KING’S HIGH NEWS WINTER 20
Contents We hope you enjoy this interactive King’s High News! You can click on any of the Contents to go to that page, and click to view the videos and links within the pages.
A WORD FROM THE PRINCIPAL HEAD’S INTRODUCTION TATLER: ‘A MOMENTOUS YEAR’ A SNAPSHOT FROM KING’S HIGH KING’S WELLBEING FESTIVAL OF IDEAS KING’S SOCIETIES KING’S: YOUR FUTURE KING’S DRAMA KING’S MUSIC KING’S SPORT FOUNDATION NEWS
Cover illustration: Christmas card design by Isabella Balzaretti (Year 9) 2
A WORD FROM THE PRINCIPAL The end of term always presents time to reflect, not only on the achievements of the preceding weeks but also on our hopes and aspirations for the future. Highlights for me always involve being with pupils. At King’s, this has included seeing the new Music School come to life, meeting with older pupils, and talking with pupils as they move around the site. The ‘buzz’ and ‘fizz’ which is such a characteristic of life at King’s shines through, even in these complex times. Across the Foundation, what has also been strikingly evident has been a desire to embrace change. Whilst that has included the acceptance of the current modifications to school life, it is more than that. There is a tangible desire for the world post-Covid to be more inclusive; more accepting, more understanding, more welcoming. These changes start with our own community, and there have been great strides made by a Foundation working party in exploring how our schools can embrace these values more fully. Turning hopes and aspirations into reality takes time and patience; it also takes a very particular set of skills. Whether it is by encouraging kindness, empathy, debate, oracy, team work, or the importance placed on our internal democratic processes such as school councils and pupil voice, the behaviours which lead to change can be identified, promoted, and modelled. If we can foster and embed these skills, the impact within our school communities, and on a broader stage later in our pupils’ lives in their own communities and workplaces, will be transformative; enabling our pupils to be change-makers feels a laudable aim for our schools. Finally, as we prepare for a festive period which I know for many of us will be unlike any we have experienced before, I wish you all a happy and healthy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. Richard Nicholson Foundation Principal
HEAD’S INTRODUCTION With only just over a year in our new school buildings, we had very little idea at the start how important our strategic planning for “Bring Your Own Device” and our building design would be. We often speak of King’s as a forward-looking school preparing for the future but the test of our preparedness was to be nothing less than a pandemic, and the impact on our everyday life that arose from it. As our staff, campus and students got ready for the future, the future was about to come calling! It goes without saying that this Introduction is not the one that I would have expected to write or wanted to write a year ago yet – from the perspective of our school – it has been a tremendously successful year. Having put in place remote teaching during the Summer Term, we were extremely proud of our teachers and the excellent education that they had been able to provide, but from the beginning of the Autumn Term, we were able to reopen and put in place a full curriculum and co-curriculum offering. Our new buildings, that many of us were only coming to know in their original configuration, proved to be exactly the flexible learning space that was needed. Young people have a resilience and irrepressible optimism that is heartening to see. Immediately the students returned to the campus it became a school that we know it to be. Their happiness and customary high spirits are what turns our school into a home. Coming back with the lessons were also a wide range of activities that combined many of the best features of our online school with those of our regular school. We have been able to host academics and experts from across the globe in our remote lecture programme, we have run a virtual exchange and a Shakespearean festival with our Australian Schools in Sydney, sports masterclasses, music ensembles, Society events and discussion groups, for example our Equality Working Party. King’s staff and students have worked hard to bring alive the curriculum and really develop their expertise in our post lockdown life. For many girls and their teachers, the most precious memories of the Autumn Term will be those where we were brought together again. I have had many expressions of support from parents for the tremendous work that staff have done on their daughters’ behalf. It has been a real coming-together with everyone realising how important the school community is to our families and their everyday lives. As we move forward with considerable optimism, I am delighted to reassure you that King’s will do the best for you come what may and I hope you enjoy reading about the many and varied activities that we have enjoyed this term. Caroline Renton Head 1
TATLER: ‘A MOMENTOUS YEAR’ Tatler magazine visited King’s High when The Spirit of King’s sculpture was unveiled. While so much has changed for us all since that day, the spirit of King’s – embodied by our pupils, who make King’s what it is – has not, and that spirit was noted in the Tatler Schools Guide 2021: • ‘King’s High is an academic school with the results to match, but as one parent emphasises, ‘Girls are not valued on academic achievement alone.’ • ‘There’s no end of opportunities, from Drama (Little Shop of Horrors was ‘gloriously anarchic’) to the Enrichment Programme, Inspire, as well as 48 sports clubs, 55 teams and the Talented Athletes Programme.’ • ‘The icing on the KH cake is a phenomenal pastoral care team.’ • ‘After such a momentous year, some schools might take their foot off the pedal, but not King’s.’
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VIRTUAL CHRISTMAS
King’s High and Warwick Prep joined Warwick School in presenting our World Tree of Hope for the (Virtual) Christmas Tree Festival at St Mary’s, Warwick. The tree, which appeared ‘live’ last Christmas, was decorated with hand-written messages from our pupils that our Origami Club transformed into origami cranes. Within school, the spirit of Christmas has been alive, with a rousing House Christmas dance-off (with some amazing living Christmas trees...). The Heads, and Head Girl and Boy teams, of all our schools in the Foundation exchanged gifts by our tree. The Foundation Advent Calendar showcased performances from musicians and performers across our schools in the countdown to Christmas on social media, and the Landor Association Carol Service went ahead – virtually.
LANDOR ASSOCIATION CAROL SERVICE The Carol Service was streamed, for everyone in the King’s High and Warwick Prep family to enjoy. There was something very moving about hearing the familiar carols and readings, and it was a tremendous feat from King’s High and Warwick Prep’s Music Department, and all our performers. There were luminous solos from Cherise Mathias, Annabel Ledgard, Taryn Young, Imogen Griffin and Katie Walsh, Anna Turner, Annabel Kay and Laura Jennings. 4
CELEBRATIONS OF ACHIEVEMENT
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‘Never in peacetime has an academic year been so disrupted. But you did it – with grace under pressure. You are brilliant.’ This was Head, Caroline Renton’s heartfelt introduction to the Celebration of Achievement for Year 12, marking their GCSEs – and so much more. Charlotte Murphy, Head of Sixth Form, led a special graduation for our Class of 2020, who left Upper Sixth in September. She says: ‘Unfortunately, we were still not in a position to invite parents. Following a conversation with the Head Girl team, we decided to invite girls into school at staggered times, to have tea and cake, watch the graduation slides and collect their certificates and prizes. We were so sad they did not have the full experience they so richly deserved. I am just so proud of them all, and how amazingly they coped this year.’
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UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY AWARD
King’s High is one of only 33 schools in the world to receive a prestigious award. King’s Geography Department was awarded a prestigious Secondary Geography Quality Mark (SGQM) with Centre of Excellence from the UK’s Geographical Association, for excellence in fieldwork. Fieldwork has been on hold, but Year 7 managed to do their Map Skills Day, hosted by Compton Verney, as part of core curriculum work. Years 7 and 8 Geography Club have been busy setting up birdfeeders and hedgehog houses.
HOUSE NEWS Organised in Year Group bubbles, our four Houses – Rowling, Pankhurst, Dench, Hepburn – ran a Spelling Bee, Christmas dances and games, and the Autumn Creative Competition. Pupils made Christmas baubles for the tree in the dining room, writing uplifting messages for 2021, such as: ‘I hope for a Covid free year!’; ‘I hope to spend time with family and friends’; ‘I hope to eat in a restaurant and go to the cinema’, and ‘I would like to take my A Level exams and be successful!’
CELEBRATING ART
We have been celebrating the stunning artwork our A Level and GCSE Art students produced this year (under very different circumstances), along with a selection of Art created in lockdown. You can view some of their work here https://www.kingshighwarwick.co.uk/artwork 6
Remembrance Day was marked in a moving ceremony that was livestreamed to pupils throughout school. The Combined Cadet Force, one of – if not the – largest schoolgirls’ Corps in the UK, conducted a superb parade, spaced out within their Year Group ‘bubbles’. Polly Rumble played the Last Post, Rachael Horne saluted the wreaths and Head Girl, Olivia Rochford laid a wreath on behalf of the school, with a handwritten message: ‘We will always remember all those who lost their lives, and we will always thank them. From the students of King’s High.’ The History Department oversaw a display of pupils’ family memories of war, which unearthed some incredible stories.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Toasted marshmallows and a singsong round the campfire – an iconic part of Year 7’s Bonding Weekend away – was recreated at King’s this year. Our newest girls embraced their Bonding Day With A Difference with huge smiles. Girls and staff joined in a host of activities, from orienteering in St Nicholas’ Park, to human dominoes...
YEAR 7 KEEP THE CAMPFIRES BURNING KEEPING IN TOUCH IN LOCKDOWN Sixth Form students have been keeping in touch with our Old Girl community during the recent Lockdown. Working with the Landor Association, our umbrella organisation for the wider King’s High and Warwick Prep community, students telephoned some of our older Old Girls who were isolating. They decided to extend this to include some of our more recent leavers, who were starting a very different university experience. Click on the video to view some of the highlights from our ‘At Home but Still Together’ film. 7
KING’S WELLBEING NATIONAL ANTI BULLYING WEEK
Led by our Wellbeing Ambassadors, our pupils supported National Anti Bullying Week. As always, they came up with a host of ideas and initiatives. Some highlights include: • Supporting national Odd Socks Day by wearing socks (colourful, home-made, wacky - and that’s just the PE Department) throughout school • Rose Agnew spoke on news bulletins for ITV and Sky News • Over 100 pupils trained to become Antibullying Ambassadors with the charity, The Diana Award (King’s High is a Diana Award national Showcase School) • Pupils presented an online assembly for younger pupils at Warwick Prep • Year 7 led a social media messaging campaign • A roundtable panel discussion for Sky’s FYI news programme for young people was co-hosted by Rose, and featured Hope Brotherhood and Mrs Watson, alongside representatives from Facebook, Demos, The Diana Award, and Vicky Ford MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families at the Department for Education
PRINCE WILLIAM SURPRISES ROSE ‘No way!’ That was Rose Agnew’s delighted response when HRH Prince William made a surprise appearance in a video call Rose filmed with Anti Bullying Ambassadors from The Diana Award charity, for National Anti Bullying Week. Prince William joked with the teenagers that Tessy Ojo, Chief Executive of the charity, did not tell them who they would be talking to beforehand. He said: ‘It’s always good when Tessy doesn’t tell you who you are going to meet, there could be all sorts of expectations. So I’m sorry if this is a little bit different to who you might have thought you were going to see!’ He laughed at Rose’s spontaneous outburst, saying: ‘Well, at least one of you recognises me!’ 8
KING’S GIVING
Sarah Didlick reports: ‘Students have continued to think of others in our work with charities this term. We collected Harvest and Christmas donations for the Leamington and Warwick Food Bank. We sent 192 shoe boxes filled with goodies for children in Romania via the Teams 4 U charity. Food sales in Year Group bubbles raised funds for operating theatres in a clinic in Ghana. While the popular India trip was off, pupils held an on-line auction of gifts donated for our partner school in Silent Valley in India, and raised sufficient money to fund a member of staff for one year. Sofia Perez raised £126.97 through doughnut sales in school, to raise funds for the Madonna Clinic in Ghana. She also raised £1,001 outside school – almost half the total needed. There have been non-uniform days for the National Alliance of Women’s Organisations, Young Minds UK, and Show Racism the Red Card. We also supported the Warwick School Harvest appeal for sports equipment for Children in Need.’
PUPILS GIVE TEACHERS SOME TLC
Pupils gave staff some ‘TLC’, arranging a series of fun and relaxing treats, to thank their teachers for all they have done to support them over the past year. This was an idea of our Wellbeing Ambassadors, as King’s celebrated the charity, Young Minds UK’s nationwide #HelloYellow campaign, in support of young people’s mental health. Working with the Art Department, pupils organised drop-in sessions of Photography, Ceramics, Origami, Painting, Illustration, and a Glass Workshop for staff, and served them tea and cakes.
SUPPORTING CARE HOMES AND THE NHS Pupils continued to support people in local care homes and hospital via the Kissing it Better charity, as part of their Friday afternoon activities programme. They held Zoom meetings with residents in Priors House Nursing Home, and telephoned King’s High Old Girls during the second lockdown, to check on their welfare. Our pupils collected hand cream and lip salve for goodie bags for NHS workers, and devised quizzes and wordsearches for patients in hospitals. Residents in care homes will be receiving hand-made Christmas cards and decorations from our pupils. 9
FESTIVAL OF IDEAS
This year’s theme was ‘One World.’ Pupils heard talks on psychology and philosophy, writing, polar exploration, literature and opera, leadership, adventure, the future of plastics, race, privilege and justice, and social media and wildlife interactions. Speakers spoke from as far afield as the University of Toronto, and the Caribbean. They included Dr Brian Ball of the New College of Humanities, London; world champion skiier, Rachel Findler; explorer, Alex Hibbert and digital Maths star, Dr James Grime.
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INSPIRE ART PROGRAMME
Our new Inspire Art Programme complements the Inspire programme of lectures. Pupils from all Year Groups signed up for Art Masterclass sessions, Art History lectures, Theory and Research, Conservation and Restoration, Curation, and Gallery/Museum insights. King’s has also forged links with the University of the Arts London (described by Grayson Perry, UAL Chancellor, as ‘the world’s biggest factory for making trouble’), which includes Central Saint Martins, Chelsea, and the London College of Fashion.
RSC SHADOWING SCHEME
KING’S IDEAS
Students watched RSC performances of Hamlet, King Lear and Twelfth Night remotely from home, engaging in teacherled ‘chat’ on Teams during the performances. They found that while they missed live theatre, much was gained through being able to discuss and watch at the same time.
CREATIVE THINKING
The Inspire Programme for Academic Enrichment launched with the first virtual talks of the year for pupils and parents, from three impressive women. Dr Jess Wade (‘one of the most influential women in UK Tech’) spoke on Physics that Inspires Me. Gillian Bishop (‘one of the most pioneering family solicitors of her generation’) spoke about Life as a Family Lawyer, and Dr Angie Hobbs (Professor of the Public Understanding of Philosophy at Sheffield University, who has featured on Desert Island Discs, the World Economic Forum, and Test Match Special) spoke on The Ethics of Coronavirus.
Year 11’s Create projects sparked with ideas. Topics ranged from global warming to the shortage of parking spaces. Inspire homework engaged with other issues close to our girls’ hearts, with Key Stage 3 pupils invited to write a three minute speech on “A Greener Future?” One Saturday morning, pupils joined a remote Creative Thinking workshop, to work through ideas using techniques from design thinking, such as SCAMPER, morphological analysis, and TRIZ (the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving).
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KING’S POETRY
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The Junior Creative Writing Club produced a wonderful Winter Anthology. Year 9 Book Club enjoyed exploring the world, book by book. Gregory Leadbetter, Poet in Residence, has worked with our pupils throughout the year, in workshops that included ‘Thirteen Ways of Looking at King’s High’, and writing a poem imagining King’s 2,000 years on, or based on the archaeological remains that were found. Their work together culminated in a sumptuous anthology, A Growing World, which was launched at a virtual poetry reading. https://issuu.com/kingshighwarwick/docs/a_growing_world_-_poetry_anthology.
EQUALITY WORKING PARTY SCIENCE SUCCESS A lunchtime Science Club has been a real hit with Year 11. Led by Dr Grist and Phil McCorquodale, the club crosses the curriculum and looks at current science projects, such as Birmingham University’s work on colon cancer. More students than ever before have registered for this year’s Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad, the UK’s national competition for secondary school pupils. And in other Science news, Orla Black (Year 7) has been selected as a finalist in the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory ‘Why I love Science’ Essay Competition. One of just 15 finalists out of 250 entries.
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The Equality Working Party was set up by pupils in response to Black Lives Matter. It embraces students and staff, and the inaugural event saw Pirasha Ramesh (Lower Sixth), Ivy Thomas (Year 11) and Joana Simango (Year 9) talking about their own lived experiences of racism, answering Q and A’s from the whole school. ‘It was an amazing experience,’ says Pirasha. The Equality Working Party works alongside Warwick School’s Pupil Voice. Our girls and boys are considering how our schools can be more inclusive. They have thought carefully about different areas of their schools, including the curriculum delivered in different subjects, enrichment, extra-curricular activities and assemblies. Their joint non-uniform Show Racism the Red Card day was a result of this process and stimulated whole-school conversations about racial discrimination. Uji Asika, author of Bringing Up Race:How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World was invited to speak to pupils and parents across the Foundation. And Joana Simango and her brother Joshua (Head Boy of Warwick School) received a standing ovation, when they shared their own experiences with pupils.
THE INTERVIEW:
‘When people say that being dismissed is a coincidence, I say that it’s a coincidence that happens too often to too many.’
This is an excerpt from a speech Joana Simango (Year 9) made alongside her brother, Joshua (Head Boy of Warwick School) on the issue of racism – seen and unseen. “It is shocking for people to see qualified, articulate black people in society and in person. Like Josh said earlier, people will often say that I am the whitest black person they had ever met. Yes, they will say I am ‘the whitest black person they had every met’, as if the stereotypes are true. As if all black people are uneducated, mean and aggressive. So, just because I don’t say ‘bro’ and ‘yo’ and ‘bruv’ and my ‘driller’ and ‘fam’ and I am a decent person who does decently at school, I am now considered as white. It takes away from the culture that I wear on my skin and the culture that I wear in everything I do, so whilst people aren’t trying to be mean, it is so degrading in so many ways. As a black woman in society there is one particular stereotype that I am affected by. ‘Hi, how are you?’ Do I sound aggressive to you? This stereotype is one that is hard to ignore. It literally follows me everywhere. By simply being assertive or making a point or asking someone to do something, I am seen as aggressive, or angry. I cannot count the amount of times I have simply asked someone not to do something and they have said: ‘Why are you being so aggressive?’ or ‘Chill’ or ‘Relax’.
Head Girl of King’s High, Olivia Rochford and Head Boy of Warwick, Joshua Simango exchanging Foundation Christmas gifts.
This diminishes my words. It turns what I have said to dust. This fits into the category of racism I hate the most. The racism no one sees. Maybe it was a coincidence. You’re overreacting. Those are the responses I get most when I try and talk about it. This is one of the many reasons I am so grateful to all you guys for just listening to what I have to say. Honestly, thank you so so so much. You would be surprised at the amount of people who just ignore me and label me as an angry black girl. When people say that being dismissed in this way is a coincidence, I say that it’s a coincidence that happens too often to too many. Being black and female in any industry is hard. I remember my mum telling me that. People don’t take you seriously, people ignore what you have to say, people ignore your authority. I would tell you examples of people you know who have been through this but honestly, they aren’t that hard to find. It’s sad to know that. It hurts to know that. It hurts to know that racism is the barrier between so many and success. I’ll say that again. Racism is the barrier between so many and success. Thank you.”
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KING’S SOCIETIES Pupils launched new societies, including Language, the Wildlife Conservation and Sustainability Society, and the Equality Working Party. While we all miss ‘Live’, our new virtual world has presented new opportunities for visiting speakers, and our pupils have made full use of this.
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY Rachel Eslick explains the new Wildlife Conservation and Sustainability Society’s mission: ‘We are a team of Lower Sixth students who are passionate about conserving our planet and combating the climate crisis on both an international and local level. Our generation will be key to making or breaking our planet’s future, and we hope that you will join us in starting to make a difference, however small. If we all make one small change, together we can make a global impact on our futures.’ For the Festival of Ideas, they introduced speaker, Dr Emma Doyle, an international environmentalist and specialist in coastal zone management, who co-ordinates projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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CAFÉ SCIENTIFIQUE Our student-led club for all things Science (and more) launched their newsletter, alongside a programme of events for fellow students (available internally on the Café Scientifique Channel). Among other topics, Shivanshi Bhatt and her team have explored The Maths of Penguins, the recent Mathematics/Tik Tok furore, how our laundry is affecting marine mussels, and the science behind magic mushrooms. Emma Gordon-Kelly and Hermione Nash (Year 7) won Café Scientifique’s Mars Poster Competition.
CAFÉ PHILO ‘Café Philo is a debating society where we discuss a variety of global issues and ethical questions. Anyone is welcome! We want your views to be heard. This society is also great for improving communication skills,’ say Anoushka Mundey and Isabel Kupshik. Topics pupils discussed included Lockdown, Gender Identity and Sport, and Altruism.
HOBBS SOCIETY Maud Beidas reports: ‘This term, our focus has been racial justice. We have heard from Shianne Williams, who has been organising protests in the local community, and from our very own Pirasha, who spoke about her experience being first generation British. Following on from her talk for the Equality Working Party, Joana Simango gave a further talk with her brother Joshua, Head Boy at Warwick School. It is so great to see girls and staff not only continuing the discussion but educating themselves about the issues people of colour face daily. We have felt so much gratitude for those of you that have come forward and spoken about your experiences and we would like to encourage that further. It is so important that the community learns from you.’
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF YOUNG WOMEN The National Council of Young Women’s branch at King’s High aims ‘to promote the importance of inclusivity and equality in the school environment. Our purpose is to ensure that our members are made aware of the struggles that women and girls face both nationally and globally.’ Unable to attend the annual conference, Abi Hunt and the NCYW team arranged events over a number of days instead. They organised a ‘Wear Orange’ non-uniform day in support of the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and talks from inspiring speakers. These included photojournalist, Eliza Hatch, founder of Cheer Up Luv; Alice Fookes, of UN Women UK, and Gemma Tutton, the 16-year-old activist and co-founder of Our Streets Now and Our Schools Now, a new campaign to include public sexual harassment in PSHE lessons in schools.
HISTORY SOCIETY Laura Bawden, Edith Alun-Jones and their fellow students in History Society have arranged a programme of talks from external academics, including Dr Adam Bronson from Durham University on Modern Japanese History and Dr Rebecca Earle of Warwick University on Women’s History.
LANGUAGE SOCIETY Purdy Blane, Gigi Thomas, Kira Purewal and Freddie Carr’s newly formed Language Society introduced students to life in modern Japan. This was followed by a call to arms for Modern Foreign Languages (seven UK universities dropped languages degrees last year). Benjamin Owen, who has studied French and Spanish at Oxford and Cambridge, gave a practical overview of studying languages at university, with a Q and A session.
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KING’S: YOUR FUTURE
KING’S LINKS: UNIVERSITY LIFE King’s Links includes a range of initiatives – university visits, talks, and insights from former pupils, now studying as students across a huge range of subjects. We are very grateful for the support and time everyone from our wider community gives. Over fifty pupils joined twenty former King’s students remotely to hear about their experience, studying Law, Psychology, Dentistry, English, Politics and more at Bristol University, Birmingham University, Cambridge, Imperial College, London, UCL, London and the University of Sofia, in Bulgaria. Sapphire Mee-Harris, currently studying Art & Design at Warwickshire College, shared her experience of preparing portfolios and interviews for an Art Foundation Course with Upper Sixth Art students. 16
PREPARING FOR OXBRIDGE Sixth Formers joined former pupils of King’s High and Warwick School and staff from both schools for a masterclass on applying to Oxford and Cambridge. Dr Phil Seal, Director of Studies, says: ‘It was another example of remote events working brilliantly - a really productive collaboration.’
FOUNDATION MENTORING SCHEME During the summer, a Mentoring Scheme was launched for the Class of 2020 of King’s High and Warwick School, to support them as they establish themselves in an uncertain and challenging new environment. The scheme has proved very popular, with over 130 alumni and current parents offering their support. Our mentors are using their knowledge and experience to help our leavers develop new skills and build larger networks. For more information about this initiative, contact Mrs Sam Crane, Development Officer on s.crane@warwickschool.org or 01926 776468.
YOUR FUTURE The Your Future programme, with regular e-bulletins, is a brilliant resource for pupils. (Parents find it useful, too!). It is a one-stop shop for careers advice, work experience, internships, live and interactive talks, MOOCs, competitions, UCAS, graduate employers, student finance, and more. To give an idea, recent opportunities have ranged from arguing a case before a Judge in the Supreme Court, to exploring the Airbus ExoMars facility.
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KING’S DRAMA
SHARING SHAKESPEARE AROUND THE GLOBE
A highlight was Drama students teaming up with the boys of Knox Grammar in Sydney, Australia to (virtually) perform Shakespeare together. Co-ordinating time zones meant an early start, but it was worth it. 18
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THE SHOW GOES ON The Senior Drama Production transformed into a Drama Showcase Week, with Lower and Upper Sixth Drama students performing within their ‘bubbles’. Cat Price, Head of Drama, reports: ‘Despite Covid-19, our talented Upper Sixth thespians took to the Bridge House Theatre stage, much to the delight of the small audience of their Year Group ‘bubble’ and socially distanced staff. King’s High presented David Campton’s ‘The Cagebirds’, an allegorical and extraordinary play in which five captive ‘birds’ live in their cage, absorbed in their own petty interests under the control of the ‘Mistress’ who takes care of them. When the ‘Wild One’ is thrust in amongst them, she threatens their security by talking about rebellion and breaking free from the constraints of the cage to find freedom – but her efforts result only in her own destruction at their hands.
‘The students captured the innate comic characteristics of each ‘bird’ brilliantly, delighting the audience as they were introduced to the over-indulgent, greedy Guzzle (Katie Walsh), the long-inthe-tooth Gloom (Amelia Moloney) and the self-obsessed Gazer (Flo Lloyd). Abigail Hunt and Imogen Griffin skilfully presented the antagonistic relationship between The Wild One and The Mistress, as the controlling Mistress introduces The Wild One to the flock. As the piece developed, the actors increased the darkness and sinister nature highlighting the character’s small island mentality as they turn on The Wild One, led by the eerie Gossip (Emily Skillett). At the end, the audience was left considering the futility of life as we saw Twitting, expertly played by Emily Button, also suffer at the hands of the birds for daring to question their captivity. The students demonstrated their tremendous talent and acting ability and all should be congratulated for their efforts.’
EXAM WORK The Drama GCSE performance pieces from Year 11 highlighted some of the major issues that our students care passionately about: climate change, screen time, feminism, and more. Our LAMDA students have been working hard, both live and online, preparing exam pieces.
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DRAMA PERFORMANCES
Lower Sixth Devised Performance:
The Cagebirds:
Lower Sixth Showcase Performance’ Reflections on Lockdown’:
Upper Sixth Devising Performance: 16+ Advisory content
Upper Sixth Devising Performance: 16+ Advisory content
Upper Sixth Devising Performance: 16+ Advisory content
Upper Sixth Devising Performance: 16+ Advisory content
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KING’S MUSIC
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NEW MUSIC SCHOOL The new Music School has been filled with music – and a magnificent new organ. Alex Laing, Artistic Director of Music, says: ‘It’s such a beautiful building, with a glorious auditorium and great practice rooms too. It completes the quad with Warwick Hall and Theatre. The auditorium is without question a world-class room, with ability to seat 120 people. It is perfect for intimate, informal concerts, but importantly – looking ahead to happier times for music – for professional musicians and groups too.’ The high-tech centre houses state-of-the-art facilities, including an auditorium, rehearsal studio, percussion studio, music library, practice rooms, and a keyboard suite. Our campaign has helped to improve the quality and diversity of musical instruments that are available to complement the excellent teaching in our new Music School.
TUNE UP TUESDAY
THE ISOLATION SYMPHONY
Pupils at King’s and Warwick Prep joined in Tune Up Tuesday – a nationwide initiative, backed by schools around the country, to show support for the creative industries sector. The day sped by in a succession of performances, from musical soundscape work, to hand-bells and musical signing.
The Warwick Independent Schools Foundation community composed a new work of music during Lockdown: The Isolation Symphony. The symphony was in four movements: Normality? is an exuberant movement, capturing the idea of music making ‘together’. Lockdown is the emotional core of the symphony, and represents fear, doubt, anxiety and boredom. Electronica depicts the sounds inside the house as we studied at home, including vacuum cleaners, coffee-grinders, telephones and televisions. Party Time lifts the lid off the tension of the previous movements and finishes the symphony with the traditional rousing conclusion. Listen to The Isolation Symphony at https://youtu. be/JxRvVz_8y5U.
THE LADY SUSI JEANS ORGAN An historic organ, owned by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, has found a new home in our Music School, thanks to a generous benefactor, in a move to inspire future young musicians. The Lady Susi Jeans organ belonged to Lady Susi Jeans, who saved many historic organs for the nation, and was a cornerstone of English musical life. Her many famous admirers included Charles-Marie Widor, who composed the wedding favourite, ‘Toccata’. The organ was built in 1936 by Hill, Norman & Beard Ltd, with pipework and voicing by Eule of Bautzen in the south-east of Germany. Richard Nicholson, Principal of the Warwick Independent Schools Foundation (and a former Oxford University organ scholar), says: ‘We want this wonderful instrument to have an important impact on the musical life of the Foundation and beyond, and look forward to developing partnerships which promote a whole new generation of organists. We are introducing the Northgate Organ Scholarship, open to Sixth Form students.’ The UK’s organist community has supported the project. Tom Bell, Artistic Director of the London Organ Day, has advised throughout and Daniel Moult, Head of Organ Studies at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and one of the leading organists of his generation, says: ‘I’m delighted the organ has gone to such a good home.’ 23
KING’S SPORT
King’s High and Warwick Prep PE Department have kept Sport going, in and out of Lockdown, through a succession of great initiatives – from online HIIT and Yoga (who can forget the Loo Roll Challenge?) to Saturday morning challenges, workshops and masterclasses, Key Stage 4 Running Club, and a series of Virtual Fixtures. GB Hockey players Leah Wilkinson and Sarah Jones took part in our latest HIIT session.
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VIRTUAL SPORT FOR ALL
Sarah Parkinson-Mills, Director of Sport, reports: ‘As PE teachers, whilst we are all now well adapted to becoming online fitness instructors and yoga masters through a screen, we were all missing the opportunity for a competitive fixture in these current times. So we organised three sporting events: • Virtual Swimming Gala • Virtual Hockey Fixture (Team and individual event) • Virtual Health and Fitness fixture (Team and individual event) ‘The idea was that these would allow pupils to compete against other schools as best as we can right now. There was no specific time or date you need to carry out the ‘fixture’. Simply use your lessons/training sessions within the time window to collect your results and submit by the specified date. Where access to facilities and equipment are an issue, we have our Virtual Health and Fitness Fixture. We will also host a Virtual Netball fixture and Cross Country fixture in the Spring Term. The Cross Country fixtures may well tie in to a charity fundraiser involving as many schools as possible. We will send out details of these fixtures in the coming weeks when we know a little more what the Spring Term is looking like.’ Schools signed up from Manchester, Derby, and around the Midlands, including Coventry School Foundation (King Henry VIII and Bablake), King’s, Worcester, RGS Worcester, Leicester Grammar, King Edwards, Edgbaston, Malvern College, Princethorpe, Solihull, Abingdon School and Prep, Balsall Common Primary School Academy, and Derby High School.
FROM CAPE TOWN TO PRETORIA
In 2018, our Netball and Hockey squads were lucky enough to travel to South Africa, playing sports matches against South African teams and spending time with children there. In memory of that trip, our Senior Hockey and Netball girls pledged to run the distance – over 1400km – from Pretoria to Cape Town from home, to raise money for Amnesty International and NHS Charities Together – an amazing achievement.
EQUESTRIAN When opportunities allowed, our Equestrians were out competing, and our Polo team trained. Among some impressive results, Amelia Morgan, Alina Kozersky, Arabella Henderson and Tillie Orton qualified for the Hickstead Championships next year, after coming first in the Eland Lodge NSEA Eventer Challenge. 25
FOUNDATION NEWS Dr Stephen Burley has been appointed as Head Master at King’s High School and Mr James Barker as Head Master at Warwick School. Dr Burley is already a well-known figure in the school community. A graduate in English from University College London, Dr Burley went on to sit his Master of Philosophy at St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where he was also a tutor for admissions, and took his doctorate at Queen Mary, University of London. Beginning his career at The King’s School, Canterbury, Dr Burley then moved to Sevenoaks School, before joining Headington School as Head of English.
DR BURLEY APPOINTED HEAD MASTER
Dr Burley says: ‘I am enormously proud to have been appointed as the new Head Master of King’s High School. There is a tremendous sense of excitement since the school’s move to our new site and it is a remarkable moment for the whole Foundation as we come together on one campus. King’s High is renowned for its superb pastoral care, academic excellence, remarkable student achievements, and for offering a nurturing, supportive, and inspiring environment in which our students can thrive. Together with the wonderful team at King’s High, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead the school into the future.’
The Foundation’s Project One Campus has been announced a 2021 Civic Trust Awards Regional Finalist. The Civic Trust Awards is the UK’s national – and international – built environment awards scheme, recognising excellence in architecture, sustainability, accessibility and community. The Warwick Independent Schools Foundation is in excellent company. We are listed beside the British Museum, Crystal Palace, Lincoln’s Inn, English National Ballet, Strawberry Field, Liverpool, Bristol Old Vic, Aberdeen Art Gallery, and the City of London’s Illuminated River. The shortlist also includes international projects. King’s High will go forward for consideration for The Civic Trust’s national awards, to be announced in January.
CIVIC TRUST AWARDS: REGIONAL FINALIST 26
LANDOR ASSOCIATION Clare Sawdon, former High Sheriff of Warwickshire, was announced as the first President of the Landor Association. Laura Salt, Development and Landor Association Manager, reports: ‘We are delighted Clare Sawdon has accepted this position. Our inaugural President and Fellows of the Landor Association were nominated and supported by the Landor Committee. The honorific role of President is offered to a notable individual who has deep roots with King’s High and/or Warwick Prep School. The President’s role is to represent the interests of the Association, and promote its aims, both formally and informally. Fellowships are awarded in recognition of outstanding service to members of the entire Landor Association community.’ Upcoming Landor Association Events We have some exciting virtual events planned this academic year and welcome all our King’s High and Warwick Prep community, past and present, to join us. Annual Landor Association Lecture – Tuesday 26 January We are delighted to announce our 2021 speaker is Old Girl, Felicity Bee. Felicity epitomises the King’s High motto of ‘Aspire, Achieve, Enjoy’. In addition to studying Medicine at Cardiff University, Felicity is training hard for the British Olympic bobsleigh team and has her sights set on the Winter Olympics in Beijing (2022) and Milan (2026). She strongly believes that sport can be enjoyed by everyone, and there is sport out there for us all. Landor Association Law Event – Thursday 18 March Unfortunately, we will not be able to have our usual networking style event but we have still got some wonderful speakers lined up from all aspects of the Law industry and we will be able to have a Q&A with each of our speakers on the night. More details at landorassociation.co.uk
PROJECT ONE CAMPUS The completion of Project One Campus was marked in September with the opening of a stunning new campus for our schools. In time, we hope to welcome the wider community to see and share in this exciting new environment. The One Campus Plus fundraising campaign has been running alongside the project to deliver an extra level of benefits for the school community. Many parents, former pupils and friends have pledged their support for a range of projects that have a direct, positive benefit on the education our children in the Prep School. Here are some recent examples. Music School Our campaign has helped to improve the quality and diversity of musical instruments that are available to complement the excellent teaching in our new Music School. Lady Susi Jeans Organ The new King’s and Prep Music School is the new home of an historic new organ thanks to a generous benefactor. The impressive instrument belonged to influential organist and teacher, Lady Susi Jeans. It represents a unique opportunity to encourage and develop keyboard and organ playing at all ages and will hopefully inspire future music scholars. New Marimba Thanks to a generous donation by a former Chair of Governors, the school has been able to purchase a new marimba for the Music School. Having an instrument of this calibre will provide increased opportunities for musicians to learn and play percussion and will increase the repertoire we can share with audiences in the school and wider community. Benefactors’ Parade A new Benefactors’ Parade is taking shape at the centre of the new campus with the first set of engraved stones being laid in recognition of supporters. The parade records messages and names of supporters who have pledged to the One Campus Plus campaign. Donors represented include parents, alumni, staff and friends and we hope that many more people will join the parade over the coming months. Funds are being used on a range of projects to further enhance the education of our pupils. The next set of stones are due to be engraved in the Spring Term. If you would like to support the campaign please email Laura Salt, Development Manager, la.salt@kingshighwarwick.co.uk or call 01926 735488.
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King’s High School Banbury Road Warwick CV34 6YE t: 01926 494485 f: 01926 403089 e: enquiries@kingshighwarwick.co.uk www.kingshighwarwick.co.uk kingshighwarwick @KHSWarwick kingshighschoolwarwick