silver medal. The pressures of juggling A-Level studies and a heavy swimming programme should not be underestimated.
Also competing at their first County Championships were John Etherington and Cerys Groves. They swam well, with personal bests, and enjoyed the experience. Phoebe Martin, George Howard and Felicity Quiney swam great performances in a competitive field. Eve Hind qualified for the Championships but due to injuries and illness were unable to compete on the day.
It is an amazing achievement to qualify for County, Regional or National Championships and the swimmers should be very proud of themselves. Swimmers’ timetables are relentless and so much effort is put in for often a very small gain, but every one hundredth of a second counts. I am delighted that all our swimmers have seen the reward for their hard work throughout the year.
One of the players added, “The girls’ tennis team this year has performed outstandingly well, with multiple victories and some tremendous improvements. Our most notable win was at MSJ, coming second in the County Cup, with an unfortunate loss against Bromsgrove School. Overall, it has been great to see so much uptake in the sport; congratulations to everyone who took part this season.”
The overall results for the U15 Girls are played two, lost two.
The overall results for the U15 Boys are played two, won one, lost one.
The U13 tennis club has been extremely well attended this year, with nearly 30 girls and boys attending regularly. It has been a joy to witness so many of the girls and boys enjoying their tennis and having a go at all skills and aspects of the game. The improvement shown throughout from all was delightful.
It was lovely to see so many keen to play competitive fixtures. The girls have had a great season. Even though they have ended up of the wrong side of the scoreboard in their fixtures, all their skills and gameplay have improved significantly. They have had some incredible matches with some great points being played.
The boys had a great start, with a 12-0 win in their first fixture. Whilst the second fixture was tough, they still played really well and showed signs of improvements within their play. They never gave up and demonstrated positive attitudes throughout.
Both the girls and boys showed great resilience and determination throughout their matches, coming up against some top county players. They never gave up and played great tennis right until the last point. The teamwork they showed, supporting each other in their matches and in their doubles play, was lovely.
One of the players added, “As the season started, we were good, but we struggled a bit with our communication in doubles. We practiced working together and communicating, but also being more confident with our volleys and not being afraid to come to the net. We have improved loads from our first match and have really enjoyed all the training sessions.”
The overall results for the U13 Girls are played three, lost three.
The overall results for the U13 Boys are played two, won one, lost one.
2021-2022 has been another busy academic year in The King’s School Archives.
The Archivist has received over 100 enquiries on a wide range of subjects this year. The majority of these came from individuals undertaking family history or investigating the fallen of the First and Second World Wars. Other enquiries have included: the discovery of the Roman skeleton during Undercroft renovations in 1971; the history of King’s St. Alban’s houses; the “Majestas” in College Hall; the School Chess Club; half-holidays in the 1940s; School Drama productions in College Hall; the JTC Band; and urban myths regarding supposed rights of the Head of School.
After a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19, it was wonderful to be able to welcome all 91 members of the Lower Fourth to the School Archive in January during their school History lessons. It was also fantastic to welcome all 115 Upper Fourth members, as they missed out on this opportunity last year. An especial thank-you to their accompanying History teachers, who patiently experienced the same visit many times in quick succession whilst remaining engaged and enthusiastic: an especial shout-out to Mr Ward, who accompanied the Fourth Form four times.
Similarly, it was lovely to welcome 41 visiting Year 6 pupils to the School Archive during two Stretch Days in February and March.
It was also a pleasure to welcome Lower
Remove and other new members of School House to the Archive in October 2021 to learn about the history of their House; and to welcome all 66 members of Wulstan House in November 2021 for the same.
The School Archive received several visits from Lower Sixth pupils, Thora Dykes and Alfred Kelsey, who were researching past school uniforms for a “The King’s Speech” article. Lower Remove pupil Harry Chandler also visited in March to undertake research on Edward Winslow (K.S. 1606-1611), in preparation for his English Speaking Board examination.
In June 2022 it was a delight to host eight enthusiastic members of the school’s Greek Club, accompanied by Miss Trow-Poole, to
undertake research on the history of the School Motto. An article about this, written by the Greek Club, appears elsewhere in this issue of The Vigornian
This year it was once again possible to run the New Staff Induction session to the School Archive, which took place in February. Usually, the Archivist puts together an exhibition for new staff inductions, but this was not possible in February 2022 owing to the School’s COVID-19 policies, (in-person staff contact was, at that point, still being kept to a minimum). Instead, the session was held over Microsoft Teams; but the Archivist made an accompanying virtual exhibition on Microsoft Sway, which allowed new staff to view scanned items from the collection with detailed explanatory captions. Afterwards, the Archivist shared the exhibition link with all KSW staff, allowing them to explore the virtual exhibition at leisure. Feedback from staff was very positive; and it was wonderful to be able to offer some sort of access to collections despite physical restrictions being in place.
Some screenshots of the virtual archives exhibition for the new staff “visit”
During the final Half Term, when staff COVID-19 restrictions had been eased, the Archivist curated a full exhibition in Edgar Tower about past KSW Staff. To date, five members of teaching staff and two members of support staff have viewed this exhibition: it has been lovely to be able to welcome them to the School Archive.
Finally, the School Archive has welcomed a small number of OVs to the School Archive
during this academic year. Clive Marks (S 1969-1974) visited the School Archive in September 2021 during his visit to King’s; Barnabus Speaker Frances Moyle (Co 1980-1982) visited the School Archive on Barnabus Day; Rowan Kitt (Ch 1977-1987) viewed material in the School Archive during his trip to King’s in November; and Brandon Chin (Ch 1984-1989), Kevin Mannion (Cl 1967-1977), and David Head (Cl 1952-1958) all visited the School Archive in May 2022. In addition, current King’s parents Mrs Quiney and Mrs Daniels visited the School Archive in May to view material on the KSW Boat Club in order to prepare a display on its history for current members.
Old Vigornians’ Cricket Club Research 2022 is the 75th anniversary of the Old Vigornian Cricket Club: although matches were played annually at OV weekends between the School and Old Vigornians from the 1880s onwards, the OVCC was officially founded in 1947. Phil Mackie (Cl 1973-1983) hopes to produce a booklet on the history of the OVCC as part of its 75th anniversary observations and asked the School’s Foundation Development Office and School Archive for assistance with researching this.
Throughout 2021-2022 it has been wonderful to have assistance from Upper Sixth pupil Sarah Brown who volunteered in the School Archive and assisted with a number of projects, including cataloguing sport photographs and summarising the Boer War correspondence of F.R. Thomas (KSW 1886-1890). Sarah also assisted with an Upper Fourth class visit to the School Archive, and with setting up the display for the Year 6 Stretch Day. During the Spring term, Sarah undertook research for Phil Mackie’s OVCC enquiry. Thank you ever so much for all your hard work, Sarah!
It was lovely to once again be able to welcome a history student from the University of Worcester, here on a voluntary placement as part of her assessed university course. Aimee Tatler spent 40 hours in the School Archive, researching and mounting an exhibition on The King’s School during the Second World War, now on display at the bottom of Edgar Tower. Thank you very much, Aimee.
The annual OV Reunion returned on 18-19 September 2021 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the reunion, archives display boards were exhibited on the stage in College Hall: many thanks to King’s Maintenance for all their help in setting up.
The School Archive has received material from seven OVs this year: Stanley Allsopp (Ca 1946-1951) donated a photograph of the Cathedral Choristers cricket team of 1948; Richard Cutler, son of Michael Cutler (S 1942) donated his father’s 1942 photograph of School House; David Anscombe (W 1965-1972) gave us a large collection of photographs and documents from his time at King’s; Robert Harley (W 1964-1971) gave material likewise; Raymond Franklin (Cl 19431949) donated material pertaining to Michael Craze from 1998; Geraint Nicholas (Ca 19761981) donated St. Alban’s, Castle House and Rugby photographs from 1976-1981; and David Head (Cl 1952-1958) donated Chappel House photographs, and material from his years at King’s including his school reports. Thank you very much to all those who have given material to the School Archive: if you have any former King’s School material that you would like to donate, do get in touch!
Although the building work outside on Edgar Tower has finished, plastering and maintenance work needs to be carried out before everything can be returned to its rightful place and the Archives Exhibition Room can be fully restored to its former glory. This was scheduled to happen during the 2022 Easter break; but a COVID-19 infection among the Cathedral stonemasons prevented this work taking place as planned.
Away from King’s, the Archivist is Secretary of the Archives for Learning and Education Section (ALES) of the Archives and Records Association (ARA), the professional body for Archivists and Records Managers. Over the 2021-2022 academic year ALES organised and hosted a series of quarterly virtual training sessions on Microsoft Teams open to all ARA members, including:
‘Online Learning and the Future of Outreach’, 22 November 2021
‘Practical Steps to becoming a (more) Accessible Service – Introducing the Archives Accessible Learning Toolkit’, 28 February 2022
‘Sensory Journeys: Bringing Stories to Life with Your Help’, 9 May 2022
A further session is planned for August 2022. It has been wonderful to be part of such a dynamic and proactive professional committee.
Harriet Patrick is leaving King’s in July 2022, after seven-and-a-half years in post. It is hoped that her successor will be appointed before too long.
Harriet Patrick, Archivist
RAF Section
The RAF had great success at the Air Squadron Trophy this year, coming third in the regional competition and eighth in the national competition, a great improvement over our previous result. The competition consisted of Drill, General Service Knowledge, a command task, Aircraft Recognition, First Aid and Shooting. We came second overall in the Command Task. We also performed well in the Drill, which after our many weeks of training was very rewarding.
We also returned to Cosford this year for our Field Day. A visit to the weapons training hangar allowed us to sit in a Tornado for the second time that day and see a range of weapons. Our visit to the survival equipment training also allowed us to try on fast jet and helicopter helmets and to sit in the life raft belonging to the larger cargo aircraft. We also fired rockets, created gliders and built radio antennas, adding an extra element of competition to the day.
Eight cadets also returned to flying after more than two years. There was ideal weather, meaning they got to try aerobatics, most of them for the first time, and we look forward to more cadets getting the opportunity to both fly and glide in the near future.
A group of cadets took part in a mini AST competition where they placed first overall. Ellie Cartwright came first overall in the General Service Knowledge and Sonny Brown achieved the same position in First Aid. The team were also first overall in the Drill which is a great achievement, especially considering that some of the cadets had only been in the RAF section for a few weeks.
This summer a larger cohort than usual of RAF cadets were able to attend the RAF summer camp at INSKIP cadet centre near Preston. Upon arrival we were told that the group of cadets from the other school had had to cancel their trip at the last minute, so the entire base was solely for the use by the King’s cadets for the whole week. It was an excellent opportunity to experience a different sort of ‘blue’ camp; rather than section visits, the cadets were able to take part in a wide variety of military and adventure training activities. These included the use of a climbing wall, archery, dismounted close combat training and air rifle ranges, a visit to the local rifle club to look at and shoot on both pistol and rifle ranges, and a day of fieldcraft exercises, where the cadets were able to put their new-found skills into practice on a paintball course. As each activity was now only to be used by 20 cadets, we were able to spend much longer on each of them.
There were plenty of opportunities for team building throughout the week; the cadets designed their own drill sequence for the interflight competition, with some very questionable moves included! They spent a day at a local water park, where they were able to build rafts and also have a go at paddling around the very large lake in a kayak. Typically, there had to be some cadets who ended up spending more time actually in the water than on their own rafts!
A visit to the Imperial War Museum and the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester and were both valuable additions to the programme and the final day was spent at Blackpool Pleasure Beach as the culmination of a fantastic week. It was a coach full of tired but happy RAF cadets that returned to School on the Saturday.
We must record our thanks to Sqn Ldr Dr McLaverty-Head who, after years of service to the RAF Section and the contingent, including time as OC RAF Section and as the Contingent Commander is reducing his commitment to regular Friday training in order to focus on other areas of school life. In his time as Contingent Commander he introduced several new initiatives and, while an RAF Officer, was always ready to put on his combat kit and take part in fieldcraft with the Army Section. We’re delighted that he will continue to organize the regular Air Experience Gliding and look forward to continuing to see him at events in the future.
a deliberate ambush and three-section attacks. The Junior NCOs delivered orders and then carried out a night reconnaissance patrol of the enemy position. With the intelligence from these patrols, a set of ambush orders were delivered to the platoon, and they managed to spring the ambush successfully. Saturday morning was another busy day for the cadets with section attack orders delivered and then Junior NCOs leading their respective sections through a section attack on an enemy position.
On the first weekend of the Easter holidays, the Army Section competed in the Brigade Military Skills Competition. The cadets performed extremely well, completing tough challenges across the weekend with sub-zero temperatures on both nights. The team completed activities covering key sections of the Army Proficiency Syllabus such as casualty evacuation under fire, First Aid, and a Gun Run. The second day involved an orienteering and shoot competition, which the team completed extremely quickly, achieving second place. Overall, the team performed to a consistently high standard across all the areas and we were awarded the Brigade Military Skills Trophy. Congratulations to the whole team on this achievement.
The Army started our year at Kingsbury Ranges, where we had the opportunity to fire the L98A2 GP Rifle and the Cadet Air Rifle. We also had our first go at laser clay-pigeon shooting, which became very competitive among our team.
This year our Army cadets visited Nesscliffe for our annual Field Day. For many of our cadets this was their first opportunity to put their Friday and weekend leadership and tactics training into practice after a hiatus due to COVID-19. The first day of our trip consisted of patrolling into and establishing a Harbour Area, and then conducting fieldcraft training on several areas including using Personal Role Radios, how best to use ground cover for movement and obstacle crossing, duties of a sentry, A2 weapon handling training and section battle drills for the Junior NCOs and recruits.
Meanwhile, the Senior NCOs prepared orders and made models for recce patrols,
For operational reasons, we were “bumped off” our planned Summer Camp at Wathgill in North Yorkshire but enjoyed a very good week’s training at the Old School Campsite in Shropshire instead. Having put up the marquees in which we would sleep, we spent the week in a mix of military and adventure training activities, including command tasks, with obstacles to cross and mock casualties to extract, fieldcraft training, a paintball close-quarter target lane and a wonderful day building coracles, which we then paddled successfully on the River Severn. The camp concluded with an overnight tactics exercise in nearby woodland. It was the perfect way to round off a very successful year.
After many years of combined service to the contingent, Capt Maund and Maj Maund decided to step back from frontline duties with the contingent at the end of the year. Captain Maund joined the contingent on a free transfer when she retired from Bromsgrove School in 2018, although she claims that she first heard that she would be joining KSW CCF when it was announced at King’s Day. She has been a great support on Open Mornings, weekend exercises and AT and Summer Camps. Maj Maund joined the contingent in 2001, having begun his CCF career 15 years before. The contingent was much smaller in those days, and he has been delighted to see the way it has grown during his
Rhys Watkins Army Sectiontime in his various roles of Training Officer, OC Army Section and, most recently, as Contingent 2 i/c and Adjutant, running and assisting with countless parades, including our greater and greater involvement in the School’s Remembrance events, numerous exercises and many camps, including a Summer Camp to Germany, as well as weekly training with the Army Section. We thank them both for their dedication and commitment to the contingent and look forward to seeing them on an occasional basis.
From the Contingent Chief Instructor
At the beginning of this year, due to COVID-19, we had a joint summer camp where we tried out canoeing, raft building, paddle boarding and climbing. The First Aid Day was varied and everybody attempted, mostly successfully, to treat the John Does. We all had huge amounts of fun with rifles, command tasks and cam cream (despite there being some interesting designs).
We were very privileged to take part in the Remembrance Parade for the first time ever this school year, and we are now proud to be a Royal British Legion Affiliated Contingent. Exercise Christmas Cracker was a nice change of pace to our usual Fridays. The varying levels of enthusiasm with Christmas hats added to the atmosphere, and the cadets were able to participate in a range of activities from biscuit eating races to first aid.
In the Easter holidays, a very successful Adventure Training Camp was held for both Sections, based at the Old School Campsite in Shropshire. We enjoyed a great week of climbing, mountain-biking and watermanship, as well as honing our survival and observational skills and had a great time, despite the rather mixed weather conditions.
The year was rounded off with a fantastic evening at Puckrup Hall for our annual Mess Night, admirably organized with consummate efficiency by Sophie Pitts. The contingent enjoyed a variety of camps this summer, with a huge range of activities.
Hazel Zurick-Ball
This year the Sixth Form Charity Committee has been working hard to raise money for a multitude of charities both through historic initiatives and fresh ideas. The first event of the year was Pink Day, where the Sixth Form wore pink in support of Worcester Breast Unit Haven and sweets were sold to raise close to £700 for the charity. We were delighted to welcome members of staff from Worcester Breast Unit Haven to tell the Sixth Form about the amazing work they do for people with breast cancer and their families.
Jamie Waters
As Christmas approached, it was regretfully decided that the annual Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party was unrealistic in the COVID-19 context. However, still eager to support the local elderly community who we felt were particularly vulnerable to the pandemic’s trials, a collection was held for presents, which were wrapped and sent off with cards to all regular attendees of the event. These were received with much gratitude, and we would like to thank pupils and families for the number of gifts given. The festive season also brought the opportunity for Christmas Jumper Day, raising well over £900 for Primrose Hospice, a fantastic charity supporting the families of people with life limiting illness.
With the new year came cold months, leading to the decision to support Magg’s Day Centre homeless charity with a collection pot and the Valentine’s Day event. Our aim to spread well-wishing and
loving messages around the school was well received, and altogether nearly £350 was raised from the event in aid of the homeless.
Finally, you are all aware of the recent tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, and we felt it essential to do what we could to help. Ukraine Day was a tremendous success, where the whole Foundation wore the Ukrainian colours and, thanks to all the donations, one of the most successful cake sales to date was held. Including over £2000 from the Just Giving page, over £6700 was raised in total, indicative of the great sympathy for the Ukrainian plight and the School’s will to help. Further, the Government is doubling the money raised for the Save The Children charity, leading to a fantastic contribution.
On Thursday 23rd June, our Sixth Form Charity Committee held a summer party at Fort Royal Community School. The
school is a primary school for children with considerable learning needs and has over 200 pupils. We felt privileged to be invited to their beautiful school site and lead the children in their celebrations. On the day, the Charity Committee were ably assisted by all 140 members of the Lower Sixth who worked in House groups to support the children with face painting, sports and games, bouncy castle and soft play fun, ice cream distribution, enacting Going on a Bear Hunt, sensory play, music, dancing and singing. All our students were incredible in the way they interacted, engaged, and supported the children from Fort Royal. Being a member of the Charity Committee can be hard work, but it is also rewarding, and we are looking forward to another set of challenging but enjoyable fund-raising and community events during the next academic year.
Chess has been busy this year with the creation of two online chess clubs here at King’s. In addition, the generosity of OV Robert McClatchey has resulted in a new trophy for House Chess. The new Robert McClatchey Cup for House Chess was won by Castle this year. Robert McClatchey is a distinguished OV who, apart from many other achievements at King's, was a keen and accomplished chess player.
After a series of close matches, the final was between Choir House and Castle House. A very close final was tied at one game each after Choir's Archie Clark beat George Cox and Castle's Linus Hughes was also victorious. This left Choir's Pranav Mayilvahanan competing with Josh Clarke from Castle to see who would win this new trophy. Despite playing someone rated much higher, Pranav pushed Josh all the way before making a slight mistake under time pressure which Josh punished, leaving Castle House the victors. Well done to members of all Houses who played in a very competitive competition.
Post pandemic, there has been a shift towards playing chess over the internet. King’s has participated in several online competitions with three top three finishes. In an online chess competition in February, King's came first by three points against six other highly rated schools from across the country. All ten players representing King’s had winning records on the night with our four best players, Josh Clarke, Linus Hughes, Archie Clark and George Campbell-Ferguson combining for a total of 54 points. Congratulations to all ten players who played in this competition, as well as the many players who represented King’s throughout the year.
Over the board chess and online chess have both thrived this year and I am confident that this development will accelerate further under a new leader for chess.
MWW
Christian Union has continued to have a relaxed and laid-back atmosphere as we look at the bible and chew over the application of what we have been reading in our lives, as well as enjoying many different games and parties. Competitive ball games have made a return since COVID-19 and we have had fun relaxing at lunchtime during a busy day. I have particularly enjoyed having orange juice, biscuits and sweets at our meetings, which had to be provided as a forfeit by the losing party in some of our games; Mr Houghton managed to avoid a forfeit this year with some quick reactions and tactical play.
Again, unfortunately, we have not managed the yearly weekend away, but will endeavour to make this happen next year. The weekend away has always been a special time for us and we look forward to this recommencing.
As always, we very much encourage those who are just interested and ‘having a look’ to pop in and join in the fun, as well as those who are more established in their faith.
The start of the academic year saw a healthy interest in climbing and regular sessions took place every Thursday after school. Novices quickly learnt “the ropes” with the help of more senior climbers and by
Christmas they were established members of Climbing Club. Some were simply proud of reaching the top of the McClatchey Wall housed in the Keyes Building, whilst others pushed their grade and strived to be the first to accomplish the hardest route on the wall.
In late November, six pupils represented King’s at an inter-schools climbing competition held at Redpoint, Worcester where 150 climbers from 25 schools around the country met to compete at bouldering and top-roping events. Daniel Munn did especially well to achieve maximum points earning him joint first place leading to a tense tie break. Special mention should also go to Henry Lovegrove whose total points placed him joint 3rd. More significantly, though, Henry reached the grand final of the British Mountaineering Council Youth Climbing Series. He did exceptionally well, tackling some very tough lead routes and bouldering problems to earn himself the position of 22nd in the country.
A genuine highlight of Climbing Club is witnessing senior students encourage younger pupils. Jamie Waters and Daniel Munn have both been exceptional. Not only have they given many hours of their time
Senior Debating
Few activities can have been hit harder by COVID-19 restrictions than Debating over the last two years. Part of the appeal and skill of debating is the theatrical element and delivery, both of which are almost impossible when delivered online to faceless opponents. Nevertheless, competitions have continued unabated, if constrained, by the limits of technology.
King’s debaters have enjoyed great success in national competitions over the last few years, culminating in two national semi-finals of the English Speaking Union Competition. Unfortunately, this year has not been as successful; in part this is due to a number of our best and most experienced debaters leaving for university, but we have some excellent younger members who through practice and experience should develop over time into able replacements.
In November the 2021A team consisting of George Capell, Becky Ye and Luke Ranasinghe competed in an online ESU West of England regional competition where they debated the motion, “This House Would Make Fines for Criminal and Civil Offences Proportionate to the Wealth of the Offender” against a team from King Edward’s VI Birmingham, as
to help run climbing sessions, they have inspired others to push themselves. It was very fitting that Daniel eventually topped the hardest route on the school wall right at the end of his Upper Sixth year; perhaps only 12m of height, but the product of
well as a number of other schools from the area. Unfortunately, despite some excellent deliveries, King’s did not progress, but it provided valuable experience for the novices in the team. This was followed in the Spring Term by a hastily arranged round of the Oxford Union Debating Competition where pupils have no prior information about the motions until a few minutes before. The Capell brothers, George and James, were tasked with debating motions against some of the most prestigious schools in England on charity advertising campaigns and whether voting should require basic political knowledge. Despite excellent deliveries and questions, they were unable to advance to the next stage but were better for the experience.
Apart from competitions, the Debating Clubs, both senior and junior branches, have met in person throughout the last year. The Senior Debating group have been much smaller in number this year but its members have been very committed and enthusiastic. A range of issues have been debated, some controversial such as the death penalty and nuclear weapons, others more mundane, like school uniform and vegetarianism.
The junior debaters, run by Mrs Kent, with the support of George, have thrown themselves into another fantastic year of debating. They have thoroughly enjoyed
countless attempts, determined training, and above all the self-belief that anything is possible. SCC
being able to meet back in person each week. They have had a strong turnout from Upper Fourth in particular and she wishes them the very best as they move into Senior Debating!
A couple of reflections from our younger members:
“We have lots of amazing opportunities in Kings, one of them being the Lower Years Debating Club; it is very helpful to pupils who want to delve into the world of debating and explore new extracurricular activities. This year the Debating Club have taken part in a wide range of engaging debates including whether pupils should have to wear school uniform, whether people should be forced to do a certain amount of exercise and we debated about the concept of vegetarianism. Overall, I think that the Lower Years Debating Club is an incredible opportunity for pupils to be involved in.”
Juliet Gardner“The Lower Years Debating Club was a club that I personally thought was a desirable choice to take part in this year in the Upper Fourth. I attended most sessions of the club since the beginning of the year and it has generally been fun to do. One thing I really liked about the
Red Point Inter-Schools Competition 2021: Jonny Hill, Dan Munn, Jamie Waters, Henry Lovegrove, Maddie Cartelet and Sam Perkins]club is that we were able to choose our debates. I liked taking part in a debate I wanted to have rather than a monotonous one that would make me lose interest in a couple of weeks. It allowed me to engage in the debates a lot more and have a considerably better experience than what I would have had otherwise. In addition, I learned more from the club than I originally expected. I had perceived debates to be a glorified argument where people just shout over each other randomly; however, it is a lot more civilised than that. I grasped the fact that I had to let others explain their points fully rather than constantly barrage them with my own points in a hectic mess. I also learned to expand my own points and state an argument in proper detail and say something informative, which is a skill that I have carried over to my other subjects, like English. It was also a good way to get to know other people, as back at the beginning of the year, I was new to the school and did not even know half the people’s first names, so it was a good way to make more friends. It also helped my confidence with public speaking skills and helped me to not stutter as much as I used to. Also, there was a nice learning curve to the debating system; originally, we did an informal and simple debating style and after a few weeks we learned about the more complex ones and then we did them. As a result, it was very easy to learn methods and skills when starting out as a proper beginner. Overall, I think it is a good choice for anyone who is interested in debating and speaking, or who lacks confidence with public speaking skills. If so, this is an opportunity that should definitely be considered.”
For the first time this year, King’s took part in the Independent School’s Mock Trial Competition. This fantastic opportunity enabled pupils from Fifth Form to Upper Sixth to experience court proceedings, build arguments and think critically. As there were two cases, it was accessible for all, whether you wanted a big or small role.
Roles ranged from Court Clerks and witnesses and Jury members to Barristers. After a few months of preparations, which included evidence gathering, legal discussions and seminars from leading QCs, we were ready for the competition. Unsure
of what we would be asked to present, we had prepared the prosecution and defence for two cases. Due to COVID-19 we could not travel to Birmingham Magistrates Court this year so, instead, the trials took place online. This allowed us to create and set up our own court in the Weston Centre, where we even had a private jury room to ensure neutrality!
Case 1 was based on the intimidation of a witness. Max Summers (defendant) was accused of intimidating a witness, Morgan Montieth, in his friend's trial. There were lots of minute details in this case, which we found and used to our advantage. We were called to the defence on this trial in Round One and the prosecution in Round Three. It was great to see both sides show their fantastic skills. The part of Max Summers, played by Lower Sixth Amy Ranasinghe, involved knowing the witness statement inside out. This required planning and answering questions from our defence team to address their facts and important points and highlight them to the jury. It also involved answering questions from the prosecution, led by a competing school, and being able to provide answers that were not fatal for the case. The witness's job in the mock trial was certainly much harder than it first appeared! A congratulations to Barristers Thomas Young, Emma Green, Becky Ye and Amy Hall for their outstanding performances.
Despite being interrupted by COVID-19, the Lower Remove Design & Technology Club pupils from this year and previous years have been working hard to design, develop and manufacture an interactive ball run system for the King’s St Alban’s Pre-Prep and Nursery children to use. Numerous experiments and alterations
Case 2 was an assault case. Alex Piper, (defendant), was charged with assault in a night club of Jo Caruso. In this case, both Millie English and Amy Ranasinghe were prosecution barristers and Rosie Stanley, a fantastic witness. The Barristers had to develop questions to ask a specific witness and rehearse these! The most nerve wracking aspect was the closing speech. We had to summarise our evidence but think quickly to ensure we had included anything that had come out in that specific trial. We were grateful to Ed Beever, QC, for watching our rehearsal and providing feedback. This was invaluable. For this case, King’s only participated as the prosecution, but we had lots of support and help from our defence team, and they were crucial to our progress.
Throughout the day we were able to watch the court proceedings from downstairs in the Weston Centre to support our fellow teammates. The day was an immense success, with the judges complimenting excellent opening and closing speeches from all barristers, in particular Thomas Young, and our general team approach to the cases. Overall, King’s placed a fantastic third, only narrowly missing a place in the final! Great fun was had by all, and we cannot wait for next year. Special thanks to Mrs Ferguson and Mr Quiney for their effort and support throughout the process.
Amy Ranasinghe and Millie Englishproduced a collection of magnetic channelling that allowed the youngest members of the school community to build their own networks of gravitypowered fun. On a Wednesday after school the club presented the project to the nursery pupils gathered, who quickly got to grips with the project principles and started creating their own routes. The nursery staff commented on how wonderful it was to see them so engaged and for so long! Our future engineers inspiring their future engineers!
This past year 130 pupils from the Upper Remove to the Upper Sixth successfully completed the Expedition Section of their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
The Bronze level involved a training weekend in the local area in March, followed by an assessed expedition in the Cotswold Hills in late June. In perfect walking conditions, the groups enjoyed a two-day hike through the Cotswolds, along with an overnight camp. Pupils learned how to work effectively as a team, carrying all their equipment and ensuring that they were totally self-sufficient. The assessors were delighted to see the pupils embrace the challenge with enthusiasm and work well with others outside of their immediate friendship groups. The Bronze Award plays a crucial role in providing a foundation of outdoor skills, and acts as the springboard for those who choose to go on to do their Silver and Gold DofE in more remote and mountainous locations.
At Silver level, fitness and resilience were both tested in abundance in Dartmoor at the start of the Easter break. A hardy bunch of Fifth Formers experienced very cold nights but were rewarded with glorious sunsets and sunrises at their wild camp. Once their GCSE exams had finished, this Silver cohort were treated to much kinder weather in the Black Mountains, where they completed an assessed three-day expedition. Despite a few heavy bags and steeper terrain, every pupil completed a very enjoyable threeday expedition. Assessors were impressed with their navigation, determination and strong teamwork.
The Gold Award is a significant and much more serious undertaking. This year, three groups endured really tough weather conditions: ferocious winds in Snowdonia at Easter and extreme heat in the Lake District in the summer. Heavy packs, long days, tough terrain and one or two blisters over each of the four-day expeditions made things more difficult. This did not deter the participants and a combination of perseverance and teamwork led to a successful finish.
Collectively, 9,000 km of distance and 250 km of height were walked by DofE participants this year!
A strength of DofE is the wide choice of activities that can be chosen for the Skills, Physical and Volunteering Sections. In total, DofE participants at King’s have volunteered 2,327 hours helping communities: this has a social value of over £10,000. A feature of the Gold level is the Residential Section. This requires participants to spend five days and four nights on a shared activity with people they
do not know. Although this can appear a little daunting at first, it often becomes a highlight for many DofE participants and sometimes lasting friendships are made.
Below are some extracts from assessor reports:
Rory Crichard - Orchards Cookery
“We really enjoyed having Rory stay with us these past five days. He was outstanding: a fast learner with a genuine interest in cooking. He learnt to prepare cooked breakfasts, afternoon teas and a five-course dinner. Well done!”
Ben Harle - Peak District outdoor course
“The group consisted of young people, initially unknown to them. Days were structured to challenge participants through activities such as rock climbing, bouldering, navigation and first aid. It was a pleasure to see Ben bond so well with his group, both during daytime activities and in the evenings. He was supportive of others and always had good ideas. A highlight was abseiling at sunset.”
“Abby formed a great bond with others on the course, giving good support whilst tackling a variety of activities such as canyoning, coasteering, canoeing, gorge walking and bouldering. She got on really well with the other participants and had a great approach. She thrived in all the environments and clearly enjoyed the evening activities.”
Sarah Warburton - HCC Wellness Week
“Sarah was a member of a group of 22 Gold participants coming from all over the country to complete their residential section. They took it in turns to cook, clean and prepare breakfast/lunch for each other. During the day they took part in various activities and wellness sessions such as Pilates, yoga and fitness sessions. She enjoyed mixing with new people and did a great job cooking a barbecue for 25 people! She was a fantastic member of the group who shone throughout the week. It was a pleasure to have you on the course!”
Well done to all those pupils who have demonstrated the necessary commitment to achieve the full Award by completing all their sections. Special congratulations to Fliss Quiney, Jonny Raggett and Jamie Waters, who achieved the entire Gold Award before the end of their U6th year. This is a tremendous achievement.
his Solidworks CAD skills to an impressive level, producing an animatable virtual model of the chassis. Each of them has now a further year of engineering and problemsolving skills behind them, as well as a number of interesting conversation pieces to take along to any engineering interview.
Other volunteers worked at St Richard’s Hospice warehouse, sorting donated goods and preparing them for distribution to stores around Worcestershire. Other students spent their time visiting senior citizens in a residential home in Kempsey.
Congratulations to pupils from the Upper Fourth and Lower Remove for outstanding results in their English Speaking Board exams, with 100% achieving either a Merit or Distinction. Pupils spent the Spring Term this year in preparation for exams at the end of March. This involved introducing and reciting a poem by heart, promoting and reading an extract from their chosen book and delivering a presentation on a subject of their choice. We were treated to a wide range of fascinating topics from Beachside Safety to Spray Painting, from Abbas Kazerooni (OV) to Michael Phelps.
The ESB qualifications cover a range of skills which are designed to promote confident speaking and listening, and the imparting of knowledge and ideas to others. In preparation, our pupils learned to manage their workload, develop research methods and hone their revision skills. Despite some initial nerves, the ESB exams proved to be an enjoyable and positive experience for all who took part.
Well done everyone.
JLLWith no national competition to prepare for, the last year has enabled a more experimental approach to the designing, modelling and making of an entirely new chassis. The latest chassis follows the real Land Rover Discovery with an adjustable ride height. This enables the body to be raised or lowered by 20mm and improves the centre of gravity or ground clearance on those difficult terrains. Piran Pearson has spent the majority of the year machining the alloy wheels and suspension parts, all to fine tolerances. Ben Beedie has lifted
The latest 4x4 Team ‘Plan B’ have been working hard to produce their first car. It has been interesting watching them design, model and then improve their ideas together as a team, just as they do in Land Rover. ‘Plan B’ are hoping to emulate previous teams and produce a fully working radio-controlled vehicle next year capable of successfully negotiating the School’s difficult test track.
Plan B – Connor Yates, James Capell and George Cox
In April, around 40 Lower Sixth Form students joined forces, with support from The Duckworth Trust and Surfers Against Sewage, and participated in a litter pick around the riverside, the racecourse and in Cripplegate Park.
It was lovely to see our Lower Sixth’s enthusiasm for serving others in their community and all the students involved proved themselves to be competent, considerate, and confident workers in our wider community.
This year, for the first time, Lower Sixth students have volunteered to work in various local organisations to support the wider community. Students worked outdoors, building fences and other garden structures, as well as carrying out coppicing work at a local nature reserve. They also worked as volunteer guides during the busy Christmas Tree Festival in the Cathedral and prepared resources for visiting children’s groups at the Commandery.
Sarah Brown and Felicity Quiney accompanied Dr McLaverty-Head to London in early September for the Shine School Media Awards lunch at the Guildhall. Sarah and Felicity were writers for the school’s Sixth Form blog The King’s Speech which won Shine’s “Rising Star Award.”
The Shine School Media Awards are run by the Stationers’ Company and recognise excellence in school journalism. Every year, Lower Sixth students write for the blog as part of a journalism option in the Key Skills programme.
King’s journalists were recognised again in June, attending another Shine winners’ lunch, this time at the Royal Overseas League. Edmund Roberts and Joseph Young represented the school radio station, The King’s Voice, with Elliot Fairyn and Magnus McLeod representing The King’s Speech.
4th Dimension - Ben Beedie and Piran Pearson
The King’s Voice won a Rising Star Award recognising “great potential.” Elliot was highly commended for his cartoon of the footballer Ronaldo and Magnus won best photograph for “Bubbles.” Judging Elliot’s cartoon, Steve Marchant from the Cartoon Museum praised a “classy, professional-looking piece of work.” Freelance magazine photographer Lucy Young noted that Magnus had a “strong technical understanding of photography.”
As well as enjoying the lunch, pupils took part in professional workshops on cartoons and podcasts.
You can follow KSW student media at kingsspeech.edublogs.org and www. mixcloud.com/TheKingsVoice.
September 2021 saw The King’s Voice slightly thin on the ground, but more optimistic than ever, with the new intake of pupils and the prospect of this being our station’s first coronavirus-free year. We officially relaunched in November 2021 and our newly appointed Student Director, Edmund Roberts, and I spent several lunch times training up our new recruits, who were buzzing to start their new shows. Our new recording timetable was finalised in late November, and we had several new shows presented by pupils with incredible levels of enthusiasm, as well as some of our old hands returning either regularly or on an occasional basis.
In February, we were excited by the arrival of our new audio interface, recording microphones and software. The sound quality dramatically improved with this change, and we are very grateful for it.
This year also marked the first in-studio interviews we have conducted since 2020. Many of these were part of the new series we launched: The King’s Voice Staff Profiles, where we interview teachers about their careers and lives outside of school.
To date, we have released interviews with Mr Taranczuk, Mr Deichen and Dr Oliver, with more scheduled for release soon and others in the works.
We were also delighted to welcome KH Radio’s Julia Letts for an interview about her impressive career, first with the BBC and then at her own company, specialising in Oral History and giving students an opportunity with radio. As interesting as ever, Julia gave an enlightening interview, and it was great to catch up with her after almost four years.
A highlight of this year was our work with Shine. Near the beginning of 2022, Edmund and I interviewed on Zoom Peter Day, who worked for the BBC for more than thirty years, presenting In Business and Global Business, later becoming the BBC’s business correspondent. He gave advice on beginning a career in broadcasting as well as discussing what would happen to local radio funding if the BBC TV License fee were cut. Peter spoke about the times he has won the Harold Wincott Award for Broadcast Business Journalism and we discussed the explosion in PodcastPopularity that has taken place in recent years.
Every year, Shine hosts The Shine School Media Awards, which is a free national competition rewarding UK secondary schools which produce an outstanding newspaper, magazine, podcast or website. We entered with a sample of some of our best work, which resulted in Edmund and I introducing The King’s Voice and explaining what we do. This was followed by our interview with Mr Deichen, which we hoped the judges would love for its goodnatured humour, as well as how informative it is. Finally, we entered Thora Dykes’s interview with Klaudia Burton: a local businessperson who founded KNU AGE, a sustainable clothing company.
After a lot of hard work on our entry, we were delighted to learn that we had been shortlisted for an award and had a fantastic day in London at the end of June, spending the morning in workshops with industry leaders, including Social Media Manager, Luke Chapman, and senior lecturer at
London City University, Dr Glenda Cooper. After lunch, we were delighted to be awarded a Rising Star Award during the award ceremony, given to new entries who did not win their category but deserved recognition and commendation.
Following the awards, Edmund and I spent a lot of time planning some changes for The King’s Voice, which we are excited to implement from September. Watch this space! This academic year has been The King’s Voice’s best so far. The re-launching of the station, the large intake of new pupils, the releasing of our Staff Profiles –all of these have been far better than we could have hoped for. We would like to thank Mr Deichen, Dr Oliver, Miss Ellender and Mr Taranczuk for giving up their time to be interviewed and, of course, Mr Pearson for continuing to run our station in such a fantastic way, as ever.
Joseph YoungThe past academic year has been a truly exciting period for The King’s Voice. Three years into the school’s radio station, pupils continue to learn and reflect on their achievements with the outlook to grow and reform the station’s identity.
The year began with a relaunch episode to mark a new chapter in the station’s journey. The episode showcased the ‘best bits’ of the past year and highlighted to listeners the station’s ambitious and dynamic plans. The pinnacle of my year was when Joseph and I were nominated as Student Directors, leading the management and content of the radio as long-standing broadcasters. A key role that we played included the induction and training of new broadcasters. Enthusiastic pupils from across the Lower and Upper Fourth, who had missed out on a chance to enrol due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, were trained in theory and practical radio skills during lunchtime sessions. Budding broadcasters gained knowledge in podcasting skills whilst learning about software. This initiative proved a tremendous recruitment success. The station grew and flourished as fresh ideas and dynamic content were created with a plethora of genres available to entice listeners. New shows appeared, including VGM Station, 50:50, and Maundering Musicians. We hope to have inspired the next generation of broadcasters, who will appreciate the many ways that school radio will benefit them both inside and outside school. Through broadcasting, young people gain the confidence required to speak publicly, develop listening skills, improve literacy and, furthermore, gain in social connections. I truly believe that all should have the opportunity to air their views and spread their ideas through this excellent platform available to us at King’s.
RJMHA new addition to the radio has been the Staff Profile Series. This has focused on the lives of teachers within the School Foundation providing listeners with an insight into their lives both in and out of school. We plan to further expand this album in the coming months as we interview staff from various departments and positions.
In my opinion, the highlight of the year was the annual Shine Media Awards. The awards are a national competition rewarding UK secondary schools which produce outstanding media entries. The King’s Voice produced a strong submission and were lucky to be shortlisted for the ‘Best Audio’ category. An exciting trip to the Awards’ ceremony in London ensued where Joseph, Mr Pearson and I were enthralled by a day of varied workshops related to the world of media. We were thrilled to have been awarded a Rising Shine Award in recognition of our hard-earned achievements over the past three years.
Based on the success of this year’s work, I look forward to seeing what the station has in store for the coming months. I am confident that broadcasting and podcasting will remain a key aspect of the School and our identity as we move towards a more niche broadcasting ethos. Do come and join the team!
Edmund RobertsThis year we have been very grateful for a relatively normal year in the Library. It has been a pleasure to have the Sixth Form with us during study periods, pupils in at breaktimes and before and after school, and to see the Library being used as it should be with pupils reading and studying, and engaging with the Librarians and the resources!
To kick off the term we were able to resume our fun-filled Bookbuzz sessions in the LIbrary, enabling every Lower Fourth pupil to choose a book from 12 titles selected by the Book Trust.
Author visits remained virtual this year, but experienced author speakers have adapted this format to great advantage and in September all Year 6 and 7 pupils across the Foundation were treated to an enthralling virtual visit from Michelle Paver, international best-selling queen of Stone
Age Fantasy. The event celebrated the publication of Skin Taker, the eighth book in the acclaimed Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series that started with Wolf Brother. Much of Michelle’s talk focused on the adventures she experienced whilst researching her books: “I want to write the most stonkingly exciting story you’ve ever read. I want you to feel you are living the adventures that [the characters] have”. This commitment has led to Michelle visiting Lap and Siberian tribes, whose lives are closest to the hunter gatherers of 6,000 years ago who feature in her books. Experiencing their way of life first-hand led to her partaking in seal hunts, having close encounters whilst tracking grizzly bears in Alaska, swimming with killer whales, being 200 feet down in caves to experience being lost underground, and befriending wolves to learn body language and manners. Her books do have a dark element, but she sees friendship as a golden thread running through the darkness.
The fact that many of the children went on to order signed copies of her books is the best indicator of how an author visit can inspire children to want to read for pleasure.
“We all thought she spoke brilliantly. The artefacts she showed sparked their interest and we all were in awe of her efforts to experience first-hand everything that she writes about. It made us want to read her books as we thought the descriptions would be particularly real and powerful as a result”. Mrs Rawnsley, King’s Hawford.
In October we concentrated on Black History Month, with our books being wellused in PSHE projects and the various Library book clubs (WRAITH) discussing relevant fiction. Non-Fiction November had ‘Heroes’ as the 2022 theme, a celebration of the real-life superheroes who make a
positive difference to our world. We celebrated with some fantastic new resources, such as books about people who changed the world with kindness and without killing dragons, in sessions with Lower Years classes. Pupils thought about the attainable superpowers that we can all aspire to, for example, being kind, caring, or resilient, and drawing up Form portraits of their superpowers.
In December we started our campaign for glory in the departmental decoration stakes with the launch of our '25 Books of Christmas' Advent calendar. This was followed by the BookTok tree, which featured laminated book covers of the books trending on BookTok. We have certainly noticed the powerful influence of BookTok (TikTok) recommendations in the Library this year; it is a fun and authentic way for teenagers to discover new and old books and we welcome any initiative that connects young people with reading.
As the icing on the cake (or tree), Lower Sixth students Betsy Richards, Ellie Bennett and Ben Plumridge were excellent wrapping elves transforming piles of books into pleasing piles of parcels for our Secret Santa project. We wrapped up books for pupils to borrow using different paper for different age groups, but otherwise the only guide was a label giving a few teasers about the contents. Our Christmas decorations/promotions proved a hit with the pupils. The #BookTokMadeMeReadIt tree was a real talking point and we had the joyful task of re-stocking the Secret Santa book presents many times.
Our Book Awards display this year has featured shortlists and winners from The Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Costa, Carnegie, Excelsior (Graphic novel), Blue Peter, SLA Info, Jhalek, Bransford Boase and YA book awards. We really enjoy following these through from longlists to winners and enabling our book club members to pick their favourite titles to read.
World Book Day is always the perfect opportunity to promote Reading for Pleasure within the School, and this year on the 25th anniversary, we launched our first major Inter-Form and Inter-House Reading Challenge for Lower Years, Lower Remove, and Lower Sixth. This challenge was the perfect opportunity to encourage our pupils to engage with reading by introducing them to new books, authors and genres and to reconnect them with a joy for reading.
Each challenge was a carefully curated list of 25 categories, such as, individual book titles, authors, or a kind of book, such as, graphic novel or poetry book, chosen to be inclusive, diverse, and engaging. The first aim of the Challenge was to get whole Form reading, with each pupil reading at least one book between March and June; the second aim was for Forms to complete all 25 categories.
On World Book Day we had several Forms visit us during English for a fantastic start to their Reading Challenges with plenty of heart-warming engagement and interest. We also gave away copies of the special edition World Book Day titles to the Lower Years, which was a lovely surprise for them, and we had a lovely focus on books in the Library all day.
Additionally, across the week, pupils in the Lower Years and Lower Remove viewed author and illustrator webinars in English and Art lessons. The authors were
the ever-popular Robert Muchamore, A M Dassau (author of Boy Everywhere), whose enlightening talk on refugees was particularly pertinent in the context of the war in Ukraine, and Emily Haworth-Booth (illustrator of Protest! How People Have Come Together to Change the World). Emily’s workshop generated lots of thoughtful discussion and pupils created their own protest-themed comic strips in response.
Some Upper Fourth comments after viewing the A M Dassau webinar:
“The subject definitely interested me, I’ve learned so many things from her and the talk was very eye-opening”. “The talk changed my view of Syria and it went in depth into the lives of people there and why they left”. “It was really interesting to see just how wrong the stereotypes [of refugees] were and how normal life was in Syria just as here. Her [A M Dassau’s] book sounds really interesting and I look forward to reading about Sammy’s journey and reading his perspective”
Muchamore’s talk was a fun one, incorporating plenty of YouTube action with modern archery and clips of various re-inventions of Robin Hood as a global phenomenon (including Bollywood). He was also really engaging when talking about his own writing journey and how he came to be motivated to “make books for kids who think reading is lame.”
Reading Challenge Results: June
Lower Sixth Wulstan and Lower Remove Creighton received the top House points for their efforts, whilst the Lower Years exceeded the aims of the Challenge. There were some wonderful Form and individual achievements. Originally, we had a rule that nobody should read more than two books but that soon went by the wayside, as Lucy Fisher L4C read 9, and Joe Taylor-Edwards L4E read 8!
The Lower Fourth read 142 books between them. In four classes every pupil read a book, with L4E achieving a phenomenal 47 books. L4C and L4E also achieved the challenge of reading all 25 categories.
First prizes for the best book reviews went to Lucy Fisher, Willoughby Nelson, and Anne Garrad. For her review of Arctic Star (Tom Palmer), Lucy transformed the elements of a book review into something visually stunning. Willoughby was a winner for his extremely thorough and fantastic review of Sheets (Brenna Thummler). Anne wrote two beautifully engaging reviews that brimmed with her passion for books and ability to get completely absorbed in their plots.
Upper Fourth read 150 books between them. There was some wonderful competitiveness between the Forms and it was fabulous to see them working together as teams, often led by their equally competitive teachers, to complete the challenge and persuade each other to read. In U4D (28 books), U4A (36 books), and U4F (37 books) every pupil read a book. U4A and U4F were determined to complete the additional challenge (all 25 categories) and smashed it. Meanwhile U4D achieved their own challenge, with every pupil writing an illustrated book review!
The prizes for best book reviews went to Bella Reeds U4D, who gave us two excellent reviews of a poetry book and a verse novel, and also a third review comparing both books, and Ella Purves U4F for her very thoughtful review of On Two Feet and Wings (OV Abbas Kazerooni).
We were very impressed with the way that the Lower Years embraced the Challenge. It gave our keen readers a chance to shine but it was also a real highlight to witness the delight and amazement of those pupils who saw themselves as non-readers but finished and enjoyed their books.
KSA visits to the ‘Big King’s’ Library
As part of the KSW transition programme, all KSA Year 6 classes visited us in June for a morning focused on Reading for Pleasure, which aimed to introduce the children to some new authors, titles, and genres, and to give them a taster of the fantastic choice on offer in the Library when they join us in September. All three classes were delightful, and it was so lovely to be able to do this again for the first time since 2019!
There is a wonderful focus on Reading for Pleasure at KSA, and we are committed to continuing that as the pupils progress through the Senior School. The pupils filled in reading profiles prior to their visit, covering their attitudes towards reading, their reading habits and preferences. We used these to draw up class reading profiles which we discussed, in addition to talking about the many important benefits of reading for pleasure. The pupils then took part in ‘The Reading Game’, which involves taking a reading map to selections of books organised by genre, for example, fantasy, adventure, science fiction and graphic novels. In small groups they looked at the books and each pupil then chose their favourite cover, blurb and start, before moving on to the next genre. All three classes engaged beautifully with the books. They left with ideas for new reading and some bookish freebies too! It was a pleasure to meet our future readers and to have the privilege to introduce them to all that the Library can offer them.
9th June was Empathy Day, one of our favourites in the calendar. The 2022 theme
was ‘Empathy, Our Human Superpower’, celebrating empathy as a skill that can transform lives, relationships, and the world itself. We explored the empathyboosting power of books, with the Empathy Lab, Read for Empathy 2022 Collection and some wonderful recommendations from pupils and staff. Pupils also enjoyed striking their ‘Reading is a Superpower’ Empathy power poses with their book recommendations.
Refugee Week also fell in June. This is now a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees. The 2022 theme was ‘Healing’ and our display featured some wonderful books to enable pupils to gain a better understanding of migration and empathy for refugees.
We are proud of being a Library for the whole school community and, this year, to celebrate being able to loan books without restrictions, we have provided a special staff holiday reading trolley for every single holiday, not just the summer. The arrival of the trolley in the Common Room is always greeted with a flurry of excitement, and this year we were particularly happy to receive this comment: “Best thing about King’s by a mile!”
"Overall, the Library is one of the nicest places in the school, as it allows a quiet and peaceful place to either get lost in a great book, or get some valuable schoolwork done. The range of books available is astounding, and I thoroughly enjoy every
minute I spend there, especially helped by the lovely librarians!" Max Barclay
“When I am surrounded by books in the Library, I feel empowered to bring about change in my world, just as the characters in books do in theirs. The Library is much more than just a house for books, but a reservoir of knowledge through which anyone, big or small, can transform themselves and, consequently, their community.”
Riya Mayilvahanan“The Library is just bursting with any fiction book or textbook you can imagine! And if you can’t find what you’re looking for, the lovely library staff will be able to help you get access to anything you need.” Thora
Dykes"The Library is an invaluable source of knowledge and peace. Whether you need a specific book for an essay, or just an enjoyable fiction book, there will almost certainly be a book for it in the library."
Pranav Mayilvahanan“The Library is an amazing space full of opportunity and choice for me as a reader. It is always evolving through the hard work of the librarians, who create many inclusive activities to help us to enjoy reading.”
James Cooke"I think the library is a safe place to do my homework and read a book" George Parker
"I have really enjoyed using the library both for finding new books and also discussing books with other people, especially at WRAITH". Rosa Jukes
It is wonderful to see how far our pupils have come by at the end of their journey through King’s, but there are always Upper Sixth students who have forged particularly strong connections to the Library, and to whom we find it particularly difficult to say goodbye. This article will therefore close appropriately with words from Sammy Hadley.
“The Library at King’s has been an invaluable place for me during my time at King’s. I have learned so much from books of varying genres and themes about myself and the world around me, and I know that there are so many books I discovered here that I will hold close to me for years to come. This Library, this space, allowed me to fall fully in love with literature, from YA novels through my evolution into reading classical literature”.
Twitter @KSWLibrary
ACJH (Ms Jeffery)
Last year we set up the Lower Years Photography Club. With mobile phone cameras now providing not only fantastic resolution but also creative editing skills, pupils are able to share their passion for photography within the club. During our time together, pupils have opportunities to present photos and discuss how best to edit their snaps to get the most out of each one.
With the club becoming even more popular this year, we now have a separate Lower Fourth and Upper Fourth Photography Club, enabling us to develop skills and extend weekly themes. The Lower Fourth pupils are concentrating on ‘Autumnal’ and ‘Water’ themes this term. Later they will look at ‘Shadow Effects’, ’Black and Whites’ leading to ‘Colour Contrasts’ in the Spring Term. The Upper Fourth are concentrating on creating montages and developing their own chosen forms of photography. We also have 2 SLR cameras for the Upper Fourth to practise with during school time.
On occasions pupils will use the school grounds to take photos (with permission cards and clear guidelines). We then regather, edit shots and share our favourite photos. Competitions are held on a regular basis and outstanding photos are shared on display boards around the school. We even produce a Cryptic Photo Competition created by our members which is then shared among the Senior Houses and Lower Years. Pupils have to guess each location around the school site from the photos. With skills learnt along the way, pupils have created some very impressive and well edited and cryptic pictures, making the location even more of a challenge. RAW
Our Step Up to Maths Club for the Upper Remove has two aims. First of all, we strive to give pupils the opportunity to work on their problem-solving skills. Secondly, we aim to introduce some interesting mathematical ideas that are not covered in the school curriculum.
This year’s group of Upper Remove mathematicians spent time working together on UKMT challenge problems. We also considered the applications of maths in solving crimes and discussed some different counterintuitive results in probability. The pupils were so keen, that from November 2022 the club will run for both Upper Remove and Fifth Form pupils.
This academic year has been a highly successful and exciting one for the Model United Nations. We saw a very successful performance at the conferences we attended and continued our weekly debating sessions with a consistent and enthusiastic turnout.
Each Thursday we have met in either the Science Lecture Theatre or L1 to discuss and debate the latest developments in world current affairs from the viewpoint of different countries. Each week we had a new resolution to debate, amend and vote on and, most of the time, have been able to pass a resolution.
In October 2021 we returned in person for the first time since 2019 to the MUN Cheadle Hulme conference in Manchester. Also, for the first time, we saw ‘The King’s School, Worcester 2019’ printed on the board of past winners, something of which we were immensely proud. Our delegation represented the Republic of Ireland and was led by Ambassador Maddy Hales. In committee we debated topics as diverse as the Yemeni civil war, organ transplants and the global recovery from the pandemic. While there may have been some issues regarding the 50+ potatoes we brought
with us, this was a very successful conference. Ambassador Hales received Highly Commended in her delegation as did Ben Beedie, Liam Radford and George Capell. Overall, the delegation was commended.
Our second conference took place in January and was an exciting new opportunity for our MUN. We logged onto the computers in L7 and connected with people from the UK, China, Ireland, Singapore and Australia. This was an online conference organised by the charity Engage with China, which is dedicated to building China literacy in schools and was co-founded by H-J Colston-Inge, an enthusiastic local advocate for engagement with China. King’s represented the Commonwealth of Australia and the delegation was led by Ambassador George Capell. The conference was specifically focused on climate change, and with the (in)famous climate-change-denying Scott Morrison still in power in Australia at the time, we had to do everything we could to promote our coal exports. Therefore, we counted it as a success when we established a global carbon tax of $1 per tonne, easily low enough to keep coal fired power stations burning and end any genuine climate action. We are very grateful to H-J ColstonInge for organising this event; we learnt so much from our global fellow MUNers.
Then in March we headed south to the beautiful city of Bath for Bath International Schools MUN, or BISMUN. For this conference we represented Ukraine and the People’s Republic of China and our ambassadors were Jamie Waters and George Capell respectively. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine still only days old, the conference had a more serious atmosphere to it; however, we all still took part in engaging and fun debates on topics from the South China Sea to the situation in Ukraine. For Riya Mayilvahanan, Jamie Waters and Samantha Capell this was their first conference, and so the extra experience gained was invaluable. Ben Beedie, George Capell and James Capell all received Highly Commended in their committees and Liam Radford received Outstanding Delegate in his. The Ukrainian Ambassador, Jamie Waters, delivered a speech on the War in Ukraine to the entire conference, highlighting the tragic backdrop to this conference and reminding us how lucky we were to be there.
While this year has been dreadful on a global scale, we are very fortunate that we have been able to celebrate a successful year in MUN. For this we are all very grateful to Mrs Shearburn for running another great year, thank you!
Mandarin Club after school on Fridays is a great way to learn a unique new language and meet new friends at the same time. While at first it may seem difficult, learning about food, hobbies, basic conversation and much more is quite simple and enjoyable thanks to our amazing teacher Miss Lu. She is a very kind and supportive teacher who makes every lesson fun and interactive while still helping you progress quickly.
In just 25 lessons, I have gone from knowing nothing to being able to speak fluently about the variety of previously mentioned topics, which is so useful for travel, business and socializing, as about 20% of the world speaks it. Mandarin Club also provides insight into Chinese culture where we learn about Christmas and Chinese New Year through activities like fan dancing and lantern making. Overall, the immersive experience of this club is fantastic, and the mix of fun and laughter complements the fascinating learning. I would recommend this club to anyone interested in languages, business or travel.
Maxwell Lea
Senior Quizzing
This year Quiz Club has taken off again with about 20 regular attendees and with several school and national events taking place. First, in the Autumn Term, we took two teams to represent KSW in the regional heats hosted this year by Warwick School. A substantial tea was enjoyed by all before the real business of quizzing got underway.
Thora Dykes writes:
On Wednesday 1st December our School competed in the Senior Schools Challenge Regional Heats against King Edward’s Stratford, Warwick and King’s High. In our A team we had George Capell (captain), George Campbell-Ferguson, Emily Andrews, and Ellie Cartwright. In our B team we had Micah Browne (Captain), Amy Hall, James Capell and William Gamble.
After a few technical difficulties from the buzzers, King’s was off to a flying start answering the first question of the night correctly. The first round was against Warwick’s A team and the scores were tied at the half-way point. After pulling ahead at the last moment, Warwick took the win that round. However, our A team rallied together to achieve a win against King Edward’s Stratford in their next heat.
In the second round, Hannah Blackwell came on as a substitute for the Bs and with the use of a new technology – ‘BuzzInLive’ – we began the questions. One of my personal favourite questions in this round was one in which the teams were asked “What is the capital city of Burkina Faso?,” which was followed by, “Now, please spell ‘Ouagadougou’.”
Following another win in the third round, we had made it into the final! It was a second showdown against Warwick, which had also won two of their rounds. To begin with the competition was neck and neck; however, after a valiant attempt, our A team lost but came second out of eight competing teams.
Well done to Warwick, we shall get them next time!
After this excitement, it was time for a competition closer to home and the Houses battled it out in the Senior House Quiz. Each House fielded a pair to answer written quiz questions, and from these nine initial teams, Creighton, School and Bright made it through to the semi-finals, with Oswald and Wulstan needing to compete in a play-off for the fourth semi-final place.
Questions ranged through a plethora of topics from phobias to fast food to fictional
transport. With Wulstan having pipped Oswald to the post, the stage was set for the semi-finals, from which Bright and Wulstan emerged as the finalists. The two Houses crowded into the Science Lecture Theatre for quite a loud final – passionate support from the rest of the House was encouraged! – and the accolade of Senior House Quiz Champions went this year to Bright House.
As the year drew to a close, there was just time for a similar competition for the Removes, this time leading to semifinals between Choir, School, Chappel and Creighton. The eventual finalists, Creighton and Choir, proved themselves knowledgeable about the Kardashians and homonyms, and slightly less so about lower league football clubs and, although Creighton were ahead for much of the game, the undaunted Choir cohort pulled back to win, 210 points to 200 and were crowned Removes House Quiz Champions.
Our new buzzers mean that we are in a good position for extra practice next year and we look forward to another big year for KSW Senior Quizzing.
Junior Quiz Club has run throughout the year with a loyal membership of about eight to ten Upper Fourth pupils who
love to test their general knowledge against each other. There has been intense competition as we have completed quizzes on topics ranging from sport to musicals and flags to history. Pupils have risen to the challenge of creating their own quizzes for their friends with answers often being highly contested. The highlight was the return of Junior Schools Challenge after a pause due to the pandemic. With two teams, we hosted other visiting schools from the area in the first round and our B team reached the final, narrowly beaten by The Chase. Practising competition techniques with our new buzzers shipped in from the USA certainly helped. I wish the Upper Fourth more quizzing fun as they move on to Senior Quiz Club next year and look forward to welcoming some new Lower Fourth and Upper Fourth members.
EAS and Thora Dykes L-R: George Capell, Amy Hall, Hannah Blackwell, Ellie Cartwright, Micah Browne, Emily Andrews, James CapellA number of Upper Fourth and Lower Fourth pupils joined us in the Autumn Term for Lower Years Running Club. We had a lot of fun, with pupils of all abilities joining in each week to improve their running and fitness. We went on some delightful runs around the school grounds and wider city, including runs along the river and around the racecourse. By timing some of the activities, it gave pupils a great opportunity to see the progress they were making over the weeks. Notably we saw some very quick times set by Phoebe Martin and Lucy Tebbett, both of the Upper Fourth.
As well as some great running, there were also many opportunities for pupils to support each other, showing encouragement and friendship in every activity.
This year STEM Club has returned for pupils in the Lower Fourth. We experiment and investigate the STEM subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, hosting a series of demonstrations, quizzes and hands-on activities throughout the year. In September, we began by constructing egg landers from junk materials and testing their design integrity when dropped from a height. The eggs are raw, so our designs have to reflect car safety design features, like air bags and crumple zones, if they are to survive intact. Other activities have included blowing giant bubbles and looking at surface tension: can you blow a bubble inside a bubble? We also spent sessions making Snitch launchers, investigating how to make a boat to support a load, exploding rockets to send Santa’s sleigh into orbit and investigating “Bangs & Explosions” with some super Royal Society of Chemistry
Classic Demonstrations. We had wonderful support from one of our A-Level Science students Jamie Waters who hopes to go to university to study chemistry.
In the second half of the year, we focused on activities based around the theme of “Could you survive on a desert island?” We made and stress tested ropes made from plastic waste, discovered how to make homemade toothpaste and sundials and at the end of the term we carried out dissection on some smelly fish to learn about the internal structure of gills.
Our aim is to engage, enthuse and ignite a passion for STEM in our younger pupils at the start of their secondary education, getting them thinking about the enormous impact, importance and meaning these subjects have for us in our everyday lives.
World Scholar’s Cup continued to meet every week this year to prepare for a competition. Unfortunately, for the second year in a row, we were unable to attend as the local rounds were cancelled due to COVID-19. Luckily the syllabus has been paused (also due to COVID-19) so by the time our team is able to compete, they will have had plenty of time to practise.
Subjects studied have ranged from the Great Emu War to the story of Penelope and Odysseus, via show tunes, art and multiple games of Kahoot.
We are all keeping our fingers crossed that current and future members can show everything they have learned in competition in the next academic year and come back with a haul of medals, trophies and alpacas.
HL and GMOLower Fourth (Ms Jeffery)
It was a pleasure to share some fabulous books with the brand new Lower Fourth WRAITH. Over this year they have really gelled into a wonderful group of delightful individuals. They have very different tastes and opinions when it comes to books, which always makes for fun discussions. Anne Garrad in fact commented that she “would like WRAITH to run from Long Break right to the end of school so that we have enough time to really talk about books!”
This year we’ve read Michelle Paver’s Wolf Brother books (to accompany a virtual visit) and enjoyed some ‘real life’ stuff ranging from refugees in the wonderful Boy 87 by Ele Fountain to school bullying in Tamsin Winter’s Being Miss Nobody. The group has also covered dystopia and fantasy with Arena 13 by Joseph Delaney and The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson being particularly popular. Emily Azzopardi said the latter was “really emotional, just an amazing story. One of the best books I have read!” We also chose a selection of books nominated for the current Carnegie, Waterstones, and Blue Peter book awards.
“I really like WRAITH. It helps people to get into reading and makes keen readers read more, and other types of book. I especially liked Arena 13 and I am really glad that I read it” James Cooke
“I really enjoy WRAITH and discussing books! I find it amazing because everyone gets to share their thoughts and sometimes that can change your thoughts about a book” Sophia Zak
“I am so glad I joined WRAITH. It is such a friendly group, and I've really enjoyed reading some new authors. I particularly liked Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver - it was so gripping and has prompted me to read the others in the series. I am definitely going to continue with WRAITH in U4” Amelia Walmsley
Upper Fourth (Mrs Capell)
We have continued to grow in 2021/2022, starting the year with 11 keen readers and finishing the year with a very healthy membership of 16! We have covered titles for Black History Month, mysteries,
dystopias, the Carnegie book award and finished the year with a touch of murder… but the real winner of the year has to be The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken – I feel more dystopian fiction coming on for next year.
Upper Fourth Wraith are a vibrant and reliable bunch. I feel confident the future of ‘Reading for Pleasure’ is safe in their hands.
Lower Remove (Mrs Walmsley)
“I have really enjoyed reading all the books in WRAITH this year, especially Ace of Spades which I could barely put down!”
Carys Macleod“I look forward to WRAITH every half term. It is fun to sit, eat lunch together and converse about books” Sophie
Ruane
“WRAITH has been great fun this year; everyone is always so friendly and happy to share their thoughts. The book choices are often interesting and cover a large spectrum of different book types. My favourite book from WRAITH this year is The Gilded Ones; it was a gripping fantasy novel, and reading it for WRAITH prompted me to buy my own copy, as well as the sequel” Elizabeth
ShilvockThe Lower Remove group went from strength to strength this year, with several new members joining. It has been a delight to see the group grow and flourish. It has become something of a tradition to start our WRAITH year with a book related to Black History Month, so this time some of us read Malorie Blackman’s Endgame, the dramatic conclusion to the Noughts and Crosses series, whilst some took the opportunity to read the first in the series. Several of our fantasy fans chose Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi and I know at least one member of the group counts this fascinating story as her favourite book of all time. We then moved into science fiction with many members discovering the delights of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams as well as newer texts such as Time Riders by Alex Scarrow and Jason Segel’s Otherworld. In recent months we have had some excellent discussions about new YA (Young Adult) fiction including Not Here to be Liked (Michelle Quach), Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town (Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock) and Ace of Spades (Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé). The books have, as ever, raised some very relevant issues. Lower Remove WRAITH has been thoroughly enjoyable this year and I know many of the members will be coming back for more!
“I’ve really enjoyed WRAITH this year; it’s been nice to escape the classroom and sit with people who enjoy reading just as much as I do to discuss a book or two. It’s so interesting to hear other pupils’ opinions and ways of interpreting the chosen story”
Izzy Briggs
“WRAITH has been amazing this year and my favourite read was Not here to be liked. It’s great to attend with your friends for good books and good laughs” Eva Lochbaum
We always have fun in Upper Remove WRAITH. In addition to be a very committed and bonded group, they are phenomenal readers who love discussing books and are very open-minded. This year we started off with contemporary YA fiction titles for Black History Month, particularly enjoying That Asian kid by Savita Kalhan and Ace of Spades by Faridah ÀbíkéÍyímídé. Next up was an exciting brand new theme for WRAITH as we chose books that were trending on BookTok, the book review arm of TikTok. The titles varied from the glorious Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, which the group loved, to the very popular YA book They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. For LGBTQ+ History month in January, we really enjoyed both The Outrage by William Hussey and Sophie Gonzales’ Perfect on Paper. Members also read The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth. This year we have also selected from the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize shortlist and finished off with Science Fiction before taking home assorted piles of Summer reading!
“WRAITH is an excellent way to find new books and genres you like and help you keep reading. I often find I don't have time to find a book but the deadline and having already had books narrowed down to a choice for me really helps me keep motivated to read. Furthermore, I have thoroughly enjoyed every book from the club this year.” Joseph
James“Perfect on Paper got me back into reading after a year-long slump when I seemed unable to finish books. It made me remember that books aren’t boring!”
Izzy Perera“WRAITH has such a fantastic environment and atmosphere. We all hold a diverse range of views and recommendations, so you can learn more about the books that you read from everyone's perspective. It is a brilliant opportunity for book lovers to get stuck in with something they really enjoy. Everyone can join in, and we always have wonderful books to read. The Library is full of magic, and WRAITH helps readers of all levels experience it.”
Ellie Cartwright“WRAITH never fails to help me find a good book. Often I find myself reading more than one book because they all sound so good.”
Martha Evans“I have really enjoyed WRAITH this year. We have read many books, but my favourite was The Firekeeper's Daughter. I felt I learnt a lot about indigenous tribes in North America”
James Capell“One of the topics covered in WRAITH was LGBTQ+ History, the book I read was The Miseducation Of Cameron Post which I found helped widen my knowledge of the community not just by reading the book but by the discussions had during the meeting”
Hannah EtheringtonThis WRAITH group have become a tightknit and committed reading club; they have continued to approach every meeting with enthusiasm and all are happy to join in the lively discussion. They even managed to keep the session going when I was isolating at home and joining them remotely on a laptop - though it was slightly more chaotic than usual!
We have read a wide range of texts, many of them extremely thought-provoking, such as Laurence Anholt’s hard-hitting The Hypnotist set in the American Deep South in the 1960s, The Colour Purple by Alice Walker, The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M Danforth and the beautiful Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. We also enjoyed some ghostly books around Christmas time, including the slightly harrowing Silent Companions by Laura Purcell and the more frivolous The Name of the Star (Maureen Johnson). All of these gave rise to strong opinions and preferences and served to keep the WRAITHers’ love of reading alive!
“WRAITH is the highlight of my term, where I discover a range of lovely books to read”
Georgia Montgomery“Throughout the year, WRAITH has been
a really nice opportunity to sit down with some friends and discuss a good book, as well as actually motivating me to read! It also provided a really nice break from revision, and I now know many more authors!” Max Barclay
“WRAITH has given me the opportunity to read and discover different books and has expanded my preferences” Sam Rutter
Lower Sixth (Ms Jeffery)
I am always delighted that this extremely impressive group come back year after year and I feel honoured that they treasure WRAITH so much. This year we have swelled our numbers to 16 with three very welcome members of the new Lower Sixth joining us. It is not unusual for discussions with this articulate and widely-read group to feature tropes, nihilism, existentialism, and the problem of evil; it is a privilege to be challenged by them!
I am in complete agreement with Mary Head who commented, “WRAITH this year has been nothing other than perfect. Everyone who goes seems to have such innovative and wonderful ideas about every book they've read, that I can't help but love literature because of it”.
Starting the year with a glorious selection of fiction relevant to Black History Month, The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead provoked a lively discussion. We then mixed it up a bit with personal recommendations ranging from Kafka and Sartre and Wild swans by Jung Chang to fantasy, YA, and #BookTok sensations The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins-Reid and Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles
For LGBTQ+ History Month the group read titles which reflected the attitudes to homosexuality during the different times in which they were written ranging from E M Forster’s Maurice to 1973 publication Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown.
The group then decided to take on literature in translation and read a wonderful selection of authors including Herman Hesse, Dostoyevsky, Kusamakura, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Thomas Mann and Andrei Kurkov. We finished the year with a joyous contemporary hotchpotch featuring titles such as The Binding by Bridget Collins, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and Sally Rooney’s Normal people.
“Maurice (E M Forster) is a beautiful example of LGBTQ+ incorporation in a surprisingly modern twist for its era. A heartfelt read with a plot to keep any hopeless romantic turning from cover to cover, a book I'm glad to have read because of WRAITH” Theo Hamilton-Holbrook
“A WRAITH book this year I read that's struck hard with me is The Song of Achilles. Despite being someone not greatly interested in myths and legends, thanks to my friend Amy, I grew a love for such things after reading it. Even so, it tore my heart out, but if a book makes you feel as emotional as I felt reading The Song of Achilles, it's doing something right” Mary Head
“This year I have thoroughly enjoyed the diverse selection of books explored in WRAITH. After reading The Underground Railway, The Metamorphosis, 100 Years of Solitude, Ruby Fruit Jungle and The Midnight Library for WRAITH, I would have to choose Gabriel García Márquez’s 100 Years of Solitude as the most memorable. I had never before read a book in its ‘magical realism’ style and was immediately intoxicated by it. However, it was not only the style which made the book deeply enjoyable. The reader is immersed in the history of Colombia and South America through the fictional town of Macondo and the bizarre story of the Buendia family. I highly recommend both the book and WRAITH, the club which brought me to it. Thank you very much to Miss Jeffery for another brilliant year! “ George Capell
This year’s U6 Wraith group have been delightful from start to finish. We have been lucky enough to have new members join in Sixth Form, whilst maintaining our ‘hard core’ readers who have been with us since Lower Fourth. We’ve managed to get through a huge number of books over the past seven years and, of course, lots of cake too! This year we started with some really ‘meaty’ texts: Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche and The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré, before diving into the very festive and ever fabulous world of Juno Dawson’s Stay Another Day. We rounded off with a variety of books from a selection of shortlists (ranging from Costa to Booktok), which introduced many of us to the delights of author Taylor Jenkins Reid.
I’ve loved our meetings and I’ve always been very impressed by the group’s curiosity, positivity and maturity – I very much hope that the Wraith class of 2022 continue as life-long readers.
Write for Real creative writing club has met each Monday lunchtime to develop descriptive and narrative writing skills. Run by Mrs Lucas in the English department and open to Lower Fourth and Upper Fourth, during the year we have been writing a mixture of stories, poems and articles. Among the topics we have explored, the group has taken the theme of buildings, both modern and old, looking in detail at rooms, spaces and departments around the King’s School site. This gave us inspiration to then try to bring those spaces to life using our descriptive powers. In addition, we have imagined a narrative story based on a series of images.
The steep, snake-like stairs coil their way up, up and up to the very top of Edgar Tower. Musty odours cram together to fill the tight space.
Crumbly walls hold their history in a cold, firm grip.
Higher and higher, steeper and steeper. Creak.
Twisty, turny corridors unfurl their many secrets.
In a final room, tarnished, sepia-stained light seeps through the arched windows, glimpses of revealing treetop views and ancient views.
Cobwebs hide in the corners. Years of filth and grime built up around them.
It is quiet and so peaceful.
It’s a puzzle that was never quite finished. A missing piece never found, forever lost. An unsolved mystery.
All my vivid memory can give me is opening the door to go for yet another run around the block to stop at the worn-down and dirty supermarket for more low-quality food that should fill up my scarce fridge. I was low on money; in fact, I hardly had enough to fuel my motorbike, let alone electricity and water bills. Yet, as the door swung open, I turned backwards to lock it, only to find a crumpled piece of paper, swaying in the wind of the grey sky. I ripped it off the nail that had pierced the wood, leaving splinters sticking out that seemed violently sharp. Probably more bills that I hardly had enough to pay for. I ran my eyes around the page and then glanced towards the top, at the red and bold writing, to meet an unexpected twist.
EVICTION NOTICE.
The rest of this memory came in a panicked blur of running, worrying, and rummaging around my house that I would soon be moved out of. Thoughts came in like a tossing, tumbling, tumult of terrible thoughts, and I had too much adrenaline to make sense of what was happening. However, as I was rushing through the attic near a pile of boxes, I stumbled over a large cardboard box that spilled its contents over the floor and tripped into the spare chair I had been keeping. Fortunately, most of the contents were books that had been sealed with rough, blank pieces of string, one was my old passport even, but one book had landed upright and strewn pages in all directions across the floor. Gathering the pages was fairly easy, even though one of them had slid under the bag I was attempting to cram everything into. I hurriedly stuffed the pages into the book and stared at the label on the battered, leather casing. This notepad was a diary; it seemed as if it had withstood years of weathering. I wanted to walk away and carry on with this packing session, but I felt as if this book had something special waiting for me inside, so I searched for the first page.
Hello, my name is Margaret Butcher. I am 14 years old, and a world war has broken out between the axis and the allies. I live in Britain so me and my family are having to hide from Nazi Germany. A fight is breaking out outside which has been unusually usual recently, we are trying to keep the mood upbeat at the moment, so my father got us a special board game to play this evening before we turn our lights off for the bombing. I hope this has given you enough information about me and I will speak soon!
After reading the first page, it felt like reading a book or piecing together a puzzle,
I just wanted to know what happened next so I could stitch together the story. I checked back at my bag and felt disappointed as I remembered about the packing that was necessary to stay afloat on debt and bills. ‘Just one more page’, I told myself, ‘and then, that’s it.’
Dear Diary,
I was left... they left me to the Nazis, to the concentration camp nearby that pushed me through hell and back. Me and the others were treated like mindless animals who have no feelings and are made to feel like we are inferior. I hate them for what they did and want them to die, in fact, they will die.
And after that, the ragged pages were empty with nothing but ink smudges and a few doodles on the back page. That is when a thought crossed my mind, ‘the computer will help me out with this mess.’ So, I sprinted down the stairs to the computer in my lounge/kitchen and clumsily typed Margaret Butcher incident. What came up was not pretty. ‘Arson, suspected murder, one survivor’ were all titles that came up at once like a servant fulfilling his orders. Looking into it took a while but the basic story line was that she killed her family and attempted to burn her brother and his baby alive but killed herself in the process. The baby was never found. Her family tree was quite complicated but as I scrolled to the recent members of the family, I noticed that the baby’s name was mine, same birth date, same facial features, and even a matching passport to my baby one upstairs. How was this possible?
The truth is, I'm still looking for answers.
In September 2021, Mr Harding, who is also a 2nd Lieutenant in the CCF, started a new co-curricular club at the School, meeting every fortnight on a Friday between 1.30 and 2.15pm. Outside King’s he runs Discover History with his wife and OV Helen Harding (nee Lee), an awardwinning Education Company, which also involves archaeological field work. This is what led to the creation of King’s Young Archaeologist Club.
The Young Archaeologist Club was established nationally by the Council of British Archaeology to promote an interest in archaeology and enthuse
future archaeologists. Archaeology is a fascinating subject that looks at the evidence of human activity from our past. It also allows people to look carefully at sources and crosses the curriculum with History, Maths, Science, Art, Classics and many more. It is also relaxing and excellent in helping with mental health. Operation Nightingale was recognised a few years ago as helping hundreds of people from the veterans’ community cope with PTSD caused from their military service in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
The club has met and looked at stratigraphy, the effects of diseases on bones, and taken part in numerous activities which involved making clay pots the way our ancestors made them, handling some swords from the Bronze Age to the 17th century and having a go at sorting an assemblage of artefacts into the material they are made from and the period of history to which they belong.
The most recent session involved a field walk of the gardens which was once the
site of the Motte and Bailey Castle built by the Normans after the conquest of 1066. This will allow the members to process the finds picked up and eventually plan a test pit to understand the site’s history.
New members are always welcome.
September again saw around 30 Lower Sixth students embarking on a year of Young Enterprise, the opportunity to create a business, work as a team and develop a product or service to sell to the public. After deciding on their board of directors, three companies began their journey.
The pandemic and continuing risks of COVID-19 were always going to make this a challenging year, but all three companies started strongly, with two of them using the annual Modus Cup as their first chance to make some money, one successfully selling Match Attack cards based on the King’s team and the other selling bam bam sticks to help support our players during the match. COVID-19 meant that we could not set up a stall at the Christmas Fair but left the companies with time to start work on their main product.
In the end only one company, Joe & Co, developed a final product. Having felt that mental health was a big issue exacerbated by the pandemic, they set about producing a booklet called My Mindful Moments designed to help people manage their thoughts and promote positive reflection.
Following an interview on Teams and having submitted a written report and recorded a 5-minute presentation, they were chosen as one of the two winners from the South Worcestershire Area to go forward to the Worcestershire and Herefordshire Final, in addition to winning the prize for Innovation and Technology. With restrictions eased, they were also able to gain valuable selling experience at the Spring Fair on Worcester High Street, where customers were impressed with their booklet. Unfortunately, the winning streak ended there. However, it is fair to say they learnt a lot from the experience, including the importance of good communication, teamwork, planning and time management.
As I sit here and reflect upon the past the year, it hits me once again just how busy and talented our pupils in Bright House are! Bright continues to support and guide the pupils, ensuring that they are happy, enriched and have a rounded education. We aim to encourage pupils to be resilient, organised and independent. This year, Bright has been particularly productive across all aspects of the curriculum and in co-curricular activities.
We have been thrilled to welcome our new Lower Removes to Bright House, and it is fair to say that we have struck gold! Moving into the House system is always an exciting time for pupils, but it is also one that can be unsettling, and I would like to commend the pupils for the way they have handled this transition. What has been wonderful about this past year is that at school there has been a much stronger feeling of ‘normality’. The buzz around co-curricular activities has returned and it has been great to see the Lower Removes get out on the water and try rowing for the first time. Once over the initial fear of falling in, many have already developed a real passion. Sport continues to be a theme, with members of the group playing in the hockey, netball and rugby teams and helping to secure impressive winning streaks and victories.
There have been a huge number of achievements and activities amongst our Upper Remove this year. Many of these were sporting achievements, such as Jude making the top quad in rowing, and Joe, Bertie, Alfie and Isaac all being selected for the Under 15A Rugby team at various points this season. In addition, Sam has been making impressive progress in Climbing Club, tackling more and more demanding climbs. Many of the group participate in sports outside school, perhaps most notably Will, with his incredible achievements in UK Fencing. Will has won a whole clutch of medals this term, often competing (and winning) in the Under 17 categories with fencers much older than himself; in September, he won gold in the Men’s Under 17s Foil at the Wenlock Olympian Fencing competition. He also won the bronze medal in the Foil event and the silver in the Sabre at the Youth Series competition at Durham University and represented the West Midlands region in a team competition. In school, many of our pupils play an active role in the CCF: Jude, Max, Sam and Isaac have all been very active in the Army Section this term and continue to improve their skills. Outside school, Amber has been participating at a high
level in many horse-riding competitions and continues to love the sport, whilst Lucy dedicates huge amounts of time to her dance lessons, having recently taking her Grade 5 ballet. In music and drama, Maya and Jack have made huge leaps. Maya has been selected for the prestigious youth drama group West End Kids and has been working furiously hard at weekends preparing for a showcase performance. Jack’s band Split Second is currently going from strength to strength, having been spotted while busking in Worcester city centre, and have provided BBC Hereford and Worcester’s song of the week. These are remarkable achievements. We have a number of other talented musicians amongst our group; for example, Lucy has continued to excel in her ’cello playing and put in a very impressive performance in the House music competition.
Despite this being a busy year academically, our Fifth Form pupils have continued to make excellent contributions to wider school life. This has ranged from organized Inter-House competitions, impressive contributions to Open Mic Night and the annual school music concerts. Additionally, many also continue to excel in the CCF, hockey, football and rowing. Perhaps most notably, Freya, Maddie, and Abbie have been playing in the victorious County Netball squad who will be going to the regionals in January; this is a great accomplishment. Jaime has, impressively, been selected to train U17 regional performance centre. Furthermore, in rowing, recent success was enjoyed by Lara
at Whitclliffe’s Small Boats Head, which was great to see. Congratulations are also due to Maxie for his success in LAMDA, having recently achieved Grade 5, and Sam, who contributed to an exceptional School Concert and continues to be heavily involved in the School Orchestra. Open Mic Night was enjoyed by many, both at school and at home; Harry and Elijah each delivered a really excellent performance.
This year we warmly welcomed three new students into the Lower Sixth: Katerina, Madeleine and Amelia. They have already had such a positive impact and we have loved getting to know them.
The achievements of our students are outstanding and it is amazing to see what has been accomplished in such a short space of time. On top of settling into new routines and balancing the increased demands of A-Levels, they are clearly a multi-talented year group, and we are incredibly excited to see what the Sixth Form holds for them!
Many of their successes were in music; Alicia gave an excellent performance in Open Mic Night and David was runner-up in the House Music Competition, playing the piano. Most recently, George and Liam participated in the School’s production of We Will Rock You, which proved highly entertaining!
As we have come to expect from this year group, sport also plays a large role in their lives. Amy represented the first team for
hockey in the recent match against RGS and continues to represent Wales for both hockey and athletics. Evie continues to shine in the field of long and short distance running. She won a cross-country race for the school, came third in the Worcester City 10km and was selected to compete for West Midlands at the London Mini Marathon. And how could we forget George’s contribution to the victory against RGS at the Modus game? His impressive tries will be remembered by his peers for many years to come!
The academic strength of Lower Sixth Bright also remains outstanding. Ben, Liam, and George took part in the annual MUN conference at Cheadle Hulme School and were noted for their positive input, and Kat and George also proved the might of Bright House in the Languages Quiz.
Castle House continued to stay positive and lively throughout this year, thanks to the endless cheerfulness and dedication of all its pupils and staff members. As the pandemic restrictions began to ease off, Castle was able to expand its morning activities to Family Fortunes in The Gardens and ball games in the sports hall, to wake up and cheer up everyone. For the interhouse Olympics, we made a great start, coming first in the Connect 4 tournament.
In terms of Inter-House sport, Castle House should be praised for its reliability as we continued to take part in every event; when on Sports Day there were so few girls in our whole Fifth Form, of course they proudly took part in multiple events, so well done to them! Castle also won the Removes Netball
The Upper Sixth have returned to Bright with the knowledge that they are in their final year! They have already had their last ‘September back to school’, Modus Cup and Carol Service. Academia kept everyone busy, from Geography, History and English NEAs to learning new content and building new skills. Outside of the classroom, co-curricular opportunities have kept the pupils active and encouraged them to find ways to manage their time effectively. With Arthur, Will and Jonah playing fantastically against strong RGS rugby teams and Cat, Alice, Fliss and Matt medalling in rowing competitions, it has been all go in the sporting arena. Music, too, is a huge part of U6 Bright. Fleur was sensational at Open Mic Nights and Fliss performed beautifully as part of the School’s Flute Group, performing regularly at school concerts. Liv took her Grade 8 singing exam. Additionally, CCF continues
to allow our pupils to shine. Rhys is now the Senior NCO RAF Sergeant and Alice has also been promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
While individual achievements have been a notable feature of the past year, these achievements do not fully represent the commitment or spirit that Bright House has put into all they do.
Bright continues to champion charitable causes and we would like to say a special thank you to Bright’s friends and family for their generosity which allowed us to support all of these.
None of this would be possible without our tremendous team of Year Group Tutors, who remain as supportive and invaluable as ever.
this year, after the girls’ hard work over the course of many fast matches.
Something especially touching that we did this year was the writing of letters to Ukrainian children. Pupils wrote personal and heart-warming letters to refugee children to let them know of our full support during the current situation.
The Head of House and the deputies were able to enjoy presentations from the Removes on an assortment of topics from Greece to the making of chicken nuggets. Each presentation was amusing and interesting, as each person had the opportunity to talk about a subject of their choosing.
We showed off our flair for creativity by filming some interesting remakes of familiar fairy tales. Each year group filmed a story displaying acting, poetry, and, of course, last-minute-costume design talents. This is only an addition to the selection of videos made by Castle House members in the past, and our imaginations only continue to grow.
Castle has kept its family feel throughout all the changes this year, and, despite disappointing cancellations of events such as the House Song, Castle somehow managed to find new ways to find something fun, with quiz mornings and other events such as those for Easter. Thanks to our own brilliant Mr Deichen, Easter was celebrated with a new game he liked to call Feeding the Chickens. Let’s just say that chocolate eggs were well supplied to all those who wanted them. Quizzes were written by pupils, allowing people to bond further between the year groups and this may be an element that particularly contributed to the closeness of Castle House’s pupils.
Although the Upper Sixth are sad to say goodbye to Castle, we are forever grateful for the fun and games and to Mrs Gamble and Mr Deichen for their support. I am confident the future will continue to allow Castle House to prosper due to our excellent members and under the leadership of our brilliant new Heads of House, Megan Kilbey and Barnaby Tripp.
Hazel Zurick-BallI have always been of the mindset that if a plan does not work then we change the plan but not the goal. This year, however, has thrown a bit of a curved ball, as Chappel find themselves still residing in No.12 with no sign of my plan, to return up the winding stairs to our ancestral home, coming to fruition. After two years of inhabiting No.12, however, we do feel very much at home there and, having been embraced by the History department, can see ourselves making the move permanent; we will wait to see what September holds!
In September, as sadly Mrs Ferguson left the House, Mrs Parry joined us, along with 18 new Lower Removes who were yet to have a full year of lessons in the Senior School. These youngsters have brought with them much laughter, enthusiasm and energy which, under Mrs Parry’s patience and guidance, is being channelled into their academic and co-curricular activities. They introduced themselves to the rest of the House with a wonderfully creative Teams assembly, speaking directly to camera and telling us all about their family and interests. Despite not yet being able to meet as a whole House, the Lower Remove have spent time playing table tennis with the Sixth Form and discussing option choices with the Upper Remove, alongside thrashing the Sixth Form at Dodgeball in the Sports Hall.
House competitions have been a source of great fun, with our pupils always stepping up to represent the House for every event. Everything from Tug of War through to Chess and Bake-off allowed the youngsters to shine and have a go. We may not have won but I doubt any other House could rival our conviction and flare! The same can be said for both Senior and Removes Sports Days. On both occasions, I was immensely proud of how the House threw themselves into their events and those not competing
While there might not be an ‘i’ in team, there are certainly many great teams in Creighton House. This has been a year of considerable collective and individual success. Amongst the various academic competitions, we won the Inter-House Languages Quiz, scoring well in all year groups and showing that consistency and teamwork really are the key to success. On the sports field, as well as demonstrating admirably enthusiastic participation in all competitions, we were winners of the Senior Boys Inter-House Football. The team and the House were justifiably thrilled
encouraged and cheered from the side. A special mention must be made of George, Felix, Arry and Ed for making the Senior Boys relay so thrilling, and a huge thank you to Maddy for organising everyone and making sure they were where they should be and that each event was covered. Removes Sports Day played out under heavy skies but Chappel pupils did not let this deter them from giving their all. The Lower Remove boys did particularly well, coming second overall, and I have never been prouder than I was watching our Lower Remove girls run with and support our 1500m competitor, getting her to the finish line in style. We have also fielded full teams for the House netball, hockey and football, once again demonstrating what great all-rounders Chappel pupils are.
I cannot express my appreciation enough towards our departing Heads of House, Gabby Singleton, Sophie Lloyd and Sophie Spencer. Even though, for the majority of the year, the House was still not allowed to mix year groups, the girls went above and beyond to try to unite everyone through virtual quizzes, paper-chain competitions and assemblies. I am extremely grateful for the support and kindness they have shown, not only to me but to everyone in Chappel. Moving forward to the coming year, they have entrusted the House to Ben Withnall and George Hira. It was a very hard decision to make, as many of our Lower Sixth applied for the position and all would have excelled in their own way. We know that Ben and George, along with the new Upper Sixth, will take the House forward with vision and verve. All Chappel Upper Sixth, however, will have leadership opportunities, as next year we are introducing a House mentoring system with our Upper Sixth being matched up with a year group. They will work with each Year Group Tutor to bring a programme of activities to the year group specifically tailored to the needs of Chappel
and its individuals: there are exciting times ahead.
Lower Remove Activity Day at Upton Warren could not have been more perfect. The weather was glorious for messing about in the water and the sight of Mrs Parry 10 feet high in the air on a stack of crates is one of the highlights of my year! All Chappel Year Group Tutors are incredible and the House would not be what it is without the tireless work and time of Mr Gardiner, Mr Ball, Mrs Ruiz, Mr Swarbrick and Mrs Parry. They care deeply about their charges, go above and beyond to ensure the pupils are happy and achieving and at all times this is done with laughter and such great kindness: thank you.
This year, the departure of our U6 was particularly poignant, as they came into Chappel in the same year as I did. They have grown into resourceful and perceptive young people, who are now ready to go out into the world and make a difference. Leavers’ Day was full of excitement, tears and some very strange costumes and I hope they had a wonderful day with the House breakfast, Mr Gardiner’s quiz (Who Knew That) and a special time together in the Theatre and Gardens. They are the trailblazers of post COVID exams, for which they are well prepared and, as sad as it is to say goodbye, we wish them love and happiness for the future. In the words of Winnie the Pooh, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard”.
NJS
As ever, the House continues to thrive through the arrival of our new Lower Removes and as such, next year holds great promise for us all!
by this, and, once again, it was the result of a really great team effort.
In terms of individual achievements, Daniel Munn excelled on the musical front. After winning the Advanced Unaccompanied Solo class at the Worcester Competitive Arts Festival, he was asked to perform Jeffery Wilson’s Elegy for Solo Violin at the Winners’ Concert in April. Daniel was congratulated on his playing and awarded the Severn Arts Trophy for the most inspiring musical performance. He was presented with the award at the concert
itself by a representative from Severn Arts; the Mayor of Worcester, Stephen Hodgson was also present.
Having represented the House and School in sport for many years, Jack Lyman (also U6) brought his tremendously successful school sporting career to an impressive conclusion on the rugby field by qualifying not only for the county and district, but also by being selected for the England Counties, which is essentially an England Schools’ U18 team. To be eligible for this, he was previously selected for North
Midlands and the Midlands as a whole. This is a remarkable accomplishment in a very competitive environment and we are sure his achievements in rugby will go from strength to strength in the future.
Both Daniel and Jack have served as wonderful role models for younger members of the House, as indeed have all the Upper Sixth in their different ways. We
Some sort of normality gradually returned over the course of the last year and, as ever, the pupils adapted superbly to changes in routine and to remote learning when they needed to access it. Mr Williams joined Choir in September, with Miss Allison then arriving to replace Mr Hooper in January. They have settled in superbly well and I am truly grateful for the wonderful team of Year Group Tutors who will always go the extra mile to support their tutees; so much of their work goes unnoticed.
While it has still been difficult to give the pupils a true House experience in terms of mixing the year groups, it was
House Cup winners 2021-2022: need we say more? This year has been outstanding for Kittermaster House and to win the House cup was the icing on the cake for us all. It is testament to the positivity and have-ago attitudes that we encourage in all our pupils. While we may not be victorious in individual activities, the cumulative effect of participation and effort have been rewarded and I could not be prouder. We are now the House to beat!
My thanks go to our Year Group Tutors, Mr Williams, Mrs Shepherd, Mr Sharp, Mr Wilson and Mrs McGinley, all of whom support their pupils with kindness and commitment. Sadly, this year will be the last that Mr Williams is with us, and I thank him for his years of service. He was a highprofile signing for the House; a teacher with so much experience in the classroom and industry, his skills will be much missed.
Our Sixth Formers have led by example and Dixie and Liv flourished in their Monitor roles. Ben and Maggie have been excellent Heads of House; they have been willing to organize, manage and lead a full range of activities and have been valuable sounding boards throughout the year. We welcomed three new members to our Lower Sixth (Katie, Elliot and Grace) and it has been such a delight to see them settle so well.
wish them all every success as they leave King’s and look forward to hearing how things go with each of them.
I must close by offering my thanks to the House team. The Heads of House, Ben Bartlett and Holly Wylde, and the Year Group Tutors, Mrs Lucas, Miss Trow-Poole, Mrs Woodward, Mr Falzon and Mr Heydon, consistently went above and beyond in
their support of the House, its pupils and its activities throughout the year. I am most grateful to them all for everything they offer to the atmosphere and success of the House, making Creighton a wonderful place to be.
so encouraging to see the return of some competitions. As reigning House Cup holders, Choir once again competed strongly in a variety of events, with notable wins in netball, hockey, Removes Quiz and both the Removes and Senior Sports Days. Thanks to all the pupils who took part in all competitions in such a spirited way.
As usual I must finish by wishing our departing pupils the best of luck for the future. They worked incredibly hard in all their subjects and thoroughly deserved the success that came to them on Results Day. Archie Clark and Jess Waddington were wonderful role models as Heads of House
and all of the pupils have such exciting futures ahead of them.
And finally, at the end of the Summer Term, the House said goodbye to Mr Maund. He served for a total of 21 years in Choir House, working with five different House Tutors. In that time, he guided so many pupils with his wisdom and his empathy and he was instrumental in making the House such a special environment for so many over the years; I know that they are all immensely grateful to him.
With Will and Harriet taking on the Head of House roles, I know we are in safe hands.
In the Middle Years, Inter-House netball and football have been highlights for the Removes, with nail-biting second places taken in both competitions. At the Removes’ Sports Day we were placed sixth overall, with the Lower Remove girls coming in third. The attitude of all pupils was outstanding, and our true House spirit shone through with the support and commitment shown by the athletes.
Our Fifth Form pupils excitedly look ahead to starting Sixth Form life and choosing A-Level options. It has been a pleasure to
see them seek guidance from their peers in the House to help with decision making.
17 lively Lower Removes joined us in September, and they have embraced House life with open arms, getting stuck into House events and stepping up to represent us at every opportunity. As one member of our Lower Remove commented, “Overall, I have really enjoyed this year in Kittermaster, being part of such a positive environment.”
I very much look forward to the future in the House and, as ever, we will continue to focus on our mantra of Kindness.
With the easing of COVID restrictions, Oswald has made the most of the gradual return to normality this year by getting stuck into various activities within the House. Highlights include a Lego building competition, in which pupils from the Lower Remove all the way to the Upper Sixth collaborated in teams, and an Easter egg hunt, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The Upper Sixth acted as great role models and mentors, giving an assembly to the House, and discussing university and career options with the Lower Sixth.
It wasn’t just within the House where Oswald excelled this year, but in the wider school community too. Oswald competed enthusiastically in a range of inter-house competitions and achieved enormous success, placing third overall in House Football, second in table tennis, and the Fifth Form girls achieved a valiant second on Senior Sports Day. Oswald performed particularly well musically, with John being the Lower Remove Instrumental Winner and Riya the Middle Years Vocal Winner
in the House Music Competition. Both pupils took part in the School’s production of We Will Rock You, giving outstanding performances!
It’s been a pleasure to watch members of our House represent the School, playing in what many of us would consider to be the highlights of the co-curricular year. Charlie played in the Modus Cup, helping to defeat RGS. Freya competed in the intense Superball, with the team winning in the last few seconds. Todd took part in the Challenge Cup, achieving an admirable draw. Dan, Armaan and Todd visited Manchester City FC on the football tour last December, where they received a personal tour around the stadium and were even allowed to play on their training ground.
Furthermore, Oswald has numerous county and club representatives for sports across the board including hockey, swimming and netball. Sam came second in the Junior Formula 1000 Rally Championship, Christina has been selected to attend the
England U18s rugby training camp and Dan has been chosen yet again to play water-polo for England.
Finally, we would like to thank all members of staff in Oswald who have worked hard this year to return a real sense of community to the House following the last few turbulent years. We also wish all our Upper Sixth the best of luck in their next adventures and offer them congratulations for their fantastic university and apprenticeship offers. Well done for your determination and hard work throughout your time at King’s.
The last year in School house has been a busy and eventful one. On behalf of the whole House, we would like to thank Ned Meredith and Alice Atherton most sincerely for their incredible job in their key roles and the excellent example that they have provided for the entire House; you have left incredibly big shoes to fill, and we hope to live up to the legacy you have left. Continuing the theme of changing tides, we would like to give a big welcome to History and Politics teacher Mr Ward, who has replaced English teacher Mr Davis as a School House Year Group Tutor. Mr Ward has overseen the Lower Removes this year and has been an incredible mentor to the year, encouraging and helping them feel better included in the House during their first year.
During this year in School House, we have many congratulatory cheers circulating around the House: firstly a monumental well done to all exam groups on what has been their first set of exams in many years; they have all deserved a well-earned break. Moving on to musical successes, we have participated and engaged in many music and performing arts performances, demonstrating further our House’s wide variety of co-curricular activities which may give us a leg up for the House Song Competition. Moving onto the more athletic side, an enormous well done must
The first mention to be made must be of our leaving Upper Sixth, who have remained positive, good-humoured, and forward-thinking, despite the restrictions and limitations brought about by COVID. They have been very well led by the caring, dapper and endlessly enthusiastic Mr Blakemore, and two superb Heads of House. Abbie and Henry have been keen to support our work and initiatives in any way they can and, when given the chance, they have shown a tremendous rapport with younger pupils in the House. A good example of this was seen at the Removes InterHouse netball competition. Due to two injuries and one case of COVID, our team was decimated but, with special permission granted, Abbie borrowed some kit from the back of Mrs Miller-Symonds’s car so that the show could go on! I am sure Flora and Maddie, our new Heads of House, will do an equally fine job.
be given to those members of School House who were involved in snatching the Modus Cup from RGS and the incredible feat of athleticism shown by the Superball winners. Congratulations to the Removes on their efforts and enthusiasm during House Table Tennis as well as all years with their attempts to outshine the other Houses in the re-imagined House Cup this year. They showed great determination and House pride whilst competing in Connect 4, Footloose Footsteps and the Tug of War. A huge thank you must be given to all the tutors within School House, as well as to Mr Pearson, for making School House such a healthy and nurturing environment to return to every day, as well as motivating and encouraging all of us to flourish and leave our shells.
We are ecstatic for a strong start to this new year in School House; we hope to live up to the legacy which has been left for us and engage in activities and projects in which we aim to have the whole House participating to help strengthen the relationship between years and reinforce the House pride and determination which is present in every year of School House. We hope that all years aim to achieve all their goals and aspirations in this next academic year!
Theo Hamilton-Holbrook and Thora DykesThe gradual return to normality has been enjoyed by all. Two fabulous sports days allowed pupils to mix and show off their commitment to the House. The numerous pictures of smiling faces and straining sinews say everything that needs to be said. Inter-House competitions came thick and fast, but no one was complaining. The talent on display in the hockey competition was outstanding but, from the side, it was the warmth of spirit and sense of enjoyment of all the players which shone most brightly. To be honest, I was initially rather sceptical about the House Olympics but this quickly became very popular with all our year groups. Thanks to Ms Glarvey and Mr Pearson for making this happen. We may have won only one competition this year, and that was on a tiebreaker, but we have definitely enjoyed taking part. Roll on the fabulous House Song Competition in September!
Many thanks to all the Year Group Tutors in Wulstan who have worked so hard to develop the strong personal relationships that are essential for effective pastoral care.
On the internet I saw a model of a plane crashing and this inspired me to make a model myself, which I completed about a year ago. I then decided I wanted to make a bigger one, with the stream from my first model connecting to a lake in a second. When the Lower Four B research project was raised, this provided the perfect opportunity for me to do this. The two models I have made flow together and I used the skills learned from the research project to enhance my design. The models I have made are based on stories from WW2 of planes crashing. It is up to the interpretation of the observer whether the pilots died in the crash or walked away.
Through research into Model One I discovered what materials to use. The polystyrene base was the starting point and I cut into that to make the shape of the landscape. Then I covered this with wall crack filler and continued to shape the base into a landscape. Next I painted the landscape and added resin with the planes embedded, and they then set. I had to build and paint the planes myself.
Using the resin was stressful: lots of things can go wrong. When I first tried, the resin hardened before I had finished mixing it as I left it too long to start to harden. It was also difficult to get rid of the resin bubbles, until I put the base and resin on a hot plate and
this removed most of them. The blowtorch method of melting resin didn’t work as well, due to burning. I made individual layers of resin but wish I had done one layer, as you can see the layers and they are slightly different to look at, since some are more cloudy. I had to wear a mask, goggles and gloves to handle the resin as it is toxic. The resin was set outside, but then leaves and flies kept falling in. One fly is still in there!
The project took about six weeks and I worked for two to three hours per week.
Robert LeeAs always, the King’s Hawford children have continued to make us very proud over the course of the past academic year. Their focused, determined and positive approach in lessons and their confident, have-a-go attitude to all tasks, both in and out of the classroom, have meant that they made the most of everything that was on offer.
Although we were reaching the tail-end of COVID, staff and children continued to show great resilience with the switch between live, virtual and hybrid lessons. As the COVID restrictions eased, we were once again allowed to bring groups of pupils together who had previously been “bubbled”, and it was lovely to see children of various ages working and playing as one and supporting each other.
So this year was all about rebuilding our community and finding joy in the moments we share. Simple things such as assemblies could now take place, where children could cheer each other’s successes during our Friday Celebration, learn important lessons on how to work and live with others and share ideas on how to make our world a better place.
Memorable events such as Welcome Home Hawford, the House cross-country, the Apache Relay, productions and charity concerts were now back on the calendar, allowing our wider community to join in
the fun too. It was so lovely to welcome back grandparents during Arts Week and, although the weather was against us, spirits were not dampened.
Learning outside the classroom has continued to be such an integral part of how we work at King’s Hawford, with many lessons being taken out of doors or to areas outside the children’s Form Rooms. This year saw the return to a full programme of off-site educational visits throughout Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. These trips supported the teaching in a wide range of curriculum areas.
As the children look ahead to the new school year, I know that they will be hungry to develop their learning further, relish the exciting experiences and build more happy memories as they continue their King’s Hawford adventure.
Caroline Knight
It was great to get back to normal with our residential trips. They have always played an essential part in assisting and supporting the curriculum as well as providing opportunities to develop the children both emotionally and socially.
The year kicked off with the School Camps on site for Years 4 and 6; Year 5 were lucky to return to Duke’s Barn for four days of adventurous activities and, in the Spring Term, Year 3 were able to stay at Boundless Outdoors in Malvern for three days. In the Summer Term, Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 had the opportunity to visit Bishop’s Wood Forest School site and, for their final trip, Year 6 went up to the Ashbourne area in Derbyshire to enjoy a variety of water sports at Carsington Water and Outdoor Activities.
We pride ourselves on our Outdoor Education programme and the opportunities we provide for our children from their very first day as they arrive at King’s Hawford to the day they leave for Senior School. The skills and confidence they take with them give them a huge advantage with their ongoing education and the next chapter of their lives.
Following the various sport related COVID restrictions during the 2020/21 academic year, the children, staff and parents were all delighted to return to a full programme of sporting events at King’s Hawford this year.
Our various teams have regularly achieved impressive results and consistently punch above their weight with dominant performances against much bigger schools. This was never more evident than with the U11 boys’ rugby team, who travelled up to QEGS Junior School in Wakefield by invitation to play in the Harrison Cup amongst several large northern schools. The boys performed outstandingly well and finished as overall runners-up in the final. Girls’ cricket has continued to go from strength to strength at King’s Hawford, with several of our girls now representing Worcestershire at county level for cricket. It was great to have the boys and girls competing alongside each other yet again in cricket, breaking down the gender sports stereotypes and barriers.
We have also enjoyed one of our most successful years at regional and national level, competing in IAPS hockey, netball, football, swimming, athletics and tennis competitions. Notable successes include the ISFA boys’ football team becoming regional champions for the second consecutive year and playing in the national finals at St George’s Park, Isaac Price qualifying for the IAPS swimming national finals at the Olympic Pool, Charlotte Bailey and Fabian Williams representing the Mercia region at the IAPS athletics national finals and Florence Bulbulia, Charlotte Bailey, Aryton Little and Cameron Kilmarton taking part in the IAPS tennis national finals at Rugby School.
We welcomed back the return of several House sporting events in 2021/22; it is always a pleasure to witness every child giving their all and striving to perform to their full potential to aid their Houses in their attempts to win the House prize.
As always, the sporting year ended with another series of fantastically supported sports days that saw every child from Kindergarten to Year 6 competing, having fun and working hard to beat their personal best scores. This year’s event was another lovely family occasion, with parents and grandparents cheering the children on as they endeavoured to run faster, jump higher and throw further across their selected track and field events. Yet again, the children did themselves proud, with no fewer than 10 school records being broken across Years 3 to 6. It was a wonderful and inspiring way to end another highly impressive and enjoyable year of sport at King’s Hawford.
The academic year 2021-22 has had some fantastic musical highlights and it has been wonderful to perform in the old ‘normal’ way with live audiences returning and social distancing a thing of the past.
The Year 5 and 6 production is one of the many highlights every year, especially for Year 6 children as it is their final performance before they head on to Senior School. This year’s show, What A Knight! was no exception. As is customary, with Year 6 cast in the speaking roles, rehearsals ran smoothly. Year 5 sang in all the songs, and each class had a themed dance, making mesmerising, magical Wizards and commanding, gallant Knights. Their choreographed dances were excellent, demonstrating the talents of a Year group with a great sense of rhythm and humour.
At Christmas, the Early Years and Pre-Prep enchanted us with their singing and smiles in their nativities, The Big Little Nativity and Ralph the Reindeer. In the Spring Term, Year 3 and 4 performed their production in the form of a Musical Showcase, with highlights from some of the most famous and well-loved musicals. Throughout the year we have offered performance opportunities to our 160+ musicians in the form of Informal Concerts every half-term and chances to perform in assembly to gain wonderful performing experience. The
Unencumbered by the restrictions previously placed on us by COVID, the Special Days and competitions which one of our Year 6 leavers this year cheerfully reminded us “help make Hawford, Hawford” were back in full swing. As ever, they were often intrinsically linked to helping to raise money for the charities that the School had chosen to support throughout the year.
The fundraising highlight of the year was undoubtedly the newly created Tenner Challenge. Years 5 and 6 were tasked, as teams or individuals, to turn a £10 note into as much money as possible over a four-week period. The breadth of offering was simply amazing, from home-made bird feeders, cakes and stationery to sweet treats, home-grown plants and a skipping challenge. Raffles were very popular, but the jewel in the fundraising crown was an auction held by a team that had written to local sports clubs for donations.
Senior and Junior Choirs and the School Orchestra, String Group, Brass Group and Guitar Group have enjoyed rehearsing weekly throughout the year and it has been wonderful to hear these ensembles practising for their concert performances.
Individual children have enjoyed solo successes in various festivals in the region and further afield. Michelle Zhu won Gold for First place in the Performance Grade 7 class in the London Young Musicians Competition in September. Henry Kamalarajan attended a Hands-On Harp event in Abergavenny in May and was awarded the inaugural Ann Griffiths
Scholarship for young, upcoming and promising harpists. He also entered the Leamington Spa Competitive Festival in June, winning both his Harp class and a prize for the ‘Most Promising Lever Harpist’.
This year has seen two of our Year 6 musicians offered Music Scholarships as they move on to the Senior School. Congratulations to Henry Kamalarajan and Edward Sydenham, and to Will Lavarack on being awarded a Music Exhibition. Henry has also gained a prestigious King’s Choral Scholarship. We are proud that seven King’s Hawford pupils attend the Worcester Cathedral Voluntary Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs.
The generosity and support of the entire King’s Hawford community saw us raise over £6500 for charity for the second year running. In addition to making sizeable donations to both Project Gambia and UNICEF, King’s Hawford was able to
give £700 to the Ukraine Emergency Appeal, as part of a Foundation-wide donation, and send a lorry load of food and essential supplies to the Worcester Food Bank through our Harvest Festival boxes.
Away from fundraising activities, the King’s Hawford PA put on a fantastic Welcome Back Mini-Festival to kick off the year and the Firework Night received glowing reviews. We saw great curriculum days linked to Maths, World Book Day and the European Day of Languages, as well as House events including the Tug of War, Quiz and Bake Off, which were both highly competitive and entertaining.
Arts Week this year, on the theme of Freedom, saw our first Poetry slams, the creation of an art installation for the Bevere Gallery and the opportunity for the Art Department to mount an exhibition of the fantastic pieces created throughout the year. This culminated in Grandparents’ Day, during which children enjoyed performing to their families and touring them around the school.
Looking to build on the excellent achievements of the previous year’s Green Team, the newly elected Eco Council quickly started to take huge steps towards King’s Hawford gaining the highly regarded Eco-Schools Green Flag. Members of the Council took on key leading roles in driving King’s Hawford’s ambitions to become an Earth conscious school and deliver the action plan that they had put in place.
The Queen’s Jubilee Picnic was a great chance to come together and celebrate 70 years of the Monarch’s reign, and the end of year fun day and outdoor school assembly was a chance for the whole
school community to come together to celebrate another fantastic school year and to exact their revenge on the teaching staff with super soakers.
After initial research and the completion of an extensive audit, the Council decided on three key areas of focus for the School’s efforts over the coming year: Biodiversity, Energy and Global Citizenship. Throughout the year, representatives on the Green Team fed back to the whole school community on progress through social media, assemblies and videos.
At the end of the school year the Eco
Council was able to publish its ‘Eco-Code’ based on the work they had undertaken during the year and aspirations for the School’s future green credentials. It was with great delight that they were able to announce to the School that King’s Hawford had been awarded a Green Flag with distinction, submitting an application that Eco-Schools said was “an absolute pleasure and privilege to review”.
Our Year 6 pupils finished their final year at King’s Hawford in style, seizing every opportunity and making wonderful memories. They camped overnight at School and later at Carsington, learned how to surf on the Cardiff Sports Tour, made a profit in the Tenner Challenge, read to the Reception children in Random Acts of Kindness Week and performed on stage in What a Knight!
All pupils gained a place at King’s Worcester following a rigorous entrance exam, with several being offered some form of scholarship or exhibition. Our congratulations to Nico Calladine, Daniel Lewis and Harry Ballard for their Academic Scholarships. Edward Sydenham received an Academic and Music Scholarship, Florence Bulbulia an Academic Exhibition and Henry Kamalarajan a Music Scholarship. Eight All-Rounder Awards were awarded to Annabella Marsh, Imogen Bramble, Will Lavarack, Amelia Moore, Cameron Kilmartin, Millie Povey, Zofia Waites and Eden Green. Tilly Mayhew, Charlotte Bailey, Fabian Williams, Fletcher Kane, Billy Tomlinson and Ned Thorp received Sports Skills Awards and Ayrton Little received an award to the Royal Grammar School.
The children rose to the challenge of new leadership roles, proving to be excellent role models as Heads of School, Academic, Citizenship, Sports and Performing Arts Prefects, and inspired younger pupils to strive for these roles in the future. As committed School and Eco Council representatives, they made lasting changes to the outdoor spaces at King’s Hawford through Project Aviary and the biodiversity garden, and we hope that many of them return to see these finished and thriving.
In their final school assembly, our Year 6 pupils decided that there was no better legacy than to help others have the same amazing experience at King’s Hawford as they had had and, with this in mind, they gave the words of advice below to be displayed on every classroom wall.
We will miss them very much but are proud to send them off on the next stage of their King’s journey, or to pastures new, knowing that they go equipped with all of the qualities of a true Hawfordian.
How to have an amazing time at King’s Hawford:
Have a go at everything on offer, from clubs to productions to trips. Whatever you put in, you will get back twice over.
Always try your best in lessons, be determined and ask for help if you need it. People won’t think badly of you; they will like helping you.
Work with lots of different people, even if they’re not your best friends. You might discover something amazing about them.
Failing is how you learn: enjoy those marvellous mistakes and learn to laugh about them with your friends.
Ordinary is not something Hawfordians are. Stand out from the crowd, embrace differences and love your uniqueness.
Remember always to be honest. If you make a bad decision, admit it, accept the consequences and learn from it.
Don’t forget, your time at King’s Hawford will go very quickly. Have fun, laugh lots, treasure friends, repeat.
2021/22 has been an excellent year for King’s St Alban’s. We ended the year with 209 children from Nursery to Year 6 and a reassuring degree of normality following two very disrupted years. The first two terms were still affected by COVID as staff and pupil absences were high, some restrictions were in place and hybrid lessons became commonplace. The Summer Term, however, was as it should be, full of learning, showpiece events and fun, and this culminated in a splendid Speech Day in a packed College Hall. The theme for this year’s Speech Day was Children’s Mental Health and this has been a key feature of our provision this year and our plans for future years: children want to feel safe and secure at school and happy children tend to thrive.
All our Year 6 children were offered a place at King’s and 17 received a scholarship or award. This is a tremendous achievement!
We have had a whole range of education visits and residentials for every year from Year 2 to Year 6, as we returned from COVID.
We had a whole school ‘Read for Good’ fortnight (sponsored reading with a focus on reading for pleasure) and, separately, a ‘Be a Bookworm’ week.
We held a super Poetry Recitation Competition in the Theatre.
We had ‘Logo Lift Off’ to design a logo to adorn the first ever rocket launched from the UK for environmental monitoring. Eight children’s designs were chosen.
We have worked hard on many environmental areas this year through our Eco Committee, and we have received our Green Flag Aaward.
We have had a fairly quiet year from a staffing perspective. We welcomed Mrs White back as Prep School TA earlier in the year and she also led the three Old Chapel trips. We thank Dion King and Izzy Nott, who have been splendid Sports Gappies at KSA and wish them well in the future. Charles Pillman and Emily Diaz, both exKSA, will take over these roles in September. Mrs Beauchamp will start as Assistant Head, Co-Curricular and Operations, in September, joining the Senior Team.
We have submitted our Arts Mark Award application and we are hopeful for a high grading. This has been a very helpful exercise for all concerned.
Pre-Prep held an Arts Week at the start of the Summer Term with an author and artist visit, educational trips and contributions from Senior School staff.
We have purchased a giant chess set and this is proving very popular. We will continue to push chess next year. House chess was also very successful.
We celebrated the Jubilee with a wholeschool picnic, singing the National Anthem and the planting of a memorial tree.
Our School Council continues to play an active role in the School and has looked at play equipment and food in recent weeks. At the suggestion of School Council, we have introduced worry boxes into each classroom.
Year 5 have been following the ‘Heartstone’ project with other schools in the area. This looks at issues of equality, equity, inclusion and diversity and is proving popular and effective.
Our Nursery is a very special place and has recently received two awards from daynurseries.co.uk. King’s Worcester Nursery Group (including King’s Hawford) has been recognised as a Top 20 Rated Small Nursery Group in the UK for the second year in a row. This year King’s St Alban’s Nursery has also been recognised as one of the Top 20 Nurseries in the West Midlands. These really are two brilliant achievements!
We have had a busy and successful year in terms of charity awareness and fund-raising. In all, we have raised nearly £5000. All charity events include an assembly about the cause and the need to ensure the children are aware of why we are holding such events or days. Readathon Week is a great initiative for a super cause and raised £1,157, whilst the Jolly Jumper and the Carol Service collections raised £760 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital. A cake sale and non-uniform day raised £817 for Ukraine. All charities were either suggested by or ratified through School Council, a great use of Pupil Voice!
We embraced Children’s Mental Health Week back in February because one in six children and young people have a diagnosable mental health problem, and many more struggle with challenges from bullying, friendship, family, academic or social pressure and bereavement. However, we have focused on this important area throughout the year. Children’s Mental Health was the major theme at Speech Day and we will keep working hard to ensure school is safe and secure for all our children.
Mindfulness is proving to be a positive addition to our provision, allowing children time and help to develop coping tools Year 5 and Year 3 have now completed the
Paws b programme, a leading mindfulness curriculum for children aged 7 to 11.
Over 30 Mindful Ambassadors have been trained to run their own meditations in Form Time. They have a script, a bell and a timer. It’s a great way to start the day, enhancing calm and focus.
Year 6 have now completed .breathe, a four-session programme devised by the Mindfulness in Schools Project, aimed at the school ‘transition’ years. It builds upon Paws.b, undertaken in Year 5, and will hopefully help our children feel ‘King’s ready.’
With more and more schools now mixing for cricket, we have had many fixtures with girls and boys playing together. This is brilliant for the girls, with many playing hardball for the first time this year, and great for the boys, showing them just how strong the girls can be. Indeed, it has become a really mixed sport. Cricket is definitely on the up and our results have been promising.
After a two-year hiatus, it was great to be back to some normality in sport. Every child in the School has once again participated in our comprehensive sports programme and enjoyed many different experiences.
The hockey highlight was our success at the U11 County Tournament and there is a great deal of potential with our younger children in this sport.
The U8 and U9 boys were involved in a number of mini rugby festivals, where they showed significant progress. The U11s have gone from strength to strength this year and the highlight was taking two teams to Millfield for a rugby festival, with both teams being unbeaten.
In netball, the girls won four games and qualified for the Plate Competition at the IAPS competition in Rugby. Lower down the School, girls were full of enthusiasm, having missed much of the last two years
of netball. There will certainly be some stars coming through in the future.
The U11s got the football term off to a flying start, winning the Winterfold Mathew Thacker Plate. They showed true grit and nerve to win their semifinals and final on penalties. We had some very strong teams this year and there was healthy competition for places within each team. Nine of the boys also played in the IAPS football tournament at Repton School, where we played good football against very strong opponents.
We have certainly reached the top with our swimming this year. Several of KSA children have competed at different levels, in school galas, IAPS qualifiers and the ESSA relays. For a small school, our Year 6 girls, Lucia Ingles, Lara Jones, Mia Gooch, Lilly-Mae Bishop and Immie Hawes, have produced some unbelievable and unprecedented achievements. Over 4,200 children competed from 233 schools in the IAPS Swimming Championships, and we came first in the medley relay at the Finals in the London Aquatic Centre. This was an amazing experience, with 3,000 spectators watching the girls at the finals. We then went on to compete in Sheffield in the ESSA Relay finals in the medley and freestyle. We won the medley relay and came third in the freestyle. We were also crowned the ESSA Overall Girls’ Champions. These are special times and tremendous achievements!
Sport remains in good health at KSA!
This has been another busy year for the Arts at King’s St Alban’s. We have all enjoyed a gradual return to normality and it has been lovely to reform our usual choirs, ensembles and clubs after so long working in year group bubbles.
Our music programme has been as packed as ever, with a range of concerts giving everyone the chance to perform either as a soloist or as part of a choir or ensemble. We were particularly excited to be able to return to a full, live audience for our March Concert in College Hall, the first fully attended event since the pandemic started.
Our inaugural Prep School Arts Week in October had the theme ‘The Sea ’. The Arts found their way into every lesson that week, even Maths and Science! A visit by The Flying Potter was a real highlight for everyone in a hugely successful week.
Last Autumn, Drama Club presented a performance of Christmas is Cancelled and the summer saw a scintillating retelling of Rebecca Riding Hood. Both were very well received!
Budding artists have enjoyed poster competitions and workshops and have been inspired by sessions with the King’s Artist in Rresidence.
Our dancers enjoyed the post-COVID return of Chance to Dance in March. For the first time, this was organised by Gold Arts Award students from the Senior School as part of their award. Our dancers really enjoyed working with the older pupils to prepare their dances and the final performance was impressive and varied.
This year's Creative ConneXions, A Night at the Gallery, took place in March and was a fantastic celebration of art and dance, featuring the work of famous artists and sculptors. Each class took inspiration from their chosen artwork and brought it to life through dance. They were encouraged to work in pairs and groups to choreograph parts of the dance for themselves. Children showed us the importance of cultural diversity, having a growth mindset and accepting people’s differences. The artwork in the gallery was stunning and the poetry which the children had written supported their chosen artwork beautifully.
Our Summer Show brought our musicians and dancers together in a real celebration of the Arts at KSA. Our ensembles and Chamber Choir gave superb performances, showing just how much each group has developed through the year. Dance Club set our toes tapping in time to some great music and it was good to see many of the dancers perform solos and group pieces that they had choreographed themselves. This was a grand finale to a busy and successful year!
Our 13 Choristers have had a busy and successful year and we remain proud of this select bunch! Liv Simpkin was the first ever Girl Chorister and we are hopeful many more will follow her in the coming years. The relationship between School and the Cathedral remains strong; the Assistant Director of Music at the Cathedral leads our weekly hymn practice and wowed everyone on Speech Day. Five of our Choristers were admitted as full members of the Cathedral Choir in March; this was a moving and proud day for the children, families and the School.
We are fortunate to have a group of parents who form our Social Group and contribute to the wider life of the school. The group organised an excellent, and very popular, Halloween Party involving three quarters of the school. The inaugural Spring Fayre took place on the Quad in March and was equally successful. The group also put on a very successful Parents’ Party after Speech Day and helped out at Sports Days, Open Mornings, Pre-Prep Christmas Crafts and various shows and concerts. Thank you to you all!
Year 6 are a lively, talented, wellbonded group and they have been great fun to be around. They have enjoyed a varied and educationally rich final term at KSA with carousel weeks on Shakespeare, Science and ICT, a visit to the Old Chapel and a memorable trip to the PGL Centre on the Isle of Wight. They “‘went out with joy”’ at the end of Speech Day to leave KSA and enter College Green and the next, exciting chapter of their lives. We wish them the very best of luck!
Richard Chapman, July 2022
The Alumni and Business Development Office brings together former pupils, staff and parents, through a range of creative events and communications, under the King’s Foundation umbrella.
The King’s School Worcester Development Trust builds up long-term charitable support for the School and ensures that the wishes of those who give to the School are properly upheld, making sure that pupils who come to King’s benefit from the generosity of those who donate.
This includes:
• Opportunity for all through the provision of means-tested bursaries to enable pupils from all backgrounds to attend King’s, regardless of their financial circumstances.
• Sustainable, progressive development through the investment in high-quality facilities.
A fond farewell and some new faces within the team
On 1 April 2022, we bade a very fond farewell to some familiar faces in our Foundation Development and Alumni Relations Team: Development Director, Liz Elliott (Co 8284), Head of Alumni Relations, Sophie Borrillo-McLellan (Hon OV), and Database Administrator, Cath Williams (Hon OV).
We extend our thanks to them for all their hard work and commitment over the last few years and wish them the very best of luck in their future careers.
With every departure there is a chance for new opportunity and fresh ideas. We are delighted to introduce Hannah Sparrey, who joins as our new Head of Alumni and Business Development.
Hannah is married to OV Dan Sparrey (K 90-97), and they have two sons who attend King’s, so she is well versed in the Foundation family.
“I’m very honoured to be a part of the King’s Foundation and am looking forward to getting to know the King’s Community and developing commercial activities to support the Foundation’s strategic ambitions as well as engaging with our OV community in a variety of events,” added Hannah.
We are also pleased to say that Amanda Sutcliffe has become the Alumni Relations
Co-ordinator. Amanda has great passion for what she does and will continue to support and look after our OV community.
Open the door to King’s Bursary
Our Bursary Campaign has raised over £2.6m since its launch in May 2018 and in 2021/22 the Trust supported twelve full bursaries. The role of the Trust in supporting the King’s Bursary Programme cannot be overestimated. We are incredibly grateful to the OVs, Hon OVs, and Friends of the School who regularly give to this Programme. Without the wonderful generosity from all those who give to King’s, we would not be able to continue providing bursarial opportunities for pupils to attend our School.
We are delighted that, from September 2021, there are six pupils at King’s being personally funded by three individuals:
John Weston (S 62-69); The Weston Bursary will provide one bursary place at School for the foreseeable long-term future
John Foley (Cl 64-74); The Foley Family Bursary will fund a full bursary at King’s
every year for the foreseeable future
Mark Haworth (Cl 81-88); His wonderful generosity is currently providing funding for a number of pupils at the school.
We are similarly indebted to David Blundell (Ch 48-57) for his donations to the Bursary Campaign, acknowledging that his own education was funded for him by the generosity of his godfather. The fund he has created will provide for many children in the future.
A major donation this financial year has been received from The Kildare Trust towards supporting an enduring bursary programme for new pupils joining the School. The donation will provide two fully funded places indefinitely for children attending local primary schools whose families would otherwise have been unable to fund an independent school place. We are incredibly grateful for such generosity.
The 1541 Society recognises all those who have made a major contribution to the King’s School Worcester Development Trust through legacy pledges, major donations, or by volunteering their time and expertise. We are indebted to those
who have committed to remember King’s Worcester in their will. This is a very powerful and meaningful way of supporting our Bursary Appeal and ensuring that children who would otherwise not have had the opportunity can attend King’s Worcester.
Although our annual event for 1541 members has been on hold for the last few years due to the pandemic, we were delighted to host a few of our 1541 Society for drinks with the Headmaster before the summer term’s Cleobury concert. The termly school music concerts have been named in honour of Nicholas Cleobury (Ch 58-68) and his late brother, Sir Stephen Cleobury (Ch 58-67). The summer’s concert was even more special, with not only a packed College Hall, but with Sir Stephen’s widow, Lady Cleobury, in support as well.
If you wish to know more about leaving a Legacy to King’s, please call Hannah Sparrey, Head of Alumni and Business Development on 01905 721719 or email hasparrey@ksw.org.uk. Alternatively, more information can be found on the School website: ksw.org.uk/alumni/supportkings/leave-a-legacy
The entire King’s Family has been deeply moved by the tragedy that has unfolded in Ukraine, leading to the greatest humanitarian crisis Europe has seen since World War Two. In the summer term we were delighted to be able to offer places to five Ukrainian children, to whom we offered full bursaries.
The School has set up a designated fund, The King’s Ukrainian Fund, with a target of raising £6,000 on average per child per year to provide transport to School, laptops for homework, school trips, meals and other extras, in addition to helping towards school fees, for our Ukrainian pupils and their families. This sum is very much an average, as some host families will cover some of these costs while, for other families, costs will be higher. Schoolblazer and Tacklebag have kindly made a perpupil donation towards the cost of school uniforms and sports kit.
The School is committed to these children for the next three years while they are with their sponsor family, and we cannot do this without the generosity of The King’s community. If you would like to donate, then please visit our website: ksw.org.uk/ alumni/support-kings/ukrainian-fund/
We continue to be incredibly fortunate to have individuals as Trustees who represent the wide breadth of the King’s School family and are very grateful to these Trustees for their careful stewardship of donated monies.
During the year there have been several changes in our Trustees and we would like to take this opportunity to thank those who are departing. Particular thanks go to OV Andrew Reekes (Ch 64-69), who for 15 years served first as a Trustee and then as Chair of the Trust and to whom we hold a huge debt of gratitude for his support, advice and stewardship.
We are delighted to announce the new Chair has been elected. OV Nick Clark (H 88-90) was appointed following a unanimous vote by the Board of Trustees.
Nick is an active member of the King’s community, through his work as a Trustee, but also as an OV and a King’s parent.
Speaking of his appointment, Nick said, “I am honoured to be elected as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at The King’s School, Worcester.
“With a team of highly experienced trustees, I look forward to working closely with the School and Governors to deliver our growth targets and open doors to opportunities for young pupils.”
We are indebted to the work and commitment of all our trustees past and present. The current Trustees are:
Nick Clark: Chairman of the Development Trust, OV, current parent, and OV Committee Member
Bill Ballard: Governor and member of the Finance and General Purposes Committee, former parent
Katie Beever: Staff member and current parent
Lewis Bryer: OV and current parent
Hugh Carslake: Former Chairman of Governors and former parent
Linton Connell: OV and former parent
Hannah Edwards: Current parent
John Foley: OV and former parent
Donald Howell: Former Chairman of Governors and OV
Leanne Sheen: OV
Additional thanks go to all our Trustees who resigned during the year:
Andrew Reekes (Ch 64-69), Douglas Dale, Fanos Hira (Os 80-87), Carl Jury and John Weston (S 62-69)
The Trust is supported by Executive Officers:
Gareth Doodes: Headmaster
Georgina Mason: Director of Finance and Business Development
More information on our Trustees can be found on the King’s School website at: ksw.org.uk/alumni/about/the-trust
We are committed to ensuring that contact details are kept up to date and we also work hard to ensure that all members of the King’s family hear from the Alumni and Business Development Office as they wish (giving options for individuals to personalise the method and purpose of communications). On all correspondence from the office, a link is provided to personalise communications preferences and we adhere to GDPR legislation, using Legitimate Interest as our basis for processing data, when communicating with all individuals for whom we hold contact details. Our Privacy Notice in relation to development and alumni activities of King’s can be found on the alumni/about/alumni-development-privacy-notice section of the King’s website.
Please remember to keep us informed should you move house or change your email address: alumni@ksw.org.uk
Inspired by St Barnabas, ‘son of encouragement’, our Barnabas speakers are distinguished, inspirational OVs who have excelled in their chosen profession and come into School to share their experiences and inspire current pupils.
On 11 October 2021, we enjoyed the first Barnabas Day of the school year with OV Franny Moyle (Co 80-82) as our latest speaker and member of the group.
Art Chris Haywood (Hon OV), watching the pupils work, offering feedback and hearing all about the aims for their final pieces. She also enjoyed meeting a Lower Remove English class, where the group had all sorts of questions to ask Franny including many about her time at the BBC and what her role as a Producer entailed. A trip to meet GCSE Art pupils opened up a really interesting conversation about how to critique art objectively and what Franny labelled the ‘Curator’s Checklist’.
A visit to the library was the icing on the cake for us all as Franny kindly signed some of her books for us.
The day concluded with lunch with Headmaster Gareth Doodes, Heads of School, Josh and Charlotte, Head of Art Chris Haywood, Lucy, a current U6 artist, and Sophie and Liz from the Development and Alumni Office.
Worcester City Council Jabba was elected Cabinet member for Safer and Stronger Communities. He was appointed Mayor of Worcester in 2018 and is currently ViceChair of the Council Income Generation Committee.
Jabba’s professional career sees him in charge of logistics and distribution for Cyroservice, a national supplier of liquid Argon, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide.
Franny is a British television producer and author. On leaving King’s, she studied Art History at St John’s College, Cambridge. Franny is the former BBC Commissioner for Arts and Culture and is now a freelance executive producer and writer. Her books include Constance: The Tragic and Scandalous Life of Mrs Oscar Wilde, Desperate Romantics: The Private Lives of the Pre-Raphaelites, and The Extraordinary Life and Momentous Times of J.M.W. Turner Her latest book The King’s Painter: The Life and Times of Hans Holbein was serialised on BBC Radio 4, read by Sir Simon Russell Beale.
Franny began the day by making an address in College Hall, enjoyed live by the current Sixth Form and watched in Houses online by the rest of the School. Franny talked passionately and eloquently about how her time at King’s shaped her future life and especially stressed to the pupil body the importance of self-belief and ‘finding your star’. She also spoke about equality and the massive steps forward that have taken place in female education and opportunities, speaking to the young men and women in College Hall and asking them to strive constantly to level up the playing field and expect equal rights in all they do.
During the day, Franny met with our Upper Sixth Art students. She thoroughly enjoyed being shown the Art School by Head of
Franny added, “Returning to King’s I discovered a mix of the familiar and unfamiliar: the same exquisite setting in the grounds of the Cathedral and next to the river, the same feeling of tradition mixed with camaraderie, and the dedication to learning as well as to sport. But to see a fully mixed school was a wonderful change, as were the astonishing new facilities from which the School benefits. Climbing walls! Amazing performance spaces! A great library and art department! What a wonderful start this school offers to young people.”
A huge thank you to Franny for giving her day so generously to us.
We were delighted to welcome OV Jabba Riaz (Br 91-96) back to School on 21 March 2022 as our newest Barnabas Speaker.
The Barnabas Day began with Jabba giving an inspirational and exceptional address to the Sixth Form in College Hall, and to the rest of the School via video link. “Love not Hate” was the guiding principle of Jabba’s message to the pupils. Now a Governor of King’s, Jabba spoke most movingly of the initial difficulties of isolation that he faced at King’s in the early 1990s. He found his success through sport and his co-curricular passions, supported particularly by the School Chaplain at that time, the Rev’d Jonathan Charles, and watched the School develop in mutual respect, tolerance and love. He closed his inspiring address to resounding applause from all present by reminding us all that we each have the power to stand up against discrimination and inequality of all kinds and the duty to call such things out, refusing to accept such injustice wherever we find it.
Having addressed the School, Jabba was thrilled to spend the morning joining Sixth Formers enjoying a range of lessons: Business Studies, Religion and Philosophy, and Politics, all subjects very close to Jabba’s heart. Jabba also enjoyed coffee with Headmaster Gareth Doodes and Heads of School, Josh and Charlotte.
Jabba’s visit was rounded off with a wonderful lunch joined by Head of Sixth Form Josh Hand (Cl 91-01), Head of Key Skills, Catriona Rees, Director of Finance, Georgina Mason, and the Heads of School, as well as some Politics students keen to speak with Jabba.
At King’s, Jabba was an active member of the school community. He enjoyed playing for the 1st XI Cricket and Football teams, took part in Young Enterprise and won a prize for his part in the community service scheme.
Jabba went on to the University of Leicester, where he secured his Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Since then, he has undertaken a variety of roles in planning and management. At
Talking about his day, Jabba said, “It was an honour to be invited as the Barnabas Day speaker by the School to talk about my experiences with racism whilst growing up; tolerance, respect and acceptance were a key part of my King’s education and lessons that I have used in my role as Mayor and beyond to bring unity and harmony within Worcester. I leave the School with my message of love not hate, a message that is universal in condemnation of hate and prejudice and a message especially relevant today.”
Our many thanks to Jabba for both his time and his thoughtful words.
Our many congratulations to OV Stella Din-Jacob (Co 85-86), who has been recognised for her tireless work in journalism. Stella has been named as one of the top 25 “Most Powerful Women in Journalism” in Nigeria, by WiJAfrica (Women in Journalism Africa). Currently Director of News at TVC Communications, Stella is recognised as the second most powerful female journalist in Nigeria.
Henry Marles (Br 12-17) and James Beattie (Cl 10-17) won Prince Albert Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta 2021. Shortly thereafter, Henry was selected by British Rowing to represent Great Britain as a member of the Men’s eight at the 2021 U23 European Rowing Championships, held in Kruszwica in Poland in September 2021 Henry’s crew faced Romania and Germany in the final, kept their focus and crossed the line to win gold!
We were absolutely delighted to hear that OV Jemima Moss (Ch 13-20 and King’s St Alban’s) has been selected for the England Rugby U20s squad, securing her first cap in November 2021! Jemima has been an avid rugby player since she was six years old and made history at King’s St Alban’s as the first girl ever to be part of the rugby team. Congratulations to David (Dom) Tyack (Ca 84-85 /S 88-89), who has recently been appointed a QC or, as it’s known, “taken Silk”. David is based at No5 Barristers’ Chambers in Birmingham and London, where he has been specialising in clinical negligence and personal injury for the last 17 years.
Many congratulations to OV Dr Chris Lewis (Cl 86-95), who formally received his OBE from His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace in May 2022. Chris was awarded his OBE in 2021 for Services to International Development but, for obvious reasons, May was the first opportunity the presentation of the award could take place.
Very well done to OV Charlie Mackintosh (Cr 16-20), who has been elected President of the Oxford Union for Hilary Term 2023. The Oxford Union is an internationally renowned and prestigious debating society, formed in 1823, but many will know the Union for its high profile and often controversial speaker events.
It is always a pleasure to catch up with OVs and see current pupils benefit from their experiences and expertise too.
Edd Peckston (K 10-17) came back to King’s in the winter term to talk not only to the U6 Germanists, but also to the U6 Oxbridge entrants and help with a Lower Remove lesson, speaking eloquently about the benefits of studying a language.
In October, OVs Francesca Descher (Cl 1017), George Gudgeon (Os 08-15), Maggie Bullock (Os 12-19), Archie Jury (W 09-16), Miles Maley (Cl 12-19) and Holly Jennings (W 13-20) kindly joined us virtually to speak to the current U6 about their Gap Year Experiences.
OV Andrew Reekes (Ch 64-69) delivered a fantastic and informative session to our current Sixth Form Historians on Chamberlain and Churchill in October 2021, in a session with Head of History and Politics Emmah Ferguson and History teacher Tom Sharp (Hon OV)
OV Harry Flockhart (Ca 13-20) joined Head of Sixth Form, Josh Hand (Cl 9101), to speak with the current U6 about the Robert Harley Award, and also about becoming an OV, what this means and how the OV community can support networking opportunities in a special Sixth Form Assembly in Worcester Cathedral.
In May, OV Isobel Unwin (K 16-18) returned to the Religion and Philosophy Department as part of her RE teaching placement. Similarly in May, OV Thomas Yates (W 99-06) came into School to speak with budding engineers.
June 2022 was a joy as we were finally able to hold in-person Key Skills Gap Year talks. We were delighted to be joined by OVs Will Hunt (Ch 14-21), Will Head (Ca 14-21), Amelia Bladon (Cr 14-21) and Izzy Dimmock (Ca 14-21) in the John Moore Theatre, speaking with the Lower Sixth.
That same month, OV Hannah Shearburn (Os 09-16) helped Lower Sixth students interested in a career in Nursing when she returned to School to share her experiences and advice.
July saw OV Emma Smalley (W 12-19) visit King’s to speak with Sixth Formers hoping for a career in medicine. We were also grateful to OV Sophie Edgar-Andrews (S 03-08), who came in for a one-toone conversation with one of our then Lower Sixth formers, who is interested in Immunology/Genetics as a future career.
Former Head of School, Olivia Howard (Cl 14-21) and former deputy Head of School, Will Hunt (Ch 14-21) joined a Sixth Form Assembly virtually to talk about their current experiences as Gap Year Tutors at Harrow School in Hong Kong.
Ella Fidlin (Os 14-21) kindly came back to King’s to give advice and performance feedback to current pupils prior in their GCSE assessments in November.
King’s pupils are fortunate to have not only teachers supporting them with the Oxbridge selection process, organised and overseen by Dr Ronan McLaverty-Head (Hon OV), but also the OV community. In December 2021, OVs who have personal experience joined this year’s cohort for a virtual session dedicated to the process: Alice Evans (S 1118), Charlie Mackintosh (Cr 13-20), Theo Beever (S 09-16), Zoe Kimber (S 15-20) and Tom Angell (Cr 16-21)
It was wonderful to welcome OV and former Head of School Joe Fowles (Cl 0512 and King’s St Alban’s) ‘back’ to King’s in January 2022 to speak with some current Lower Sixth Economics students.
One of the strengths of King’s is the fantastic and generous OV community and many current Sixth Formers have witnessed this generosity by means of the wealth of connections made with OVs, who have been able to assist with advice and the sharing of their work experiences with so many of our current pupils. In putting pupils in touch with OVs, we follow a strict procedure to ensure that we adhere to safeguarding principles for our pupils, with parents, form tutors and Josh Hand (Cl 91-01), Head of Sixth Form, being copied into all correspondence and present in any in-person meetings with the OVs. Advice has been given in careers ranging from Law, Politics, Psychology, Architecture, Chemistry, Finance, Veterinary Science, the Construction industry to Engineering, Conservation & Ecology, the Hospitality industry, Computer Science, Music Production, Medicine and The Arts.
We give many thanks to the numerous OVs who have been so generous with their time providing one-to-one advice directly with pupils, which includes: Sq Ldr Bonnie Posselt (Cr 98-03), James Green (Br 0512), Thomas Yates (W 99-06), Penny
Ashmore (Cl 14-16), Imogen Schofield (Ch 01-08), Anthony Lock (W 05-11), Emma
Tanser (Br 12-14), Clare (Os 91-98) and Jon Turner (W 87-98), Leanne Sheen (W 99-06), Tim Summers (Br 87-92), Josh
Wickens (Os 04-11), Daisy Bendall (Cr 06-13), Archie Jury (K 12-19), Ollie Wild (Ch 10-17), Jon Preston (Cl 02-09), Piers
Harris (S 00-07), Alice Walter (Br 99-07), Luke Lupton (Cl 07-09), James Larkin (S
74-81), Jess Crichard (Cl 15-20), Julian
Slater (S 70-76), Amber Morgan (W 02-
09), Helen Jubb (Cl 09-16), Ellen ReakesWilliams (S 14-16), Michael Bussey (S 1520), Alexander Bower (S 13-20), Kirsten
Campbell-Ferguson (Ca 12-19), Sebastian
Bower (W 11-18), Ben Alexander (Ch
06-13), Lizzy Bennett (Ch 08-10), Lucy
Macaulay (Ch 16-18), Josie Armstrong (Ch 14-21), Richard Bacon MP (Br 70-80),
Jabba Riaz (Br 91-96), Sir Ashley Fox (K 80-87), Louis Stephen (Br 80-85), Charlie
Mackintosh (Cr 13-20), Corah Lewis (Ch 07-14), Sophie Edgar-Andrews (S 03-08),
John Harper (Ch 04-09), James Martyn-
Smith (Cl 04-09), Ed Pearce (Ch 92-03),
Nick Vaughan (Os 84-91), Will Smith (Br 93-04), Paul Renney (Cr 78-80), Natasja
Enthoven (W 14-19), Howard Stanton (S 84-91), Ed Brew (Br 01-08), Adrian Palmer (Br 77-86), Peter Buston (W 80-90), James Simpson (K 09-16) and Lawson Higgins (K 83-91)
Visits to School
OV George Gudgeon (Os 08-15) visited King’s in October 2021. He enjoyed seeing Hon OV Dr Ronan McLaverty-Head while with us and kindly donated some Religious Studies books to the School.
OV Rowan Kitt (77-87) visited King’s in
October to referee a 1st XV rugby match. He enjoyed this so much that he returned in November for a tour of School.
Over the winter half term, OV Alex Gratland (Cl 91-00) enjoyed a tour of School with his daughters.
George (Ch 43-50) and Maurice (Dayboys 48-54) Hartley paid us a very special visit in December 2021 on the occasion of George’s 90th birthday.
kindly to donate two of his books, Trader’s Road, to the School Library, which he also took the time to sign. Michael and his wife enjoyed a brief tour of the School, seeing Headmaster Gareth Doodes, and spending a wonderful time reminiscing.
It was great to see OV Peter Haynes (Cr 58-62), who was only in Worcester briefly during his holiday to the UK from his home in Montreal. He had not been back to King’s since leaving on completion of his A-Levels.
In May, OV Mike Slaughter (W 64-68) brought his wife Lottie for a visit from their home in Belgium, with only a short window of opportunity to come into School.
Michael Nice (W 12-19 & King’s Hawford) enjoyed watching the School Production of We Will Rock You and later that week came in to visit us.
OV Nicholas Cleobury (Ch 58-68) returned to School to join Hon OV Director of Music Simon Taranczuk and Hon OV Christopher Allsop to help those performing in the first, full, in-person Cleobury Concert in March 2022.
Kate Phillips (née North, Co ’81-83) and Alison Watson Jones (Co 81-83) visited the School in March, during half term, hosted by Liz Elliott (Co 82-84)
Also in March, we welcomed OV Tim Fawbert (K 79-86), who was in the area on a short visit from France, visiting his family.
OV Michael Sykes (H 42-52) visited on his way to a friend’s 90th birthday party
2021-22 Committee and Officers
President: Julia Annable
Vice President: Vacant
Chairperson: Julia Annable
Hon Secretary: Nick Stephens
Hon Treasurer: John Potter
Committee Members
Members Emeritus: Alec Mackie
Elected Members:
Julia Annable
Nick Clark
Simon Cronin
Rebecca Day
David Head
Will Kerton
David Ogle
Mike Page
Claire Turner
Headmaster: Gareth Doodes
King’s School Alumni Representative: Sophie Borrillo-McLellan
OV Club
It was so very special to gather with OVs from across the generations for the (twice postponed) 118th Annual OV Reunion Weekend in September 2021. College Hall once again looked splendid and, despite still being under some slight restrictions to help look after all the guests, we had a fantastic turn out that was on a par with pre-pandemic levels.
The OV Club Committee continues to provide a formal bridge between King’s today and OVs, giving both support to the School and representing OVs. We are always looking to welcome more OVs to join the Committee, so if you are interested then please do get in touch via honsec@oldvigornians.org.uk
Nick Stephens (Br 77-84), OV Club Hon Secretary
OV Brandon Chin (Ch 84-88) took time out from his visit to the UK from Malaysia to see the School for the first time since he and his brother had left. Brandon proudly brought his wife, sister-in-law, and friend with him on the tour.
OV Kevin Mannion (Cl 67-77) returned to School for a full tour, having not properly been around the School for a number of years. As a retired biology teacher himself, he enjoyed speaking with a number of King’s staff, especially OV Nicki Essenhigh (Co 84-86), about teaching today as well as his time as a pupil at King’s.
OV John Farndon (H 65-75) visited in June, with some happy memories of his time at School and enjoyed this first time returning since he had left.
It has been such a delight that over the past year we have been able to re-introduce inperson events, even though on a slightly smaller scale than pre pandemic and with measures in place to keep the events as safe as possible for all guests as we eased into post-pandemic world. We have enjoyed welcoming so many OVs and members of the King’s family to such a lovely variety of events, reunions, school and careers visits. The number of King’s alumni who stay in touch with the School clearly demonstrates the strength of the community.
Below is an overview of the events hosted or facilitated by the Development and Alumni Relations Office:
Upper Sixth Parents’ Evening: August 2021
We were very grateful to OV Luke Weaver (S 98-03) who took time out of his schedule (and missed a pivotal Lions’ match!) to join us for the U6 Parents’ Evening. Drawing on his own experiences, Luke explained to the parents of our newest OVs how the OV network is instrumental in keeping connected with friends but also for careers support and networking.
New OV BBQ: September 2021
This is a much-loved event and it was wonderful to see over 170 of our newest OVs from the years of 2019, 2020 and 2021 gather with their ‘old’ teachers in the School Gardens for a barbecue and drinks on a balmy September evening. It is always great to hear of everyone’s post-A-Level plans and adventures, as well as a relaxed introduction to the OV network.
Five Year Reunion: September 2021
We were thrilled to welcome back the years of 2015 and 2016 for their Five Year Reunion. The year of 2015 of course had their reunion last year postponed due to Coronavirus. It was super to see so many smiling, happy faces and wonderful to hear stories of where the last five years have taken the OVs: on travels, into careers, exciting studies, awards, relationships and much more.
Annual OV Reunion Weekend Celebrations: September 2021
After two postponements, we were so delighted that the ‘annual’ OV weekend could finally happen and OVs were able to have such a fantastic time reuniting and reminiscing. We began the day with Bubbly Brunch, where we were joined by OVs and Hon OV former staff. The OV Committee met for their annual AGM and then tours of School followed, where OVs were shown around School by an expert team of Monitors. The evening saw College Hall transformed for the black-tie OV Reunion Dinner, where friends could reunite and also connect with OVs from different eras. The Eucharist on Sunday morning saw OV Rev’d Robert Gilbert (Os 85-92) preach and Secretary of the OV Club Committee Nick Stephens (Br 77-84) give the reading.
OV Professions: November 2021
As we had not been able to hold OV Professions Networking events for a while, in a change to the usual format, where the groups meet independently, we brought together all four current groups, Finance, Law, Marketing, and Property, at The Long Acre pub in bustling Covent Garden. The evening gave opportunity for OVs to network with others working in the same sector as well as to meet those from different areas but who share a King’s experience. It was a pleasure to meet OVs at different stages of their careers, with those at the start of their career journeys and those more senior in their professions able to share experiences.
Modus Cup Challenge: November 2021
A resounding King’s win at the annual rugby match against RGS at Sixways was supported by the full King’s family of pupils, their families, and a fabulous OV turnout. It was a particularly poignant occasion as the game started with one minute’s applause for Marc Roberts (Hon OV), who sadly died in September. The crowd in the stands were on their feet in recognition of Marc’s incredible service to King’s and rugby. This was a special moment and one that we were honoured that Marc’s widow, Julia Roberts (Hon OV) was there to share.
Remembrance Day: November 2021
Thanks to COVID restrictions, the School
marked Remembrance Day slightly differently from usual. The School’s Commemorative Service was held in College Hall and broadcast to the King’s community (no pupils were present). We were very grateful to OV Major Andrew Wright RA (Cr 92-03) who gave the Address. During the service a wreath was laid on behalf of the current pupil body by Heads of School Josh and Charlotte and another on behalf of former pupils of the School by OV Adam Winter (Cl 84-94), who is also Head of Estates at King’s. Andy gave a thought provoking and poignant address, focussing on individual stories of soldiers, especially talking about the importance of comradeship and friendship. The afternoon saw a moving occasion as OV guests joined us on College Green for prayers and a CCF Roll Call of Honour, where we especially remembered fallen OVs from anniversary years with cadets reading the names, regiments and dates for those OVs.
We were immensely grateful to OV Lucy Robinson (K 04-11), along with her father Ian (Hon OV) and mother, Alison, for hosting a small reunion at their home for the year of 2011 when the event at School was unable to go ahead in October. The OVs met for drinks and food, along with several of their former teachers, and it was wonderful to hear that a most enjoyable evening was had by all.
Arranged by Jon Sarriegui (Hon OV), the annual OVs vs King’s current pupils football fixture has become a much-anticipated OV event in the calendar. It was a pleasure to see both a 1st and 2nd XI OV team playing the opposing King’s squads. The matches were closely contested, with all sides playing exceptionally well (even those OVs
back from university. We were delighted to see the 1st XI OVs secure a deserved 3-2 win and the 2nds a 2-2 draw. Although the teams were not playing together regularly anymore, the teamwork and support foundations laid at King’s were evidently still in abundance among the OV squads and it was a pleasure to see everyone together and having so much fun.
Every term, the King’s Music Department holds a Cleobury Concert. The concerts have been renamed in honour of Nicholas Cleobury (Ch 58-68) and his late brother, Sir Stephen Cleobury (Ch 58-67). In March, we were delighted to be able to welcome Nicholas back to School to be a key part of the event.
Nicholas added, “It was a pleasure to be back in College Hall and be able to meet and hear so many present-day King’s musicians. Music at King’s seems to be in “rude good health” and brilliantly overcoming the restrictions of COVID. Bravi. King’s gave Stephen and me a wonderful start and is doing so for so many pupils today.”
On Friday 13 May we were finally able to hold our long-awaited OV Drinks in London, at the fabulous Bankside Gallery. It was wonderful to have a fantastic turnout with OVs from across the years, a great atmosphere and lots of laughter and excitement at all the overdue catching up.
Mason (Hon OV) has made typical of a King’s rugby team; they played some highquality Sevens, scoring great individual and team tries in the process. It made for a very memorable and enjoyable day and we’re already looking forward to next year’s tournament.
Hawford) and OV and former Deputy Head of School Will Hunt (Ch 14-21 and King’s St Alban’s), as all three were currently residing in Hong Kong.
We were so pleased to hear from Immie Gillgrass (W 13-20) and Cameron Mathewson (Cr 11-18), who are both currently living, studying and playing in the USA, especially as, despite being at university in different states, they had managed to arrange a meet up!
King’s Day: July 2022
Although we had to reduce numbers of guests in the Cathedral due to storm damage, the events were live-streamed to ensure we could, at the very least, have everyone’s presence virtually.
This year saw the return of the much valued and well-loved King’s Days afternoon events. A wonderful turnout of OVs supported the annual 1st and 2nd Cricket team vs OV teams down on the playing fields and also the KSW Boat Club Regatta on the River Severn. Seeing so many OVs return to School to participate in these sporting events and so many parents, pupils and OVs spectating was truly lovely. These events are a true testament to the King’s family and showcase the strength of the OV Community.
Overseas OVs
It was fantastic when OVs Toby Moody (K 80-91) and Tim Bradshaw (Ch 84-94) contacted us, having found themselves meeting up for the first time in 30 years, in Morocco! Tim was competing in the Rallye Du Maroc as part of his training leading up to the Dakar Rally in 2023, and Toby working at the rally, commentating on the daily TV highlights that were sent worldwide.
This year, the annual CCF Mess Night was celebrated at Puckrup Hall near Tewkesbury. OVs and Hon OVs also joined in the celebrations, representing the generations before. Those attending included: OV Malcom Joyner (Cr 44-52), Eszter Horvath (Ca 14-21), Will Chapman (Ca 14-21), Jonathan Booth-Scrimshaw (Br 13-20), Ollie Flanagan (Br 14-21), Ed Robins (W 14-21) and Ben Webb (Br 1421)
After three years of postponement, an OV Rugby Sevens team finally competed at the Sundogs Festival held at Luctonians Rugby Club. Although it was a tough day for the OVs, with the weather against them and last-minute injuries and mishaps preventing a full team coming together, they still managed to muster the determination and “never-give-up” attitude that Jonny
With a good proportion of OVs living, studying and working overseas, there is a wonderful ‘ex-pat’ OV community spread all over the world and it is fantastic to hear when OVs take advantage of geographical location to meet up.
The spectacular setting of the Tip of Borneo, Sabah, East Malaysia was where Dr Feisul Mustapha (H 90-92) met up with Howard Stanton (S 84-91) at Howard’s Eco Lodge and Jungle Camp, Tampat Do Aman. Feisul is currently deputy director of the Malaysian Health Department, in charge of combatting non-communicable diseases for the country and decided to take a wellearned break with his family and visit his King’s friend. As Howard explained, “We had a great catch up, talking about our time at King’s!”
OV Tor Lemon (née Crowe, Cr 9806) thoughtfully contacted us, having met up with OV and former Head of School Olivia Howard (Cl 14-21 and King’s
Social media often gets a bad press, but in this instance, it enabled OVs Jim Hodgson (Ch 79-84) and Jamie Mackie (Os 75-85) to realise they were only 30 minutes from each other, while both were on holiday. Jamie has lived in Melbourne, Australia, for many years, and had made the trip over to France with his eldest son, Tom, to see his daughter, Liv, who is currently living and working in Thonon, on the southern shore of Lake Geneva. They made the short drive into the mountains to Avoriaz, where Jim and his partner Jo Perrin were enjoying the last days of the ski season. It was great for both OVs to reminisce over all things King’s and relive those shared times on the rugby and cricket fields many years ago!
Our many congratulations to OV Sophie Edgar-Andrews (S 03-08) and husband Andrew on the arrival of their second daughter, Seren Rose, who was born on Valentine’s Day. Seren is doing really well, and Rowan (3) is very excited to be a big sister.
OV Tor Lemon (née Crowe, Cr 98-06) and husband Tom welcomed Sophie Elizabeth May Lemon in July 2021. Sophie was born in Hong Kong while Tor and Tom were working there and has already travelled extensively.
OV Laura Osborne (née Bligh, Br 9301) and husband James are delighted to announce the birth of their baby boy Harry James Osborne in September 2021. Harry recently enjoyed his first holiday with the family at La Manage Club in Spain.
Wonderful news from OV Matt Jones (S 86-95) and wife Joanna on the arrival of their daughter Felicity in May this year. Their other three children, Maddie, Henry, and Edward are delighted to welcome their baby sister into the family.
OV Howard Stanton (S 84-91) and wife Lorinna welcomed their second child, Amari Avasi Konsiong Stanton, in July 2021. Her sister Margaret Ekow Konsiong Stanton, is a very proud and happy big (six years old) sister.
Adélie Claire Daniele Humpage-Versavaud was born in January 2022 to OV Alex Humpage-Versavaud (S 94-03) and Céline. She’s utterly charming, full of smiles, and recently started nursery.
OV Emmie Le Marchand (Cl 03-10) was married in Worcester Cathedral by Dr Mark Dorsett (Hon OV) and then enjoyed a reception at Elmbridge Farm, run by OV Amy Simons (née Court) (Cl 03-05). Emmie’s husband is Ben Walker, who is an old boy of Shrewsbury School.
OVs in attendance were Sophie Le Marchand (Cl 96-07), Harry (Cl 03-10) and Kate Iddon (Cl 98-05), Lucy Spring (Cl 03-10), Louise Gwilliam (K 03-10), Ilija Rasovic (03-10), Sam Harris (S 08-10) and Ben (Br 03-10) and Tom Fardon (S 0310). Honorary OVs were Emmie’s parents, Stephan and Sarah Le Marchand, Russ and Sue Mason, Anita Iddon and Patricia Stevens. Emmie added, “I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone!”
OV Major Oliver Cox RHA (Ch 02-09) was lucky enough to marry Miss Victoria Wright on 21 August 2021 at St. Leonard’s Church, Bewdley. They enjoyed a wonderful day; they were joined by OVs Adrian Freeman (W 85-95), Gordon Cox (Cr 56-63), John Cox (W 57-64), Thomas Cox (Cr 97-07), Ashley Pain (W 02-09), Andrew Hewit (Ch 02-09), Richard Brockway (W 6877), Charlotte Martyn-Smith (Ch 02-09), Frazer Price (S 04-09) and James MartynSmith (Cl 04-09).
Dan Loader (Ch 03-10) married Katie Styler on 31 July 2021. They had a superb day, with stunning weather, surrounded by friends and family for the ceremony at St John The Baptist Church, Feckenham, and afterwards at their reception at Avoncroft in Stoke Heath. OV guests included Jon Males (Ch 03-10), Josh Scholes (S 0310), Charlie Titmuss (Ch 03-10), Quentin Elmhirst (Cr 03-10), Tom Bennett (Ch 0310), Alice Tomkinson (Ch 03-10), Becky Marshall (Cr 07-10) and Lizzy Bennett (Ch 08-10).
Keira Lapsley-Hughes (née Lapsley, W 97-02) and Daniel Hughes eloped to the stunning Aphrodite Gardens in Cyprus for their nuptials. They were joined by their children, Bridesmaid Felicity Ray Lapsley-Hughes, and Best Man Lorcan William LapsleyHughes. A very private, family affair, it was the perfect day. It also turns out that marrying in Cyprus was divine intervention: after teaching at Droitwich High (Head of Drama) for 13 years, Keira was successful in her application to be English Language and Literature teacher at Foley’s School in Limassol and the family moves there in the summer.
On 25 June 2022, Chantal Smits (Br 1214) married Ryan Jennings in the glorious environs of Stanbrook Abbey. They were joined by Maid of Honour OV Phoebe Parker (W 07-14), Males of Honour OVs Dylan Pinches (Cl 09-14) and Andy McClymont (W 07-14) and their bridesmaid party included OVs Charlotte Collins (Ch 07-14), Hannah Brotherwood (Ch 07-14), Hannah Rowley (née Jeavons, S 07-14), Frances
The wonderful photo shows Chantal and Ryan with their full wedding party and their partners, with, from left to right: Ollie Walker, Frances Taylor (Ch 07-14), Ed Rowley (Os 07-14), Charlotte Collins (Ch 07-14), Dylan Richardson (Os 09-14),
Connie Grant (S 07-14), Dylan Pinches (Cl 09-14), Hannah Rowley (née Jeavons, S 07-14), Ryan Jennings, Chantal Smits (Br 12-14), Phoebe Parker (W 07-14), Andy McClymont (W 07-14), Emma Jarvis (Ch 07-14), Lewis Richardson (Br 07-14), Hannah Brotherwood (Ch 07-14), Emily Humfress, Corah Lewis (Ch 07-14), and George Owen.
Mary Cox (Cl 01-06) married Ben Riddle in Worcester Cathedral on 2nd June 2022, after postponing their wedding for a year due to COVID. Their reception was at Deer Park Hall in Eckington. Mary left King’s to pursue a career in Musical Theatre. She met Ben at Guildford School of Acting in 2011.
Mary says: “It was such an honour to be able to get married in Worcester Cathedral. It felt extremely special. We had the best day and feel extremely lucky to have been able to have had the wedding we had planned, with all our family and friends. It was worth the wait!”
Hannah Jeavons (S 07-14) and Ed Rowley (Os 07-14) married on 14 August 2021 Pauntley Court in Gloucestershire. Around 25 OVs came to the wedding. Four of the Bridesmaids were OVs, Lottie MartynSmith (née Jeavons) (Ch 02-09), Bethany Brass (née Jeavons) (W 04-11), Connie Grant (S 07-14) and Corah Lewis (Ch 0714). Harry Hunt (K 07-14), Miten Patel (Os 7-14), Steve Walker (K 07-14) and Lucien Keegan (Os 07-14) supported Ed as ushers. OV guests included James Martyn-Smith
(Cl 04-09), Will Dovey (Cl 07-14), Alex Parker (S 07-14), Charlotte Collins (Ch 07-14), Hannah Brotherwood (Ch 07-14), Emma Jarvis (Ch 07-14), Frances Taylor (Ch 07-14), Chantal Smits (Br 12-14), Olivia Hunt (née Deehan) (W 07-14), Dylan Richardson (Os 09-14), Lewis Richardson (Br 0714), Ben Doughty (Ch 07-14) and Hannah Trow (Old Hawfordian). Mother of the Bride Abi Jeavons (Hon OV) was also in attendance.
Taylor (Ch 07-14), Connie Grant (S 07-14), Emma Jarvis (Ch 07-14), Corah Lewis (Ch 07-14)
Steve Ballard (S 88-94)
1976 - 2021
Steve Ballard passed away on 16th December 2021 following a long struggle with a debilitating illness.
Steve and his brother Paul Ballard (Br 88-93) started at King’s together in January 1988 as a result of a move by the family from Somerset. Despite being late starting in his year, Steve quickly made friends and was in touch with many of these long after he left the School and right up until his death.
He was a keen rugby player and was soon a member of one of the King’s teams. However, several knee injuries forced him to give up when still quite young, although he always retained a passionate interest in the game. His other passion was fishing, both coarse and fly fishing, and he spent many happy hours by lakes and rivers hoping for “the big one”.
After leaving King’s, Steve lived in Canada for six months before taking a degree in Land Management at Harper Adams University. He subsequently enjoyed a successful career in property management with several companies including Network Rail and Galliford Try.
In the Sixth Form at King’s he met Sophie Kyte (Cl 94-96) and they were married in 2003. They continued to live in Worcester throughout their married life and had two daughters Josie (17) and Freya (15).
Steve was a popular, if sometimes exuberant pupil and he always said how proud he was to have been a King’s boy. Whenever he spoke of his school years, it was with nothing but fond memories of his happy times there.
Steve’s funeral took place in Evesham on 14th January and many of his old school friends attended. He is of course very much missed by his family, and he will always be remembered as a loving and cheerful, husband, father, son and friend.
Paul BallardMichael (Mike) Allen Beckett (S 46-53)
1934 - 2022
Mike was born in Badsey, Worcestershire, but his parents Richard Newbery Beckett and Ivy Fisher were from wellknown families who lived in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire. Indeed, Becketts Lane in
Winchcombe is so named after Mike’s greatgrandfather and grandfather, who ran the pottery there in the mid-nineteenth century.
After briefly attending Blackminster Senior Modern School near Evesham, Mike attended King’s from May 1946. He joined the School’s Army Cadet Force aged fourteen and within two years had acquired Certificate A Proficiency. Thriving on the physical activities provided by the School, Mike developed a competitive nature and notable sporting prowess. He excelled at rugby, playing eventually for the 1st XV, swimming and water-polo. In July 1951, the Vigornian reported that M. A. Beckett of Chappel House was the record holder in backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle swimming events!
On leaving King’s in 1953, Mike was conscripted into the Army for three years and served in the Royal Artillery, based at Park Hall Camp near Oswestry. He was eventually promoted to Sergeant Instructor, with responsibilities for instructing new recruits in basic military training and 25-pounder gun drill.
After conscription, Mike worked in banking and building societies in various locations around the North Cotswolds and South Midlands areas, retiring as a District Manager for the Heart of England Building Society in 1992.
In retirement, Mike was very active in the Rotary Club and Masonry, making many friends and acquaintances with his optimistic, upbeat outlook and warm engaging conversation, for which he will be long remembered.
Mike is survived by his much-loved daughters, Jane and Susan, and three grand-children Emma, Luke and Robert.
his working life isn’t straightforward: he left School at 16 and went in his father’s catering business; the King then asked him to join the Army and wouldn’t take no for an answer, so he did National Service, catering in an Officers’ Mess and eating well. But for most of his life in essence he was a teacher. A teacher of movement. Initially in teaching cake decorating and confectionary, but at some point he realised his heart wasn’t in the catering trade and he felt a sense of falseness in telling students how amazing a career in catering was when he didn’t believe it himself. At this time, he was canoeing and kayaking, racing white water slalom and long-distance events including Devises-to-Westminster; his heart was absolutely in this.
His passion led him to a position at Plas y Brenin in Wales as an Outdoor Education Instructor in canoeing, but rapidly learning, and soon teaching, climbing, skiing, and leading camping expeditions; his campcooking talents became legendary!
Geoff met and married Margaret while at Plas y Brenin, and soon after moved to Calshot Activities Centre on the South Coast of England to establish a canoeing and kayaking department. While at Calshot he designed a sea kayak: the Anas Acuta, which is an amazing craft that went into commercial production in the seventies and is still made and sold today.
After about a decade at Calshot he left for teacher training college to become qualified to teach metalwork, woodwork, and technical drawing, which he taught at a secondary school until he retired. He retired early and enjoyed many years travelling with family and friends, being in the mountains, playing table tennis, and eating cake.
He spent his last few years in a lovely care home in Edinburgh, with fantastic carers, and close to his daughter, which he loved. He enjoyed a good and full life, often with a mischievous sense of humour, and love.
1934
Geoff Blackford passed away rather quickly and peacefully on 23 April 2022. He loved many things: his family - he was a husband and a father - close friends, mountains, sport, cars (driving fast!) and cake. Defining
Patrick Charles Brotherton was a day boy at Chappel House together with his (non-identical) twin brother, the late Peter William (Cl 46-49). They would travel each day by train from Evesham. Their father, Charles William Brotherton (known as ‘Bill’), was a champion asparagus grower in the 1950s.
Mark Howes Geoffrey H Blackford (Cr 43-47) 1931 - 2022 Dr Jane BlackfordPatrick’s natural interest was always with machines. He spent four years as a regular in the RAF (1952-56) in the Motor Vehicle Troop. In 1959 he married Mary Marina Field from Cherington in the Cotswolds (she survives him) after they met at one of the regular dances held in The Vale. They had three sons: Charles Andrew, Trevor Martin, and Stanley Bevan. Following the death of his father (in 1965) Patrick took on the family market-gardening business, growing asparagus, gooseberries, blackcurrants, plums and other fruits. Following two poor harvests (1970-1), and with a young family to support, he found more stable employment as a mechanic at the REME (later Royal Engineers) workshops at Long Marston. He stayed there until retirement in 1999. His life-long passion for machines led him to save, and restore, many old and interesting vehicles. His final project, undertaken in retirement, was a “groundup” restoration of a 1929 Morris Oxford which he had found, many decades before, abandoned and derelict and stored outside under a corrugated iron sheet on Bomford’s Farm. He is sadly missed by his widow, his sons, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren.
Stan Brotherton (Ch 79-84)
Richard C Brown
(Ca 43-47)
1929 - 2021
At King’s, Richard was Head of House, Captain of the 1st XV Rugby and Head of School.
After National Service in the Far East, he joined Barclays Bank DC & O in Kenya. On returning to the UK, Richard joined Lloyds Bank retiring as a Manager in Leominster in 1989.
Tom Brown (Ch 46-52)
Professor Michael Clarke CBE DL (Former Governor) 1944 - 2021
Professor Michael Clarke CBE DL died on 22 December, after suffering for some years from Parkinson’s Disease.
In addition to his very distinguished university career, particularly as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Birmingham University, and a busy retirement, during which he was Chair of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Michael gave years of service to the Church of England, to the Diocese of Worcester, and to Worcester Cathedral. He was a prominent member of the General Synod and chaired several of the most
contentious synod debates. His sharp mind, gentle humour, comprehension of the issues, and mastery of standing orders, made him ideal for the task. In 2018 he was awarded the Canterbury Cross for services to the Church of England.
Michael was one of the first two lay members of the Worcester Cathedral Chapter, Chair of the Cathedral Council, and Chair of the Three Choirs Festival Committee. He was a Governor of the King’s School, a Governor of the University of Worcester, and a Deputy Lieutenant of the County.
Bishop John said, “Michael Clarke will be sorely missed by very many people, including me. His contribution to church and society was exceptional and exemplary; he gave of himself unstintingly for the good of others. I feel privileged to have known him, to have learned from him and to have counted him as a friend. May he be welcomed into the loving arms of the God he served so well, whose love is stronger than death.”
The Dean, Peter Atkinson, added, “Michael was one of the first people I met when I came to Worcester. He remained a good friend, a wise counsellor, and a kind unofficial mentor. His faithful membership of the Church of England was rooted in his Yorkshire vicarage childhood. It was a privilege to learn from his long years of experience, often dispensed over pints of beer in a country pub.”
Obituary courtesy of The Church of England – Diocese of Worcester
Pat Edwards (Hon OV) Staff
1947 - 2021
Patricia Ann Rose was born in Leicestershire on 22 July 1947, daughter to John and Gladys and baby sister to her brother John, who was nine years older. She enjoyed a happy childhood and, in later years, still vividly remembered crowded family holidays together with her many cousins, aunts and uncles.
She passed her 11+ exams in 1958 and went to Beauchamp Grammar School in Oadby; she even kept her Maths schoolbooks from that time. After school, she studied at Eastbourne College of Education for three years to train as a teacher, specialising in Maths with Biology. Teaching was a vocation from an early age: she often recounted stories of holding classes for her dolls when she was a child, which included giving them a good telling off when they got their sums wrong! Being a teacher was
a profound part of her personality and was a thread throughout her life.
Her first teaching job was at New Park Girls’ School in Leicester, but soon afterwards, in 1969, she met her future husband John Colin Edwards at a friend’s wedding, where she was a bridesmaid and he the groom’s brother and best man. John, a postgraduate of the Royal Academy of Arts, had recently returned from studying art in Italy, and was about to become the youngest member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. They were married five months later in January 1970 in Pat’s hometown of Enderby in Leicester, and their first daughter, Rowena, was born later that year.
Pat began her married life in John’s parents’ house in Kidderminster, which he bought in the early 1970s, making it into both their family home and his studio and gallery. She and John would live together there for the next fifty years. In family life, Pat was kind, thoughtful and stoic. She did not like arguments and was, by nature, inclined to calm and soothe, being both unfailingly generous and sympathetic. She provided a vital counterbalance to John’s stubborn streak, and it was her patient endeavours that made their marriage and parenting such a long-lasting success. Pat was also a huge support to John in his artistic career, of which, for her, the highlight was being present when Her Majesty the Queen unveiled the portrait of her that John was commissioned to paint in 1993.
Their second daughter, Ceiridwen, was born in 1973, but it wasn’t long before Pat returned to teaching, starting at Holy Trinity Convent School in September 1976, where she taught Maths part-time. She would stay at Holy Trinity for the next fifteen or so years, moving to a full-time post and becoming Head of the Maths Department. During this time, she ran an after-school Maths club for pupils, and also undertook home tutoring.
Pat also had experience of continuing education from the student’s viewpoint. She enrolled in the Open University to study Maths, graduating in 1981 with a B.A. (Hons), followed later by an M.Sc. awarded in 1993.
When she decided to leave Holy Trinity in the early 1990s, Pat taught briefly at Bowbrook School in Hartlebury, before moving to her final job at The King’s School in Worcester, where she worked for 19 years before retiring.
As she had done throughout her life, she made many good friends there. Pat especially enjoyed being a part of the informal Crossword Club, helping to
solve The Times Cryptic alongside her fellow teachers in the Common Room at lunchtime. Christina recalls working with Pat in the King’s Exam Office, where Pat lightened tedious hours processing exam results with her jokes and sense of fun. She also remembers Pat’s patience, kindness, generosity and listening skills.
While at King’s, and long after she retired, she worked as a Marker for various Exam Boards, marking online up to Spring 2021 despite her failing health. If the dining room table didn’t have John’s art books piled on it, it would be covered in Pat’s exam papers!
As well as her family and her teaching, Pat enjoyed reading novels, especially detective and historical fiction. She also liked to watch detective shows on TV, and was a ‘supervising gardener’, insofar as she appreciated having a well-kept garden to sit in but not necessarily the labour involved! She was fascinated by Roman and Tudor History, and the portraiture of Hans Holbein. She loved her cat, Tigga, and also had a strong affinity to the sea. Towards the end of her life, she delighted in watching birds on the garden feeders.
She was proud and supportive of both her daughters and granddaughters, Arianwen, Gwenllian and Angharad, sharing a love of Maths with Ari, who graduated with a B.A. (Hons) in that subject from Manchester University in Summer 2021.
Pat could be a worrier, which may reflect the sorrow she experienced in her life. She was not quite seventeen when her brother died in a car accident in 1964, and she said the shock turned her hair grey overnight. Her own mother Gladys died young from cancer, and Pat herself was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. After an operation and several rounds of chemotherapy, she received the all-clear and life with John went on much as normal, until 2017 when she received the news that the cancer had returned, which led to more rounds of unpleasant treatment. This coincided with John’s own terminal cancer diagnosis, and the last few years became increasingly difficult for both Pat and her girls.
There is an inescapable sense of injustice that Pat died while still relatively young, and with much to which to look forward. However, whatever our loss and grief, Pat believed that heaven is the place where we will be reunited with those we love who have gone before us, like her husband John, her brother and parents.
In conclusion, Pat was a kind person, someone who spread love and joy around her, and whose life and friendship were a
blessing to those who knew and loved her. Her family take comfort that she is now safe in the loving arms of God.
This is an edited version of the tribute given at Pat’s service of remembrance on 25 October 2021 by her son-in-law, the Rev’d Dr Bernard Minton
Her family wish to offer heartfelt thanks to all past and present members of King’s who came along to help celebrate Pat’s life, but also to those who contacted them with words of comfort and support. Pat would have been touched by the high regard that you clearly all held her in.
Mark Hare (Cl 70-73)
1955 - 2021
Squadron Leader Mark Hare (Cl 70-73), who has died aged 66, flew RAF Harriers on operations during the Falklands War.
On April 8, 1982, six days after the Argentine invasion of the islands, the RAF’s No. 1 Squadron was ordered to prepare for operations from an aircraft carrier as attrition replacements for anticipated Sea Harrier combat losses. After an intensive period of pilot training, and an engineering programme to modify the Harrier GR3s, the first aircraft headed south on May 3. Hare flew one of the first three aircraft to take off from St Mawgan in Cornwall. Using air-toair refuelling from a Victor aircraft, he and a colleague reached Ascension Island after a 4,600-mile non-stop flight in their singleengine aircraft (the third aircraft had been forced to divert to Gambia).
After the arrival of further aircraft, they were embarked on the Atlantic Conveyor and set sail for the South Atlantic on May 8. By May 19 all the RAF Harriers had transferred to the carrier Hermes. Flying as the No. 2 to his flight commander, Hare flew his first operation on May 21, when they attacked an Argentine forward operating base near Mount Kent. He destroyed a Chinook helicopter on the ground, while the Harrier’s cannons damaged two other helicopters. His aircraft was hit by smallarms fire.
Over the following days he bombed Stanley Airport and shared in the destruction of a Puma helicopter on the ground. On May 26 he destroyed enemy guns at Goose Green. Returning in the afternoon to support 2 Parachute Regiment, his leader was shot down, ejected and avoided capture over the next three days. During further attacks on Stanley Airport, his Harrier was damaged. He flew an armed reconnaissance mission, searching for a land-based Exocet missile launcher, and on July 11 he was flying No. 2 to his commanding officer. They attacked gun positions at Moody Brook
Barracks, when shoulder-launched antiaircraft missiles were fired against the two attacking Harriers.
On July 13 he flew his final mission, when his leader dropped a laser-guided bomb on positions near Tumbledown and Hare followed up this attack by dropping bombs on enemy positions. The following day, the Argentine forces surrendered. Hare had flown 22 operational missions, most against heavy anti-aircraft and small-arms fire, and his aircraft had been damaged on a number of occasions. No. 1 Squadron’s Harriers were reconfigured with Sidewinder air-to-air missiles to supplement the Royal Navy’s Sea Harrier force. On July 4 they disembarked from Hermes and deployed to a site on Stanley Airport to provide air defence for the islands. By the end of June, the original RAF Harrier pilots, including Hare, began their return journey home. For his services during the campaign, Hare was Mentioned in Despatches.
The son of an RAF Group Captain, Mark was born in Tidworth in January 1955 and educated at Rugby School and King’s School, Worcester. He was awarded an RAF flying scholarship and gained his private pilot’s licence before he could drive. He was given a university cadetship to Southampton University, where he graduated in Law, having served and flown with the University Air Squadron.
Hare entered the RAF College Cranwell, where he excelled, winning the sword of honour and five major prizes, including that for the best pilot. After converting to the Harrier jump jet, Hare was posted in November 1979 to No. 1 Squadron based at Wittering near Peterborough. The squadron’s role was to support forces on NATO’s northern and southern flanks and it regularly deployed to bases in northern Norway, operating from basic bases and in extreme weather. During his time with No. 1 Squadron Hare, together with his colleagues, was detached to the Harrier flight based at Belize to provide a deterrent against possible incursions by Guatemalan forces.
Six months after returning from the Falklands, Hare was posted to join No. 3 Squadron flying from Gütersloh in Germany, where the squadron frequently deployed to operate from field sites in support of the 1st British Corps in the central region of NATO. He was one of two pilots who regularly demonstrated the Harrier at European air shows and his outstanding ability as a Harrier pilot resulted in the award of the AFC at the end of his tour of duty in June 1986.
He was posted to the air staff at HQ Strike
Command, a ground appointment he did not relish. He made strenuous efforts to return to flying – his campaign was taken up in the national press – but he remained at Strike Command “to progress his career”. He decided to seek voluntary retirement and left the RAF in April 1988.
He joined Monarch Airlines and first flew the Boeing 737 on European routes before transferring to the Airbus 320 and 321. He became the company’s senior pilot at Manchester, where he flew competency checks on all Monarch pilots operating from the airport. He enjoyed walking and hang-gliding in his younger days. He and his wife bought a small farm in North Wales where they kept sheep.
Mark Hare is survived by his wife Kathi, by their three daughters and a son, and by a daughter from an earlier marriage.
Obituary courtesy of The Daily Telegraph 09 September 2021
Andrew Kneen (Hon OV)
Staff
1931 - 1921
Andrew attended the Royal Grammar School Guildford, where he proved to be an outstanding pupil in everything but sport. He spent many afternoons in the Art Room and instead of Oxford went with a scholarship to the prestigious Slade School of Art, which is part of University College, London. At the end of the course, he was one of the three students of a large intake to be Highly Commended for his work in Art History and Stage Design. Further, he was singled out by Graham Sutherland, who said he was the best painter and draftsman of his year.
Andrew’s particular interests lay in fine art, painting, and architecture. He was Head of Art at King’s from 1972 to 1983 and was a much-respected colleague for whom The Guardian was required reading.
He was a quiet and thoughtful man, whose wide range of interests meant that he was often able to aid the Common Room crossword puzzlers with a piece of obscure information. I will remember him for the speed at which he could work, perhaps best exemplified by his painting of eight full size portraits of actors in costume, which he did on four successive afternoons, a mere few days before they were required for the School’s production of Ruddigore; this was in addition to painting the rest of the set. Fortunately, there is a more permanent memorial of his style in that he designed and painted the decoration of the School’s harpsichord.
A few years after he left King’s, Andrew and his wife, Myrtle, moved to Whitbourne. Here he contributed to the life of the village in his support of the garden society, as Secretary to the Village Hall Committee during the planning of the new village hall, as Footpaths Officer, making posters for every village event and on reporting Parish Council meetings for the Parish Magazine, his last report appearing in the December 2021 edition. He was a keen environmentalist and was one of the first in the village to install solar panels followed more recently by an air source heat pump.
Various village pantomimes saw us working together again and, knowing how fast Andrew could work, I never had any worries about the size of canvases I presented him with to paint as scenery. He also found time to play Bridge, write poetry, maintain and continuously develop a large garden, as well as deliver some popular and well received lectures to an U3A group. Andrew painted throughout his life and left two works in progress at the time of his death. He died in hospital on 27 December 2021, a few days after his 90th Birthday.
A posthumous exhibition of his work was held in Whitbourne Village Hall in May 2022.
Peter Baseley (Hon OV), with the valued assistance of Myrtle Kneen
Anthony (Tony) Markes (Cl 43-48) and Staff
1929 - 2022
Tony Markes passed away on 5 February 2022, aged 92. He was born in Huddersfield in 1929 and spent his childhood in Worcester and London. He went on to study at Worcester Art School, where he met his wife Boo, before teaching in the Education Corps in Chester during his National Service. He then completed his apprenticeship with Geoffrey Whiting at Avoncroft Pottery and spent time working at the Clevedon Pottery.
Tony taught in both the Art and English departments at King’s from 1956 until 1958, when he and Boo moved to Tenby to realise their dream of setting up a pottery by the sea. With only £250 saved, they opened Tenby Pottery in what is now The Mews in Upper Frog Street. At the time, there were no other full-time potters in Pembrokeshire. Tony and Boo made and decorated all their pots in full view of the public, making this the perfect place for locals and visitors to come and watch them work.
Tenby Pottery has been sold throughout the world and remains collectable today.
Their work made an appearance on the Antiques Roadshow at Pembroke Castle, when Sarah Bolwell of Loafleys, Tenby, took her collection to the Show. Tony was delighted to see his pottery feature on the programme and commented that, “it’s nice to know the pottery will be around long after we are gone.”
In 2000, Tony retired as Chairman of the South Pembrokeshire Bench after serving as a magistrate for nearly 30 years. While serving on the committee for the Tenby Boxing Day Swim, he created the legendary Goscar Oscar trophy for the highest-sponsored group. He was also a member and former President of Tenby Rotary Club, a Trustee of Tenby Museum and taught pottery at the Tenby Adult Education Centre for almost 20 years. He was a keen local naval historian and had several articles published in the local press.
Tony is survived by Boo, a resident of Belmont Court, daughter Sally and husband Peter, son Jonny and partner Caroline, granddaughter Tasha and partner Vikash, and grandson Sam. A celebration of Tony’s long life took place on 21 February 2022, where his family remembered his life through photos and the music he loved.
Sally Turton
Born 9 June 1961 in Worcester, David was the fourth child and only son of George and Edna Peters. The family, sisters Susan, Linda, Barbara and their grandmother lived at Norton. By the time he was ten, David’s sisters had left home to pursue their careers, so when his father had to take early retirement due to ill health, this resulted in a house move into Worcester City. David was awarded a Scholarship, attended King’s School and now could easily walk home.
He joined the Cathedral Choir and performed in plays, including playing a female role. David particularly loved History and joined a war-gaming group. He had an amazing memory for dates and details, but as time went on, he found it difficult to decide which career path to follow. A friend suggested that he joined the Civil Service, as it offered a variety of opportunities. Within a few years of working in Worcester, he took the brave step to move to London to work in court.
David loved London and within a month or so he had travelled all the main bus routes to explore the city; he also memorised
all the tube lines so that he could get around easily. He enjoyed all the wonderful museums and galleries, soaking up all the history on his doorstep.
Initially he worked as an Executive Officer at the Court of Protection, then in 1985 transferred into Wood Green Crown Court, where he remained of the rest of his working life. David loved working as a Clerk but rarely talked about it to his family, apart from saying how busy he was. After our parents died, David didn’t return to Worcester very often, except for attending family weddings and birthday celebrations, but he mostly kept in touch through phone calls and texting Sue after Aston Villa matches, congratulating or commiserating with her on the result.
In his fifties he struggled with his health issues, which resulted in him having a ‘pacemaker’ fitted. Despite these problems, David disliked having time off, in fact he often went in during holiday time to make sure everything was ‘up-to-date’. While at work in February he suffered a small stroke; a colleague took him to hospital, but he was discharged home that evening. A couple of days later court staff and neighbours became concern when he didn’t respond to their calls; he was found collapsed at home and taken to hospital with pneumonia. Two days later, on 11th February 2022, he died from a brain-stem stroke. This was a massive shock to his family and his colleagues.
His colleagues have told us, his sisters, that he was a much loved and respected friend and colleague, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law and the procedures that must be followed in the courtroom. He could be relied on to spot errors and would always assist less experienced colleagues with advice and the answers to questions. They will also miss seeing his bright Hawaiian Shirts and his knowledge during quiz nights, because he knew everything about everything, from Art to Literature to Beethoven and even Little Mix.
Most of all David would be forever remembered for being a huge part of Wood Green and the legacy of excellent Court Clerks he helped to train. The family also hold many happy memories and David will always be loved and missed.
Sue BannisterAfter attending Cheltenham Grammar and Leeds Grammar, Robin Reece Jones went to King’s shortly after World War II. It was an experience he remembered with great fondness all his life.
In August 1946, Robin Jones’s father, Richard Jones, hired a cruiser on the River Severn. They moored at the Water Gate in Worcester. His father walked into town across the College Green to buy a newspaper. Enroute, he asked directions and found himself talking to Mr ‘Boge’ Bentley, Housemaster of Castle House, King’s School. His father was so impressed that Robin was sent to King’s from Leeds in January 1947 and his brother Bill followed later.
Robin was in Castle House for three years and became a House Prefect and later a School Prefect. He played rugby for the First XV and rowed in the First IV. He obtained his Oxford School Certificate before his parents decided he should join them in Australia.
After completing his schooling at Cranbrook in Sydney, Robin obtained a degree at Sydney University. He went to the UK for a graduate apprenticeship at Leyland Motors LTD, a booming truck and bus company. He worked in London, Sydney, Melbourne, Madras (now Chennai), Johannesburg and Colombo for 20 years, finishing back in Sydney as Director of Truck & Bus Special Products for Leyland Australia. He later joined ACTA shipping and became Director of Terminals & Depots at ACTA Australia, where he enjoyed working for 15 years.
Upon taking retirement, he and his wife, Liz, who accompanied him on all these moves, spent the next 20 years traveling widely; there were not many countries in the world they did not visit! They were also well known for sailing their 28-foot yacht around Sydney Harbour. Robin even undertook training to become a coastguard at the Watsons Bay Lighthouse overlooking the entry to Sydney Harbour, where he served for many years as a volunteer.
They had three children Susan (a Lawyer), Michael (a Doctor), and Toby (a Conservationist), five grandchildren, all in career employment, and one greatgrandchild.
Over the years, Robin kept in regular contact with TJ Richardson (Ca 40-49) and his wife, Jeanette (whom he introduced in 1949!)
Susan Reece JonesMarc was appointed to teach Mathematics at King’s in 1975, receiving the good news when on the afternoon shift at the Sunblest bakery in Sheffield, where he was supplementing his student grant.
Abandoning the culinary world, Marc threw himself wholeheartedly into education and quickly showed himself to be an exceptionally talented and inspirational teacher. His forte was mechanics and countless numbers of King’s students owed their success at GCSE, A-Level, university and beyond to his thorough lively and challenging lessons. Marc was equally at home teaching the top A-Level double mathematicians or the somewhat less talented lower ranked GCSE sets. He had high standards but understood that not everyone was as good a mathematician as he was and was an expert at encouraging and cajoling all his students, the results being seen in the outstanding grades they achieved. In the classroom he entertained his sets not just with mathematical solutions but also with wide ranging discussions about diverse topics such as psychedelic rock bands of the early 1970s, Welsh and New Zealand rugby, and life in the wilds of Martley.
Marc loved ‘characters’, especially if they also happened to be good at Mathematics, a reflection of his own schooldays at the Lewis School, Pengam, when he admitted he was a lively individual, at one stage even supporting Cardiff City home and away for a couple of years before, in his own words, “he saw sense.”
As a member of the Mathematics Department, Marc was a loyal and wise counsellor, providing tremendous support to his Heads of Department, Richard Knight, Ed Reeves and Alison Hines. His knowledge of every mathematical topic was immense and his involvement for so many years with the A-Level and GCSE exam boards reflected his great love of the subject.
Marc met Julia at Sheffield University and they were married in 1975; both being students, their honeymoon consisted of one night at a hotel in Bromsgrove. At King’s, initially they lived in the Edgar Tower Lodge but moved into School House when Marc was appointed Housemaster in 1980. Running a boarding house is a challenging job, but they both rose to the many challenges with considerable aplomb. Marc ran a disciplined house but he was a naturally kind man and
always appreciated that teenage boys occasionally needed to let off steam. At weekends, when Marc was often away with the First XV or the First Seven, Julia took command with assurance and authority. At various reunions it is always noticeable just how many Old Vigornians are quick to express their appreciation for all that Marc and Julia did for them whilst boarding in School House.
In 1988 Marc moved from being in charge of a Boarding House to being Head of a Day House, Wulstan, where he showed himself equally adept at providing expert pastoral care for countless numbers of pupils. As in School House, Marc set clear boundaries but encouraged individuality and selfexpression. Marc, who had been a very capable 400 metre runner when young, always took great pride in Wulstan’s regular success in winning the House Competition at Sports Day, victories which owed a great deal to Marc’s exceptional organisational ability. No member of Wulstan ever dared not to appear on time for their event.
On arrival at King’s, Marc combined running the Under 16 Rugby team with playing at Number 8 for Pershore, a club for which he retained enormous affection over the years. He could have played at a higher level but enjoyed the camaraderie of the club so much that he stayed put, enjoying some success, most noticeably when they defeated a Worcester side which included the late Peter Iddon (Hon OV) in the County Cup Final. In subsequent years Marc occasionally mentioned this fact to his good friend Peter.
Marc took over as Master in charge of Rugby at King’s in 1979 and remained in post for the next fifteen years. It is no exaggeration to say that he was one of the truly exceptional schoolboy coaches of his time. He had a masterly ability to analyse individual’s strengths and weaknesses and to adapt his team’s style of playing from season to season. Every team he had improved as the season progressed and he was equally proud of the achievements of his unbeaten XV of 1985 and those of teams with less ability but who also gave their all. Marc’s powerful Welsh voice on the touchline was a useful coaching tool, as players were left in no doubt if their tackling was a little suspect or their choice of attacking option might have been incorrect.
Under Marc’s leadership, King’s also became a very powerful force on the National Sevens circuit and Marc loved crossing swords with schools such as Millfield and Wellington College. In 1988 King’s, captained by Nigel Richardson, defeated Millfield in a thrilling semi-final at
Rosslyn Park but lost out to an Ampleforth team including Lawrence Dallaglio in their ranks in the final.
Marc was a fantastic colleague and friend to many and as his assistant coach and then successor as Head of Rugby I shall be ever grateful for his friendship, measured words of advice and constant support.
He was a loving and proud father of Naomi (Cl 93-04) and Joey (Ch 96-07), grandfather of George and Toby and a devoted husband to Julia (Hon OV). He liked nothing better than to relax from the pressures of school life with family holidays to Portugal. His only complaint about that lovely country was that they had an annoying habit of showing Portuguese football matches on TV rather than Welsh rugby.
The vast numbers of Old Vigornians who attended Marc’s funeral service in the Cathedral was an indication of just how much he contributed to the life of King’s over so many years and how deeply loved and respected he was.
Peter Gwilliam (Hon OV)
Clifford Rose (S 43-48)
1929 - 2021
A well-known and muchloved actor, whose career spanned decades, Clifford was a founding member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). He had a multitude of credits to his name, including playing Sturmbannführer Ludwig Kessler in the BBC TV series Secret Army and its sequel Kessler, playing leading roles in The Pallisers and Fortunes of War, and more recently in blockbuster film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The Iron Lady, and in the Netflix series, The Crown, playing alongside Olivia Colman.
In addition to his acting, Clifford was also keen to support and help younger actors. As an Honorary Associate Artist of the RSC, Clifford held workshops for other members of the RSC, and he had also taught at LAMDA, with an emphasis on exploring Shakespeare’s texts, an area in which Clifford had a wealth of knowledge and experience, having acted in all but two of Shakespeare’s plays!
Clifford joined King’s in 1943 on a Scholarship. A boarder in School House, Clifford enjoyed the academic side of things but didn’t feel drawn either to sport or to a career in the military. It was thanks to then headmaster, Mr Kittermaster, who cast Clifford in the leading role of the School’s production of Macbeth, performed
in College Hall, that the stage was set for Clifford’s acting career.
It is no surprise that Anne-Marie became a teacher and, during the 17 years of dedicated service at King’s, the School became her second family.
Anne-Marie had a breadth of dedication: she was a patient and understanding teacher of Maths, who managed to unlock the subject for many pupils lacking in confidence, a teacher of Religion & Philosophy, a pastoral tutor, the Treasurer of the Staff Common Room and Manager of the School’s Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award Scheme. In all these roles, and many more, an overriding observation is how kind she was in everything that she did. She was also a deeply caring tutor in Choir House. She is remembered for the kindness and compassion shown to her tutees, their parents and colleagues. Both pupils and parents appreciated her gentle and methodical approach. She would not let things go undone and had a knack of knowing when someone was upset or needed help.
Her attention to detail was second to none, whether it was organising House activity days, sorting the form teams for the Maths Challenge, trips to the Mosque or even what courses staff had ordered at the Christmas party! As Treasurer of the Common Room, she kept a close eye on staff birthdays, anniversaries, and moments of difficulty. Cards were organised, flowers were sent. Perhaps the toughest job of all was sorting the seating plan for the staff Christmas party, something she always did amazingly well. Anne-Marie never sought attention; she never sought recognition. Again, this illustrates her generosity, care and dedication for the King’s family.
You could be forgiven for assuming that Anne-Marie’s humble nature made her lack confidence. To a degree that may be true, but those who can recall the staff dance at the end of a spectacular pupil dance showcase, or the staff performance of Cinderella in the Theatre will know how much Anne-Marie enjoyed being on stage in the company of friends.
Anne-Marie was always willing to help. Pupils trusted her and staff knew that if Anne-Marie was involved, things would work. She was willing to have a go at most things and accompanied her House group to the Old Chapel many times, where she delighted in helping her tutees put
up tents and joining in with the singing around the campfire. She loved the Old Chapel and took pride in looking after everyone by ensuring food was plentiful and on time, usually requiring a 5am start ahead of everyone else, or going to bed late. She adopted a policy of “ Well if I can do it, so can you, ” which quickly stopped any pupil trying to opt out when they were tired or bad weather set in. On at least one occasion this mantra was fully tested when she became competitive while playing canoe-tag during Lower Remove Camp. The inevitable happened and both she and her canoe colleagues ended up in the River Wye, much to the enjoyment of pupils. She was always great at seeing the funny side, regardless of the cold or the embarrassment. I should point out, though, that she was pretty poor at packing light. I later learnt that much of her kit was extra supplies for staff and pupils. At times, this included an outrageously good spread of home cooked food to supplement what had been provided. Anne-Marie was never one of those staff who was simply needed to satisfy a staffing ratio; instead, she was always an integral part of the trip and terrific company. She eagerly took charge of the kit van, the bigger the better, and enjoyed the challenge of driving along narrow country lanes or reversing into tight spaces. She was very good at it!
In 2007 I invited her on a Geography trip to the French Alps. Unusually, her response was somewhat lukewarm. Only later did I discover that she had never owned a passport. Thankfully she managed to obtain one in time, and this became the first of many trips to the Alps as well as a history trip to the Battlefields. Without exception they were all fabulous trips, in part due to Anne-Marie’s excellent company. She quickly got on with the coach drivers by providing amazing home cooked quiches and a selection of cakes. We had such fun. However, despite coming on several trips, I don’t think she ever enjoyed the cable car rides; while I excitedly pointed out the views, Anne-Marie would stare intensely at the floor or close her eyes for the entire journey!
The DofE Award Scheme was a huge part of Anne-Marie’s life, and her meticulous management was second to none. She helped countless pupils achieve their DofE and I can confidently say that those who have ultimately received their Gold owe a huge debt of gratitude for her tireless encouragement and support.
Anne-Marie loved King’s. She always had the pupils at the centre of her life, and she contributed so much to the School. Her service was for others, not herself. She is
a dearly missed colleague and friend who never got to hear publicly how much she was valued. Of course, we can all continue Anne-Marie’s legacy by showing kindness and compassion.
Thank you for the good times. God bless you, Anne-Marie. Rest in peace.
Simon Cuthbertson (Hon
Jane Stacey (Hon OV) Staff
1933 - 2021 Keith (Bridges, Hon OV) and I have been friends of Jane for nearly 60 years and for all of those, our connection was King’s School. When we married, Jane and Alan were installed in School House, and when we moved to Hostel House, we were neighbours. We ate together at Staff Supper every night and our children roamed the grounds together. Friendship led to shared holidays and support when things went awry.
Retirement didn’t change anything: still the holidays and now time for long dinners and wine and laughter. Jane and Alan were a team and Alan’s death must have been a terrible blow, but Jane was still there and showed how strong she was. Lockdown arrived (we were a bubble) and although she was always supported at every stage by her children, she was philosophical and strong. If I complained, she told me to get on with it, and that’s just what she did when she received her diagnosis of cancer. Her death has left a huge hole in my life; with whom can I chat and laugh and indulge in political arguments? She was a wonderful, loyal and desperately missed friend.
Jane Bridges (Hon OV)
Norman Trapé OBE (S 67-71)
1954 - 2021
Norman Elliott Trapé OBE, Freeman of the City of London, died of lung cancer on 07 October 2021.
He relished the King’s experience, was fortunate to be elected a King’s Scholar, probably cheated Michael Pimley (H 6171) out of being Head of School in their last Oxbridge term, but, as Norman’s wife and Michael’s sister, I assure you there were no lasting grudges.
Norman and his elder brother John (S 1964-70) followed their father John Trapé MBE (S 1934-38) at King’s. Norman went up to Magdalene College Cambridge and
spent a fourth year at Freiburg University; from there he joined the Royal Hong Kong Police for three years as an Inspector working in the Special Branch. We married in Worcester Cathedral in 1982, by which time he had joined the MoD and after which he served in the UK and at the British Embassies in Paris (1990-1994) and Moscow (2000-2005).
King’s was a building-block of his life and career: rugby, cricket and Modern Languages. He believed he had the best of teachers and role-models, even if he hadn’t always realised this at the time. Alan Stacey (Hon OV), David Annett (HM 5979), Dr Gordon Leah (Hon OV), Ian Brown (Hon OV), Arthur Aldridge (Hon OV), Jasper Cash, Colin Gray, these teachers taught him more than he appreciated at the time, how to work with others, how to study wisely and how to try to be a decent human being. I thought he made a good job of it.
Sally TrapéBrian Vale (46-51)
1934 - 2020
It is with great sadness the Vale family are informing you of the passing of Brian Vale aged 85, loving husband to Joan Vale nee Maclaren, father to Andrew and Catherine and Grandad to Bradley.
Brian had the most amazing life. He was born in Worcester in 1934 and spent his early years at St Audries Road with his Mother, Cissie and Father, Ted. He went through WW2 and rationing, eating sheep’s brains on toast and pigs’ cheeks. He remembered with glee watching a lowflying Spitfire fly over his house chasing a twin-engined Heinekel 111 German bomber. He recalled fishing in the River Severn with his dad, and especially catching Perch with a wooden rod and reel. He also enjoyed sledging and skating on frozen lakes during the freeze of 1947.
He left Stanley Road School to join the King’s School in Worcester as a dayboy. Whilst there, Brian preferred playing sports rather than being educated. He played rugby for the Worcestershire and Herefordshire Schoolboys Under 15s and eventually went on to play for Worcester Rugby Football Union Club when their club house was just a wooden hut. Brian also became part of the School’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF), which fuelled his later interest in the military services.
Whilst at School he used to earn pocket money by working on Harold Watkins Farm,
where amongst other things he picked apples in the orchards that eventually paid for his first ever tennis racket, which we still have. Brian fondly recalled asking Mr Watkins why he left his pigs in the orchards as they ate most of the windfalls. Harold replied, “Well I likes me Apple sauce in ‘em, Brian, I likes me apple sauce in ‘em.”
He also recalls Mr Watkins telling him whilst the picking apples, “Brian, keep a few leaves on them there apples, coz where them’s going they don’t knows they grows on trees.” This always used to make him laugh.
Upon leaving The King’s School his headmaster wrote, “It’s a pity Brian is leaving because at last he is beginning to learn a sense of responsibility.”
In 1951, Brian began a five year engineering apprenticeship at the Perry Road Metal Box Factory, which meant his National Service was deferred until it was completed. He also met Joan whilst they both worked at Metal Box and a romance blossomed after a dance. Apparently everyone had coupled up and they were the only two left.
In 1956 he joined the Royal Navy to begin his National Service. He initially trained in Portsmouth and, because he suffered from sea sickness, he requested to serve on a large ship. The Navy thoughtfully considered his request and he was duly posted to Malta to serve on their smallest of ships, HMS Brigand, a salvage tug that also towed Battle Practise Targets (BTP), which were shot at by battleships and cruisers. On one occasion he recalls a stray shell hitting the ship and going straight through the engineer’s cabin.
Brian also learnt to shallow water dive and to carry out anti biological and chemical warfare. He burst one of his ear drums on a dive to reach a sponge and that sponge we still have today.
In 1957 he married Joan whilst on leave from Malta (without parental consent: naughty boy!) Shortly after that he returned to Britain having reached the rank of Chief Petty Officer but had to continue his National Service in the Worcester Regiment as a Second Lieutenant. Upon completion of his National Service, he became a Reservist in the Territorial Army (TA).
In 1960 Brian transferred to the Metal Box Factory in Arbroath and he and Joan had many a good time socialising with the local Scots. Brian also transferred to the 4/5th battalion of the Black Watch TA, where he thoroughly enjoyed yomping over the hills, glens and lochs, shooting rifles and
machine-guns, throwing grenades and firing mortars. He had a true passion for the Black Watch Regiment; he loved their camaraderie and friendship. This was returned by the Scottish soldiers who served under him, and they bestowed upon him the privilege of being a “Scot by contamination.”
Brian and Joan left Arbroath for Greece and the Regiment gave him a mortar fin and a biscuit barrel engraved with the following: “To Captain “Veerie” Vale from the Officers and Men of C Company 4/5th Black Watch, 1965.” This was reference to the fact he was a dab hand at using the Very pistol when on night manoeuvres.
Brian transferred to Greece to help set up the Hellas Can Factory, a Greek version of Metal Box, and in 1965 Joan joined him with Andrew their son, who had just been born. In 1968 they all moved back to Barnehurst in Bexleyheath, Kent where in 1968 Catherine was born. In 1971 the family moved up to Mansfield as Brian had been offered the position of Factory Production Manager at the Metal Box extrusion factory at Sutton in Ashfield, where he remained until his retirement in 1989. During that time he was always there for his family, supporting them in all their hobbies and activities including Pony Club, Brownies, Cubs, Scouts, ATC, Athletics, Karate…the list goes on and on. He also had Brandy, his beloved Golden Retriever who brought him much pleasure on walks and when shooting and beating. He was heartbroken when Brandy passed away at the age of 14 years.
Brian had two heart attacks in the 1990s and, once recovered, he organised and administrated several sponsored cycle rides for the British Heart Foundation Charity.
In 2001 he became a grandad with the birth of his No. 1 Grandson, Bradley. He enjoyed time with Brad, making hurdles in the back garden for him to race over. Brian also loved going to watch Brad play rugby for Mansfield, but he especially enjoyed his annual trip to Welford Road with to watch Brad and Andrew’s Leicester Tigers play ‘HIS’ Worcester Warriors. He also kept active with Joan, playing table tennis, Scottish country dancing and going to Tai Chi. Their marriage together lasted for over 60 amazing years, which was commemorated in 2017 when they both received a congratulatory telegram from the Queen.
Brian enjoyed the countryside, and he loved and cared deeply for his family, especially Joan, his wife, who devotedly loved and cared for him every minute of every day in his final years. He passed away
in February 2020 at the beginning of the COVID Pandemic.
From all your family, friends and colleagues, we thank you for brightening and being part of our lives. May you rest eternally in peace, Brian, Husband, Dad, Grandad, Friend.
Andy Vale and on behalf of Joan Vale
OV Deaths reported since publication of the 2019-2020 Vigornian
Steven Ballard (S 88-94)
Michael Allen Beckett (S 46-53)
Geoff Blackford (Cr 43-47)
Colin Brooks (Cr 42-45)
Patrick C Brotherton (46-49)
Richard C Brown (Ca 43-17)
Prof Michael Clarke (Hon OV)
Former Governor
Andrew P Cox (Os 89-96)
Pat Edwards (Hon OV)
Paul Foster (Ch 46-54)
(James) Murray Gill (Cr 42-46)
Mark Hare (Cl 70-73)
Alfred C Ingamells (Ca 46-52)
Andrew Kneen (Hon OV) Staff
Philip Langford (Cr 47-51)
Julian Lee (Cl 44-50)
Robert Lewis (Ca 43-52)
(Edwin) John Lofthouse (Cl 50-56)
Anthony N H Markes (Cl 43-48) Staff
Christopher J Maylott (Ch 64-66)
John Y Milne (H 50-55)
Ian G Milroy (H 46-54)
David G Peters (Br 69-79)
Tim J H Phillips (Br 58-63)
Robin Reece Jones (Ca 47-49)
Marc Roberts (Hon OV) Staff
Clifford Rose (S 43-48)
Anne Marie Simpson (Hon OV) Staff
Jane Stacey (Hon OV) Staff
Norman Trapé (S 67-71)
Brian Vale (46-51)
Mr G E Doodes
Headmaster Mr J R Ricketts Senior Deputy Head Dr A R Oliver Deputy Head (Staff and Co-curricular)
Mrs M H Beever Deputy Head (Academic)
Mr R Davis English, Head of UCAS Applications
Mr T Sharp History
Dr M Poole Chemistry, Head of Wulstan House
Rev M Dorsett Religion and Philosophy, Chaplain
Mrs N Essenhigh Biology
Mr A Gillgrass Politics/PE and Games
Mr S Cuthbertson Geography
Mr C Haywood Head of Art
Mrs M Longley PE and Games
Mr C Wilson Head of Design and Technology
Mr R Ball Head of Modern Foreign Languages
Mr J Mason Foundation Director of Sport
Mr C Atkinson PE and Games
Dr R James Chemistry, Head of Choir House
Mr E Lummas Design and Technology
Dr M Parkin Biology
Mrs R Rutter MFL
Mrs R Worth Biology, Assistant Head of Lower Years
Mr G Gunter Music
Mrs D Salkeld Maths
Mrs S Bradley Head of Classics
Mrs E Friend Head of Economics and Business
Mr J Chalmers Head of Rowing
Mrs C Neville Geography, Assistant Head of Sixth Form, Head of Kittermaster House
Mr A Deichen Design and Technology, Head of Castle House
Mrs L Walmsley English
Mrs J Lucas Head Learning Skills
Mr G Williams Economics & Business
Mrs R Shearburn Head of Spanish
Mr J Gardiner Maths
Mr J Hand Maths, Head of Sixth Form
Miss J Hewitt Art
Mrs A Fellows English
Mrs G Hardy Art
School Monitors
Head of School Josh Richardson
Deputy Head of School Charlotte Morgan
Monitors
Oliver Annable Felicity Quiney
Alice Baker Leo Rendall-Baker
Jack Barclay Josh Richardson
Alexander Barry Maia Roncal
Luke Beever Harriet Smith
William Chater Zoe Souter
Alice Clarke Dixie Stone
Catherine Coupland Stella Taylor
Louisa De Vois Izzy Trow
Olivia Filmer-Hare Bill Wales
Samantha Hadley Jamie Waters
Charlotte Morgan Rhys Watkins
Cerys Osborn
Dr R McLaverty-Head Religion and Philosophy, Head of Oxbridge & Academic Enrichment
Mrs E Woodward Geography
Mrs B Darby Maths
Mrs N Sears History, Head of Chappel House
Mr O Heydon Head of Mathematics
Mr W Joyce Geography, Head of Creighton House
Mr J Sarriegui MFL
Mr S Taranczuk Director of Music
Dr C Brown Biology, Head of Staffing Systems
Mrs D Clarke Maths
Mr E Houghton MFL
Mrs L Miller-Symonds Director of Sport
Mrs E Shepherd Classics
Mr A Swarbrick Maths
Mrs R Roberts Chemistry
Ms L Ruiz Pelaez MFL
Miss R Ellender Art and Design and Technology, Head of Bright House
Mr A Knights Physics
Mrs S Parry Head of Drama
Miss K Lane Drama and Theatre
Mrs C Yates Head of French
Mr D Branchett Head of Computing
Mrs E Ferguson Head of History and Politics, Assistant Head of Middle Years
Mr E Lewis Maths
Mrs E McGinley PE and Games
Mr M Warren English
Mrs A Gamble Physics
Mrs L Beard Biology
Mr N Blakemore Computing
Mrs D Drew MFL
Mr S Greenall PE and Games
Mr L Ison Head of Chemistry
Miss E Trow-Poole Classics
Mr G Ward Maths
Mr A Falzon MFL
Ms E Preece PE and Games
Heads of Houses
Bright
Castle
Catrin Lucas
Arthur Tunnicliffe
Hazel Zurich-Ball
Chappel Gabby Singleton
Choir
Creighton
Sophie Spencer
Archie Clark
Jess Waddington
Ben Bartlett
Holly Wylde
Kittermaster Ben Amos
Oswald
School
Wulstan
Maggie Marshall
George Bartram
Tom Kingsford-Dowd
Harriet Smith
Alice Atherton
Ned Meredith
Henry Collinson
Abbie Jones
Mrs C Rees Head of PSHE and RSE, Head of Oswald House
Miss K Arnold Chemistry, Head of Lower Years
Dr I Davies Chemistry, Head of Middle Years
Mr T Pearson Physics, Head of School House
Dr C Petchsingh Physics
Ms J Ellis Art
Mrs H Lacey Biology
Miss G Ormandy Geography
Mr A Batchelor Economics and Business
Mrs A Fitzpatrick Maths
Mrs S Lucas English
Mr W McGarvey History and Politics
Miss A Williams Drama
Mrs K Collins PE and Games
Miss L Herdman PE and Games
Mrs R Kent Psychology
Mrs K Knott PE and Games
Mr E Low Head of English
Mr O Shone Learning Skills
Mr R Ward History
Mr B Williams PE and Games
Mr R Booth Design and Technology
Miss B Allison Physics
Mrs P McConalogue Biology
Gap Students
Mr B Buckner Music GAP
Mr E Byrne Music GAP
Mr W Chapman Sports GAP & DMR GAP
Miss M Douglas Graduate Sports Assistant
Mr H Flockhart Foundation GAP Student
Mr A Fyfe Music GAP
Mr S Green Graduate Sports Assistant
Mr D King Sports GAP
Miss S Layton Sports GAP
Miss Izzy Nott Sports GAP
Miss M Short Sports and Marketing GAP
Mr E Thrush Sports GAP Hawford
Mr O Timlin Rowing GAP
King’s Scholars
Senior Scholars
Luke Beever
Cerys Osborn
Upper Sixth
Alice Baker
Alice Clarke
John Davies
Louisa Da Vos
Alex Lloyd
Charlotte Morgan
Angad Sangha
Izzy Trow
Lower Sixth
Grace Miller
Bobby Riddell
David Wills
Becky Ye
Fifth Form
Max Barclay
George Campbell-Ferguson
Ben France
Riya Mayilvahanan
Upper Remove
Emily Andrews
James Capell
Millie Dobson
Connor Yates
Lower Remove
Samantha Capell
Issy Da Silva
Pranav Mayilvahanan
Sonali Prasad
Alex Probert
Mrs C Furber School Nurse
Ms N McNamee Cleaning Manager
Mr F McFee Caretaker
Ms T Hundley Cleaning
Mr T Price Estates
Mr G Collins Groundsperson
Mr D Grinnell Transport
Mrs A Sansome Office
Mr N Clines Estates
Mrs D Paddock Music Secretary
Mrs P Bladen Senior Secretary
Mrs M Richardson School Secretary
Mrs V Peckston Registrar
Miss S Hewitt Finance
Ms H Hateley SIMS Manager
Mrs C Nesbitt School Secretary
Ms M Glarvey Exams Officer
Mrs J Timlin Art Technician
Ms J Harrell DT Technician
Mr R Barker Estates
Ms A Jeffery Library
Mr D Cox IT Department
Mr W Calvert Groundsperson
Mrs A Grove Payroll
Mrs K Turner HR Manager
Mr A Winter Estates Manager
Mr T Woodward Health & Safety Advisor
Mr S D’Ambrosi Estates
Mrs M Capell Library
Mrs M Quigley School Secretary
Mrs C Perera DMR Officer
Mr L Saunders Physics Technician
Mrs K Thurgood Assistant Examinations Officer
Mrs T Pardoe Lunchtime Supervisor
Mrs S Guest School Secretary
Mrs I Carson Kitchen
Mrs G Bruce HR Assistant
Miss A Cross Finance
Mr P Haynes Theatre Technician
Mr W Bird Rowing - Boatman
Miss E Rossiter School Nurse
Mrs A Stanley Headmaster’s PA
Mr H Cronin Strength and Conditioning Coach
Mrs J Palmer DT Technician
Mrs S Velasquez Marketing Executive
Mrs E Ward Director of Marketing
Mrs R Wilkes Spanish Language Assistant
Choristers
Lower Sixth
Leah Heaysman
Upper Remove
Martha Evans
Annabella Kenny
Kathryne Nardone
Lower Remove
Toby Auty
Annabelle Bird
Mr S Tongue ICT Manager
Dr K Watkinson Biology Technician
Mrs A Ellis Finance
Mr P Harding CCF
Mr S Bain Biology Technician
Mrs B Gamble Chemistry Technician
Mrs C Tedino HR Coordinator
Mrs M Hacklett Finance
Mr J Nash ICT Support Technician
Mrs K Mason Counsellor/Clinical Psychologist
Mr T Harper Estates
Miss E Southall Digital Marketing Manager
Mrs E Sydenham Physics Technician
Mr M Siglioccolo Counsellor
Mrs A Sutcliffe Alumni Relations Co-ordinator
Mr S Kilminster Estates
Mrs J Doodes Marketing & Partnership Manager
Mrs C Owen School Secretary
Mrs G Brooks Minibus Driver
Mrs J Sinclair-Knipe Cover Supervisor
Mrs A Odam School Nurse
Mr Q Javed Senior ICT Support Technician
Mrs E Bennett Learning Skills Administrator
Mr J Robins Rowing Coach
Miss C Pagett Receptionist
Mrs K Marsh Receptionist
Mrs N Rae-Dean Counsellor
Mrs M McCumisky Careers Advisor
Mrs S Eiser Admissions
Head Mrs Jenny Phillips
Deputy Head Mrs Caroline Knight
Assistant Head Mrs Amanda Marshall-Walker
Assistant Head Mr Lorne Stigant
Head of Lower School Mr Oliver Roberts
Head of Early Years
Digital Strategy Coordinator
Administrative Staff
Head’s PA
School Secretary
Registrar
Miss Anna Kingston
Mr Richard Cook
Miss Laura Crowe
Miss Gemma Woolley
Mrs Melanie Adams
Junior School Teachers (Years 3 to 6)
Mrs Joanna Atkins Mrs Lisa Hyde
Mrs Vicki English
Mrs Laura Fullelove
Mrs Paula Gregory
Mr Sam Hodgkins
Miss Gemma Holtham
Mrs Sophie Hughes
Miss Vicky Lake
Mrs Tara McCullough
Mrs Jenny O’Brien
Mrs Grace Owens
Mrs Celia Rawnsley
Mrs Janet Redman
Pre-Prep Teachers (Reception to Year 2)
Miss Emily Attwood-Bloomfield
Mrs Lucy Campbell
Mrs Stefanie Danks
Miss Emma Lane
Mrs Anna Leatherdale
Mr Russ Marsland
Mrs Joanne Rand
Classroom Assistants
Miss Annabel Andrews Miss Sarah Layton
Mrs Kirsten Beech Miss Sam Routledge
Mrs Wendy Goodman Mrs Amy Stallard
Mrs Abi Jeavons Mr Woody Thrush
Mrs Sarah Launder Miss Ellie White
Kindergarten Assistants
Miss Valentina Chiarello Mrs Joanne Obrey
Mrs Debbie Field Mrs Sam Powell
Mr Tom George Mrs Jo Simons
Mrs Judy Hooper Mrs Sue Watts
Mrs Kerry Horne Mrs Anna West
Mrs Kelly Jackman
Matron Mrs Kathy Goodman Mrs Jennifer Shukla
After School Care
Mrs Dorothy Hodgkiss Mr Woody Thrush
Miss Sarah Layton
Catering Staff
Catering Manager Mrs Tracey Widdows
Deputy Catering Manager Mrs Ceri Barker
Mrs Melissa Bates Mrs Jeany Prisecaru
Mrs Sarah Hand Mrs Cheryl Scott
Ms Gail Hughes
Art / Science Technician Mrs Sue Elliott
Maintenance Mr Nick Vaughan
Groundsman Mr Andy Callow
Head Mr Richard Chapman
Deputy Head Mrs Lisa Kilbey
Director of Studies Mr David Braithwaite
Adminstrative Staff
Registrar Mrs Louise Robins
School Secretary Mrs Sara Sowney
Prep School Teachers
Upper Fourth Molly Branchett
Frederick Edmonds
Larissa Edwards-Hall
Juliet Gardner
Lower Fourth Giles Evans
James Pollock
Benedict Roberts
Tyler Winslade
Mrs Fleur Atkinson
Mr Charlie Hooman
Mrs Keeley Beauchamp Mrs Helen Haggarty
Mr David Braithwaite Miss Alex Jordan
Mr Nicola Cain
Mrs Marie Knipe
Miss Briony Cartwright Mrs Liz Lewis
Mrs Jo Clark
Mrs Katie Etherington
Mrs Vanessa Gunter
Mrs Lucinda Hand
Mrs Eleanor Majhu
Mrs Julie Pitts
Mrs Nikola Ricketts
Mr Andrew Russell
Pre-Prep Teachers
Miss Ellie Chadwick Mrs Louise Thorp
Mrs Kate Chatterton
Pre-Prep Teaching Assistants
Mrs Albanie Cinao Mrs Judith Stenson
Mrs Charlie Holden-Milner Mrs Philly White
Mrs Lizzie Monkhouse Miss Becky Woodger
Nursery
Miss Eve Davies Mrs Valerie Monkhouse
Mrs Hannah Evans Mrs Sarah Pugh
Miss Ysobel Fowler Mrs Amanda Withnall
Miss Alison Lewis Ms Jo Williams
Matrons Mrs Karen Jenkins
Mrs Sarah Saundry
Maintenance Mr Terry Price
Ben Amos Bangor University
Subject
Environmental Science
Oliver Annable University of Manchester Geography with International Study
Alice Atherton Swansea University Modern Languages
Alice Baker Stanford University, USA Rowing Scholarship
Jack Barclay University of Exeter Mechanical Engineering
Alexandra Barry University of Manchester Geography
Ben Bartlett Cardiff University Business Management
George Bartram Cardiff University Business Management (International Management)
Joshua Baynham Cardiff University
Business Economics
Luke Beever University of Cambridge Engineering
Henry Bowers Bournemouth University Business & Management
George Boyle Loughborough University Business Analytics
Samuel Brealey University of Reading Accounting and Managemant
Dylan Briggs Nottingham Trent University Business Management and Marketing
Imogen Brinksman Nottingham Trent University Design for Stage and Screen (Design for Theatre and Live Performance)
Sarah Brown University of Exeter Classical Studies
Jack Bullock Loughborough University Construction Engineering Management
Tom Bulpitt University of Reading Finance (International Business)
Charles Butcher Aston University, Birmingham Product Design and Technology
Olivia Caddick University of Leeds English Literature
Aston Cambell-Kerr Loughborough University Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying
Joshua Cetindamar Aberystwyth University Politics and International Relations
William Chater University of Bristol History and French
Archibald Clark University of Bristol International Business Management with Study Abroad
Alice Clarke University of Cambridge Geography
Isabella Clements Swansea University Ancient History with a Foundation
Sam Clifford Imperial College London Biomedical Engineering
Catherine Coupland University of Birmingham Business Management with Marketing
Rory Crichard
University Subject
University of Birmingham BSc Human Sciences
Alice Crosby Cardiff University Criminology
Amelia Davies Leeds Conservatoire Musical Theatre
Louisa De Vos
Emily Diaz
Anja du Toit
Florence Edmonds
Rachel El-Akiki
Imperial College London Mechanical Engineering
Nottingham Trent University Sport Science and Coaching
Cardiff University Chemistry
University of Southampton Geography
Newcastle University Business Management
Jamie Elsdon University of Bath Mechanical Engineering
William Emsley Lancaster University Geography
Olivia Filmer-Hare
University of Nottingham Politics and International Relations
Maia Fitzgerald Roncal Montini University College, London Philosophy
Bethan Fox Imperial College London Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
Jasmine Franks University of Birmingham Law with Criminology
Poppy Freeman University of Derby Criminology
Arrian Ghoncheh University of Leeds Ecology and Conservation Biology
Emma Green University of Bristol Law and French
Samantha Hadley
Madeleine Hales
University of Birmingham English
University of Kent Law
Ben Harle University of Nottingham Electrical Engineering
Jack Havercroft Lancaster University Economics
Frederick Hewitt Cardiff University International Relations
Eleanor Hill
Queen's University Belfast Medicine
Hannah Hodges University of Exeter Accounting and Finance
Hebe Holden-Milner Nottingham Trent University Psychology with Sociology
Pavan Jawanda Plymouth Biomedical Science
Daniel (Rhys) Jones University of Bath Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Abbie Jones Cardiff University Human Geography
Safia Kassim University of Warwick Modern Languages
James Kemp Loughborough University Product Design Engineering
Jonah Kielty-Collins
University of Reading Ancient History and History
Thomas Kingsford-Dowd University of Southampton Aeronautics and Astronautics
Marc Koliasnikoff University of Birmingham Liberal Arts and Sciences
James Launder Durham University Geography
Joseph Lewis Oxford Brookes University Sociology
Sophie Lloyd Cardiff University Pharmacy
Alex Lloyd University of Warwick Physics
Catrin Lucas Durham University Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity
Isobel Mackie Bristol, University of the West of England Marketing
Isabella Grace Marsh Oxford Brookes University Interior Architecture
Maggie Marshall University of Leeds Fine Art with History of Art
Edward Meredith University of Reading Biomedical Sciences
William Moorhouse University of Sheffield Materials Science and Engineering
Charlotte Morgan University of Cambridge Medicine
Elena Morville Nottingham Trent University Psychology (Forensic Psychology)
William Muirhead University of Southampton Aeronautics and Astronautics / Spacecraft Engineering
Daisy Newman University of Nottingham Mathematics
Cerys Osborn University of Manchester Arabic and a Modern European Language
Eleanor Osborne Cardiff University Politics and Sociology
William Purser Swansea University Business Management
Huanglingmeng Qiu University of Leeds Business Studies
Felicity Quiney University of Exeter Modern Languages
Jonathan Raggett University of Plymouth Maritime Business
Katie Ransford University of Birmingham Economics
Harriet Raybould University of Nottingham American Studies and History
Leo Rendall-Baker University of Bristol Mechanical Engineering
Byron Richards Loughborough University Management
Josh Richardson University of Bath Mechanical with Automotive Engineering
Fleur Sentance Cardiff University Physics
Amelia Short The University of Iowa, USA Chemistry Standard entry
University
Subject
Gabriella Singleton Hereford Art Foundation
Felix Barnaby Samuel Slaughter
Cardiff University Mathematics, Operational Research & Statistics
Abigail Sly Swansea University Business Management
Harriet Smith Royal Veterinary College, University of London Veterinary Science (Aberystwyth)
Andrew Smithson University of Reading Geography (Physical)
Sophie Spencer Cardiff University Philosophy
Harry Sproule Cardiff University Architecture
Millie Stanley University of Nottingham Nursing (Adult)
Dixie Stone University of Exeter Physics
Stella Taylor University of Exeter Modern Languages
Alexander Terry Cardiff Metropolitan University Environmental Health
Edward Thrush University of Southampton Business Management
Isabella Trow London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London
Geography
Arthur Tunnicliffe Falmouth University Fine Art
Jessica Waddington Swansea University Population Health and Medical Sciences
William Wales University of Nottingham Mechanical Engineering
Sarah Warburton Cardiff University Ancient History
Jamie Waters University of York Chemistry
Rhys Watkins University of Southampton Aeronautics and Astronautics / Spacecraft Engineering
Finn Watkins Swansea University Aerospace Engineering
Ben Webb Cardiff University Chemistry
Charlotte White University of St Andrews Chemistry
Joel William Keele University Neuroscience and Psychology
Benjamin Williams Loughborough University International Business
Christiaan Workman University of Plymouth Criminology
Will Wrout Nottingham Trent University Interior Architecture and Design
Thomas Young University of Lincoln Education
Hazel Zurick-Ball University of Plymouth Medicine
