Walton Firs ∙ page 5
Drama Fest ∙ page 12
First Years head to Walton for their Bonding Day
KGS students perform at the Edinburgh festival
NEWSLETTER
September 2015 ∙ www.kgs.org.uk
UPPER SIXTH CELEBRATIONS
KGS Examination Success The Head Master was absolutely delighted for this year’s cohorts and their incredible achievements.
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espite the ongoing concerns of examinations being made harder to pass at the top level and stories of deliberate ‘grade deflation’, Kingston Grammar School students and staff celebrated another excellent set of A level and GCSE results this year, the culmination of and reward for their KGS Newsletter ∙ September 2015
years of hard work and endeavour. The Upper Sixth maintained the School’s wonderful record at A level with very nearly 90% A*-B grades, with 58% of all results at A* or A and 40% of the students gaining three A*/A grades or better.
This enabled the majority to go onto their university of choice including a 100% success rate for the students who were holding offers for places at Oxford or Cambridge.
continued on page 8
1
Welcome
WELCOME
OUR FANTASTIC GCSE STUDENTS 2
September 2015 ∙ KGS Newsletter
Comment
W
elcome to the first Newsletter of the academic year 2015-16; it is great to see everyone back at Kingston Grammar School and to welcome all the new KGS students and parents in a variety of year groups. I know that all the students, staff, parents and friends of KGS will make every effort to ensure that the transition for those joining us this year is as smooth and as friendly as possible. As well as all the new students, we also started term welcoming some new faces on the staff at KGS. I know that they have been warmly received and will settle quickly to the task of learning, leading and supporting the School. Details of all the new staff can be found on page 14 and there is, of course, a full staff list available on the website. We welcomed all students back into school last week in the hope that they had benefited from some exciting opportunities over the summer holiday, as well as having an opportunity to recharge their batteries and be ready for the busy and fulfilling term ahead. Much of what they got up to will be detailed in the stories and reports that follow – school doesn’t seem to stop for the summer at KGS. Everyone will have their own individual and collective experiences to share with friends, old and new, that should keep everyone entertained at least until the next break in October. I began the year, in my opening assembly, by reminding students that they should endeavour to grasp with both hands every opportunity to learn and grow, emotionally and intellectually, making the very most of the educational opportunities offered to them, opportunities that are denied to an estimated 200 million children in the world today. We may not be able or even aiming to change the world today but in making the most of what KGS has to offer our students will be in a position to create a better future. One example I focused on, which appears to have captured some students’ imaginations, is the case of Malala Yousafzay, the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize Winner, who achieved 6 A* and 4 A grades in her GCSEs this summer following her life-saving operations and rehabilitation in her native Pakistan and then in the UK. Her story and achievements are quite inspirational. Some of our own students overcame incredible obstacles and hardships themselves to gain exceptional GCSE and A level results this summer. We were delighted with the high level of attainment that we never take for granted but work hard for year KGS Newsletter ∙ September 2015
on year. I am sure that you will have read the stories but it is worthwhile reiterating just how pleased and proud we are of our students and their examination success. So what of the year to come? This is the year that the amnesty on the ‘old’ KGS uniform comes to an end and everyone will now be kitted out in new blazers, badges, ties and red rather than black jumpers – it brightens the place up! We shall be carrying out a satisfaction survey on the new uniform this term so please do look out for that as we shall want as much feedback as possible from all students and parents. More strategically important perhaps is the fact that the new timetable is now in effect with six fiftyminute periods per day and a spread of lessons over two weeks. Hopefully the new student planners with their red A week and grey B week (School colours, not a suggestion that week B will be dull) will help students plan and everyone will benefit from the greater depth and focus on independent learning at all levels. Later in the year we shall be taking feedback on this too, once we are settled into our routines. Some things have not changed, however, and rightly so. We are all still very much focused on building partnerships, being part of our community and becoming increasingly independent. These ambitions underpin our desire for all KGS students to have regard for themselves and for all people and places, to conduct themselves with integrity and to be highly aspirational in all they do, especially their studies. As such we all still abide by our School motto, which is so important and defines much of who we are: Work Well and Be Happy! Enjoy a great term and a wonderful year of success and fulfillment.
Stephen Lehec Head Master Follow Mr Lehec on Twitter @KGSHEADMASTER 3
trips
CCF Summer Camps Cpls Wilcox and Cutts tell us about the CCF Summer Camps they attended at Barry Buddon and Frimley Park. CCF Army Summer Camp, Barry Buddon
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ur accommodation, surprisingly spacious and comfortable, led us into a good breakfast after which we headed off to do our weapon handling drills. Our next activity was watching a superb platoon attack demo by the Officer Training Corps which we later emulated. One of the most enjoyable parts was the Training in Built up Areas, which allowed us to complete the 24 hour exercise in which we were accompanied by St. Edmond’s school. On the exercise we did recon activities, such as meeting informants and assessing the ground for later operations. An ambush was then planned for the night, and carried out with the assistance of trip flares and flare guns. The next morning, we packed up and headed out towards a compound controlled by enemy forces, in which we engaged in a platoon attack. We used our TIBUA skills to clear the compound. After all this excitement, we patrolled back to base for a nice warm meal after a tiring 24 hours spent in the field. At the base we partook in smaller activities such as archery, paintballing and a brilliant range day in which we got to fire two separate weapons.
"The trip was indeed one of the best we have ever been on"
UP AND OVER! The final activity was Adventure Training, in which we did Coasteering (jumping off cliffs of increasing height) and mountain biking through Arbroath. The journey back was another long and arduous one but overall worth it as the trip was indeed one of the best we have ever been on.
CLC Summer Camp, CTC Frimley 2015 This year two senior cadets from our CCF attended the Cadet Leadership Course at Frimley Park. Over the 8 day course we partook in exercises such as orienteering, a three day exercise in the field, a 1.5 km log run, a 4 km run in full kit and an assault course, with the overall aim to assess and develop our leadership potential. The experience was worth the effort and we returned with a greater understanding of what is required to be an effective leader. By Cpl Wilcox & Cpl Cutts
Germany Trip T
he annual German trip took us to the beautiful Rhineland in Germany again. Despite the strike of the port workers in Calais, demonstrations that disrupted the Eurotunnel service and a little detour due to ‘Operation Stack’ on the M20, we made it to Boppard to enjoy a few days of fun in that lovely part of Germany. We visited the Nürburgring Formula One racing track, the picturesque town of Cochem on the river Mosel with its splendid castle, Trier, Germany’s oldest Roman city complete with Roman baths and an amphitheatre as well as a tour of a vineyard and last but not least ‘Phan4
tasialand’, one of Germany’s most popular theme parks.
The German trip was a fantastic opportunity to experience a beautiful part of Germany, to practise our language skills, to do some sightseeing and learn about a new culture, to taste new food and to enjoy the many activities on offer. We are already looking forward to the trip in June 2016. Mrs Russell
September 2015 ∙ KGS Newsletter
trips
First Year Bonding Trip O
n the 3rd of September, three days into the school year, the First Year forms all spent an exhilarating day at Walton Firs Activity Centre. There were lots of thrilling activities such as rock climbing, archery, buggy building, and crate stacking! The aim of the outing was for everybody to get to know each other better, so there were many team games, such as pushball, a hilarious game about holding and manipulating a huge rubber ball around a circuit. There was also an exciting (and muddy!) adventure course, complete with a Tarzan swing across a puddle, a gloomy tunnel and a jump over a thick log. During the large majority of the trip the sky was blue with a few clouds. The lunch that the School provided was tasty and packed the First Years with energy for the rest of the day. In conclusion all of the First Year forms had a wonderful day and it was a brilliant occasion for everyone to make friends! Matthew Mace, 1LMJ KGS Newsletter ∙ September 2015
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trips
Lower Sixth Activity Day O
n Saturday 5th September, the intrepid Lower Sixth went to Squires Farm near Dorking for their Activity Day. This year students took part in the Nuts Challenge, a “tough mudder” style fun run around an army assault course. As the coach drew up, spirits were high. We made our way to the KGS gazebo and students donned their bright green Nuts Challenge t-shirts in readiness for the adventure which lay ahead. At just before eleven o’clock, the announcer (a rather odd looking man in a kilt) called the students forward to the start line and got everybody revved up and ready to go with a serious of chants and warm-up exercises. At eleven o’clock precisely the hooter sounded and the adventure began. Students found themselves completing one lap of the seven kilometre course, which included one hundred obstacles – just to keep things interesting. The students did fantastically well, showing bravery, courage and a real regard for others when the going got tough and the mud got thicker. They encountered slippery poles, freezing water and hay bales to climb over – but everybody got round and everybody should feel proud of what they achieved. As one student said, “It was basically like the Reading Festival – but with obstacles” or as George Teasdale put it, “Why would you make us doing something like that?!” A special mention should definitely be made of Mr Farr and Mr Davies, who also took part. Mr Farr and Tom Gooding were the first from KGS to finish in a time of one hour ten minutes, which placed them in twenty second and twenty third place out of a field of one thousand five hundred
AFTER COMPLETING THEIR 7KM ASSAULT COURSE
competitors – congratulations! Once the mud was hosed off filthy clothes and students had filled up on burgers and noodles from one of the stalls on site, we headed back to Kingston tired but happy. A day that will live long in the memory and a real achievement for all who took part. Well done! Mr Garner
"showing bravery, courage and a real regard for others"
Music Maestros I
Emilia Hazel, Charlotte Higham and Maya Dickens is now ready and can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/sequencekomplete/take-me-away-feat-francesca-bern.
Talented musician Max Salisbury, who has just left KGS for Oxford, wrote a fantastic song called Winter. This turned out to be the biggest and most complex production for KGS yet and can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/sequencekomplete/winter-featmax-salisbury.
Coming Soon:
t has been a busy summer for the KGS Music Department. Mr Tierney has been producing four songs for students, two of which are already available online.
Once again, a first year song was so good that Mr Tierney couldn’t resist adding it to the production schedule. ‘Take Me Away’ featuring Francesca Bern, Daisy Bainbridge, 6
‘11:11’ featuring Jessica Cropley ‘Anymore’ featuring Philip Pisarro-Jensen.
HELPING HAND
September 2015 ∙ KGS Newsletter
trips
AS Biology Trip
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his year the AS Biology Field Trip visited Leeson House in Dorset for four days in June. From there we carried out five different ecology studies along the Portland Bay area. The day we arrived we began an investigation onto estimating woodlouse populations by catching, marking and releasing over 50 woodlice. The next day we carried out a freshwater pond ecology study within the grounds of Leeson House in the morning and headed out to Studland Bay to study the relative abundance plants along a dune succession in the afternoon. On our third day we had an early start down at Kimmeridge Bay, measuring limpet size and carrying out another transect, this time looking at the number of periwinkles of different species through different coastal zones. Here we were able to have some fun rock pooling and catching crabs as well as having the opportunity to visit the local visitor centre where they held parts of the skeleton of a Fin Whale which washed up on the shore a few years previously. In the afternoon we headed to the River Piddle after enjoying some ice cream for lunch where we sampled the freshwater invertebrates and marvelled at a rare crayfish. We were able to see an exciting range of species of both plants and animals, as well as having the opportunity to learn more about the local wildlife from our knowledgeable guide, Mike Gould. Despite the long, hard working days we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and were able to have a lot of fun out in the field. The long, sunny evenings were a perfect opportunity to explore the extensive and beautifully conserved grounds of Leeson House and we got the opportunity to see a bird ringing demonstration as well as getting up close to the resident small rodents which we caught in our mammal traps. This was an invaluable opportunity to experience what ecology studies are really like and learn a lot about the local ecosystems. Mr Forsyth
KGS Newsletter ∙ September 2015
BEST FOOT FORWARD
Strawberry Hill W
e got a coach to Strawberry Hill House in our form groups. It was very exciting when we drove into the driveway and we could see this gothic house from the coach. We were all really excited to go inside and look at the amazing gothic architecture. We did many different activities in the house that were all lots of fun. One of the activities we did was just like what Horace Walpole would have done; we picked a few words from a piece of text, left them white and then we coloured in the background. It was really fun because we designed the background like Horace would have done and made it gothic: stained glass windows, dark colours, patterns and gargoyles. It was cool making our own gothic artwork using different equipment such as oil pastels, colouring pencils and colouring pens. Another activity was making a comic in the rooms of the house. We all went in different rooms and we used the iPads to take pictures and put it together. We could use our own made up words because we learnt that Horace Walpole made up certain words himself like ‘gloomth’ which is a combination of gloomy and warmth. We also got to use different costumes to make us creepy and medieval. We also got a tour of the house. This was really cool because we could see all the rooms and see the amazing architecture that was involved in making this house. Many of the rooms had intricate designs made of real gold leaf on the ceiling or walls. Throughout Strawberry Hill House there were lots of stained glass windows that had pictures of famous people in history on them and there were many different colours. In some rooms there would only be torchlight to light them up at night because there would be no natural light and we could definitely see how that would be scary. One of the rooms even had a spot in the middle where your voice would echo throughout the room. The fourth activity that we did was using clay to make gothic creatures or maybe just animals using inspiration from Laura Ford’s sculptures around the house. Some people made gargoyles and others made animals such as elephants, mice, cats and pigs. Some were even a combination of both. Laura Ford made many sculptures for the house – many of them were mythical creatures or a combination of different animals and humans. Finally, we thought about what gothic meant; what features of Strawberry Hill House we thought were gothic, and what features we thought Horace got from cathedrals or churches. We also looked at one of Laura Ford’s sculptures that was called “people dressed as animals, dressed as people”. I loved these because they didn’t have any facial features but you could tell their mood or feelings because of their body position. At the end we wrote a piece of writing in small groups using everything we had learnt about the gothic theme. We wrote poems, plays, stories and many more. This trip was really fun and we all learnt so much about Horace Walpole, his architecture and gothic. It was very interesting and I can’t wait to learn more in Art and English. Mrs Garside 7
academia
Results continued Top performers included Lydia Bisping, who achieved three A* grades. Lydia plans to study Biomedical Sciences at UCL, whilst School Captain Lewis Wales secured his place at Oxford to read Chemistry with A*AA. Anya Williams-Doherty, who declined an offer of a place at Cambridge to study Veterinary Science at the Royal Veterinary College, achieved three A* grades and an A. A further thirteen KGS students achieved two A* grades and one or more As. Not to be outdone, KGS’s GCSE students achieved wonderfully well across the board, with 44% of all exams graded A* and 78% at A*/A. This compares extremely favourably with the national picture of just 6% of all grades at A*. The average grade for each of the nearly 1,300 GCSE examinations taken by the cohort was well above an A grade, with students accumulating an average of over 10 A grades per student! All students achieved the national benchmark statistic of at least 5 A*-C grades including both English and Maths with ease, compared again with a national picture of 69%. Over a third of the year group achieved straight A*/A grades in 10 or more subjects. Top performers were Matthew Pugh, Lucy Roberts, Jenny Shpeter and Bethany Williams, who all achieved straight A*s in all of their subjects, while Loulou Backhouse-Spriggs had 11 A*s and 1 A. Emily Gibson, Ben Park and Lucy Skinner achieved 10 A*s and either one or two As, and a further eight (Jack Bowman, Oliver Cole, Troy O’Dowd, Miranda Worth, Katie Annesley, Meg Hugill, Catie McMahon and Jess Murray) had 9 A*s. The Head Master was exceptionally proud of the results, saying that they reflected very well on the students and the hard work put in by all of them, as well as the staff who have taught and supported them. He added, “What is so great about all of these students is that as well as being very gifted and working hard to achieve such excellent results, they also have many other strings to their bows, being superb sportsmen and women, actors, musicians, debaters and much more. Most especially, we know that they all contribute in many ways to their School and their community.” He continued by saying that, “Whilst we are all very, very proud of every student’s achievements, I feel bound to say that we are perhaps most especially so in those instances where we know that individual students have done exceptionally well under very trying personal circumstances. What some students have achieved and overcome is simply staggering. We have some very special people at this school and it is gratifying to know that high academic standards and exceptional pastoral care go hand in hand on the road to successful futures. The KGS motto is ‘Work Well and Be Happy’, and these results are a ringing endorsement of our ethos.” Mr Cooper
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September 2015 ∙ KGS Newsletter
academia
"these results are a ringing endorsement of our ethos"
SHARING THE GOOD NEWS
KGS Newsletter ∙ September 2015
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trips
Christian Union Camp The Christian Union decamped to Devon at the end of the summer holidays for a week of fun-filled activities and team-building.
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amp 2015 took place at the end of the summer holidays, and this year fiftyfive First to Sixth formers enjoyed a week in Brixham packed with fun and games for all to enjoy. The first half of the week was glorious, with the weather enabling us to enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities which catered for every taste. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday saw the start of the annual ‘Team Games’ extravaganza: teams comprising of pupils from every year group competing against each other in a variety of activities, ranging from devising a team chant, to frisbee, and even seeing how many Wotsits can be thrown at an older pupil’s face, having firstly covered said face with shaving foam… Through bizarre activities such as these, or through the more classic camp games like benchball (netball with a bench), unihoc (hockey with a plastic football), ragger (quite hard to describe – involves a lot of running), friendships were formed which will hopefully last beyond camp and for many years to come. On the Sunday evening we all headed down to Brixham harbour to get fish and chips and 10
hopped on board a specially chartered boat for a trip around the bay. The scenes at sunset were stunning, and the party atmosphere on board was palpable on the return leg of our journey. On Monday we headed out for trips in the afternoon, the most popular proving to be ‘Splashdown’, an outdoor water park, as well as the leisure centre (basically anywhere you
can get a good wash). On Tuesday, we remained on site; the day began with the leaders vs pupils ‘Danish Longball’ match – also hard to describe, think baseball bat, football, cricket stumps and a lot more running. The pupils won in a tense finale. The rest of the day there were opportunities for onsite activities including a Pilates class, September 2015 ∙ KGS Newsletter
trips a magic workshop, rocket building and ‘the Great British Bake Off’ (sort of!). On Wednesday, the weather sadly changed, but it turns out that it is still possible to have fun in the heavy rain when camping in a field! A big interactive game of TV’s ‘Would I Lie To You’, karaoke night, and ‘Camp’s Got Talent’ helped fill the damper moments, and during breaks in the cloud we were able to enjoy some inflatable games outdoors, with bungee runs, a massive slide and sumo suits all adding to the entertainment. On Friday afternoon, camp finished in the sunshine with a trip to Brixham to play a game of ‘Hunt the Officer’ – all the
"friendships were formed which will hopefully last beyond camp for many years to come. " leaders dressing up as weird and wonderful characters and positioning themselves round town for the groups of pupils to find, all the while confusing the locals in the process! On top of all the fun and games, the unique feature of camp is, of course, the opportunity to find out what Christians believe. This year in our morning and evening meetings we looked at various conversations and meetings that Jesus had with different people in John’s gospel. Everyone who came on camp had an opportunity to ask any questions in a friendly environment, find out a little bit more about the Christian faith, and then decide for themselves whether they wanted to take it or leave it. Thanks go to all those involved in making Christian Union Camp 2015 such a great week, especially the large group of Old Kingstonians without whose help it would be impossible to run these trips. We really do hope that you will be able to join us at one of our weekly meetings or on a houseparty or camp this academic year: 18th – 20th December 2015: Senior Houseparty (for 4th to 6th form) 9th – 12th April 2016: Junior Houseparty (for 1st to 3rd form) Camp 2016 (all year groups) – dates tbc, watch the Parent Portal for details. Junior CU takes place on Tuesday lunchtimes and Senior CU takes place on Friday lunchtimes, both in HP5 For Christian parents, there is a termly gathering to meet and pray with other parents. The next meeting is on October 1st. For more details on this or any other CU event please contact Mr Wenham by email on cwenham@ kgs.org.uk Mr Wenham
KGS Newsletter ∙ September 2015
All Abroad for KGS Sailors
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aving worked really hard for their GCSE examinations, a group of lucky Fifth Formers found themselves heading off to Turkey for the final week of the Summer Term. Big boat sailing has enjoyed great success over the past few years at KGS with Middle School weekends along the Dorset coast and a previous trip to waters further afield back in 2013. The fair-weather Sunsail trip started in Gocek in Turkey, where two yachts were chartered to sailed along the southern coast for a week. Students were given the opportunity to showcase their sailing skills and learn more about life afloat. Team building activities were very much in
evidence, whether making lunch menus or contributing to the tidy upkeep of the decks. Whilst choosing not to be part of a flotilla this time around, the group nevertheless chose to moor for two nights in Fetya. This coastal town had the pleasure of hosting the James Bond crew (including Daniel Craig) whilst filming for Skyfall in 2012. The stop off gave ample opportunity for tasting local fare, especially at the fish market, and for shopping for family treats. Brilliant blue skies and glorious sunsets were a memorable feature of the days’ sailing and it is very much hoped this fantastic opportunity can be offered to other pupils in the future. Mrs Corcoran
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school life
Under Pressure T
he mental health of children and adolescents has been much in the news recently and rightly so. How on earth have we got to a situation where one in ten of our children has a diagnosable mental health disorder and where our schools now routinely hire counsellors and other therapists to help with problems such as self-harm, eating disorders and depression ? Here at KGS, the happiness and wellbeing of our students is paramount and our pastoral care system underpins everything that we do. On 16th September we will be hosting a major conference on improving mental health in schools. We are working in partnership with Young Minds, the country’s leading charity for young people’s mental health, and we have a number of high-profile speakers including Sarah Brennan, CEO of Young Minds, and Norman Lamb MP. Many Heads and senior leaders from both state and independent schools will be attending and we hope that the conference will provide an opportunity to share best practice and to discuss and develop ideas and current research.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe A group of 14 Sixth Form students trekked up to Scotland to perform at this prestigious festival
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roducing a play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is an incredible opportunity, and thanks to Mr Crohill’s organisation and enthusiasm, fourteen Sixth Form Drama students were able to do just that. The trip began a week before we took the train up to Scotland, with a week’s worth of intense rehearsals of our chosen play, ‘Female Transport’, a drama set on board a female convict ship travelling from England to Australia. Convicted of petty crimes in 19thcentury London and sentenced to hard labour, the convicts are condemned and abused due to the bias of the male-dominated class system. Our production modernised the setting, with the convicts dressed in orange jumpsuits, showing how the play’s themes of gender, power and freedom are just as relevant today 12
as they were two centuries ago. As part of the rehearsal process, the cast had the fantastic opportunity to meet and discuss the play with Steve Gooch, the playwright, allowing us an inspiring insight into the work and research that had gone into writing such an emotive and thought-provoking piece of drama. From the first rehearsal to the train home, staff and students worked together as a professional theatre company, and this was reflected in the outstanding quality of the production. The play is hard-hitting, and performing for a week’s run, rather than the usual three nights of a school production, meant everyone involved had to give their all. However, the reactions from audience members and reviews demonstrated the success of the students’ hard work. Comments often focused, rightfully, on the consistently high level of acting throughout the cast, describing them September 2015 ∙ KGS Newsletter
school life as a “capable young cast” and “brilliant” actors giving a “stellar performance” which was “intense and engaging.” Indeed, the production was named as one of the top 15 feminist Fringe recommendations by The Tribe magazine. While we were lucky enough to have a number of students’ family members and KGS staff come and support the play, the large audience numbers alone proved the production’s success. The 80-seat venue was often almost full, and as the average Edinburgh audience is 7, our frequent audiences of 50, 60 and even 70 were an extremely rewarding surprise! However, the trip was anything but ‘all work and no play’, and an integral part of the full Edinburgh Festival experience was going to see a huge variety of extraordinary other shows. As ‘Female Transport’ had a latemorning slot, everyone had the opportunity
"reviews demonstrated the success of the students'" to fit in a huge number of performances, including an improvised musical courtesy of ‘Showstoppers!’, comedic physical theatre ('Blam!'), a heart-stopping acrobatics and circus performance ('Traces'), an immersive monologue with use of astonishing audio technology ('The Encounter') and thoughtprovoking drama ('Submarine', 'Trainspotting'). While it is impossible to sample everything on the Edinburgh Festival smorgasbord, we certainly did our best, and left feeling theatrically and culturally stuffed. Being part of 2015’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival was a genuinely unforgettable experience which would not have been possible without the hard work and good humour of the students involved, and most importantly, the vast amounts of preparation, organisation and inspiration provided by Mr Crohill. Female Transport was performed at Sea Venue from 16th-22nd August. Mr Gray
KGS Newsletter ∙ September 2015
Summer Reading Challenge T
his summer seven KGS students - Hannah Cowie, Lois Freedman, Carmel Galvin, Issy Macleod, Kate Scott-Taylor, Joanne Sivanathan and Ben Smith - very kindly donated some of their holidays to help local children with the Summer Reading Challenge at libraries across the Borough of Kingston. This annual scheme, run by The Reading Agency and public libraries, is fundamental in nurturing reading and vital for developing literacy as it maintains the momentum over the long holiday while children aren’t reading in the classroom. As well as signing children up, helping them to choose their six books and awarding certificates and prizes, the volunteers were able to sit and read during quiet spells, all in the good cause of promoting reading! Congratulations on this excellent contribution to the local community.
THE SUMMER READING VOLUNTEERS
SIXTH FORM CALLERS HARD AT WORK
Pupils persuade Old Kingstonians to donate £12,000 for Bursaries
T
hirteen hardworking student callers gained valuable paid work experience during the last three weeks of term contacting over 2000 Old Kingstonians and managing to speak to 575 alumni to update details, inform them on upcoming KGS Friends events and also to promote the idea of giving a regular gift to our Bursaries Fund. The £12,000 of pledges and gifts came from 44 donors, several of whom were giving for the first time. Gifts ranged from an increase in regular giving from £3-£5 to a regular gift of £100 a month. This year we emphasised the importance of bursaries and how the School is committed to raising our current level of 5% to 10% of all our pupils receiving potentially life-changing financial support. The pupils enjoyed speaking to so many OKS,
learning how the School has changed over the years from alumni who have left 10 or even 50 years ago. One caller recalls her conversation with an alumnus who studied during WWII; "His time at Kingston Grammar School seemed so different to mine in such trying circumstances, yet his memories were so vivid and there was actually an incredible similarity to our KGS days, albeit 70 years apart. It goes to show that facilities and attitudes have come on leaps and bounds, yet the community spirit and loyalty of KGS pupils remains the same." Pictured are some of our student callers saying a big thank you to everyone who donated this year. Mrs Moore 13
school life
school life
New Staff starters
W
e are delighted to welcome many new faces onto the staff of KGS this year. In the Sports Department Mr Jackson will be taking up the post of Head of PE and Mr Hall will be our new Head of Football. Mr Bequignon and Mr Turner are joining the Modern Foreign Languages Department, teaching French and German. We have two new Maths teachers. One is very familiar to many of you; Mr Cooper, who retired last year, is returning to the department for a short period. Our other new Maths teacher is Miss McBrien. Miss Henderson and Mrs Jeanes join the History and Chemistry departments respectively, whilst Mr Stavrou will be joining the Physics Department. We have three new members of staff who are covering colleagues who have left us to go on
maternity leave. Mr Sharpe is covering Mrs Pytel in the Classics Department and Mr Scott is covering Mrs Williams in the RP Department while we say hello to Mrs Ward who is returning to KGS after her recent retirement from the DT department to cover Mrs Hetherington’s maternity cover. We also have three new members of the support staff. Mr Fitzgerald will be the new Director of Careers and Universities, Mr Conneely will cover the maternity leave of our Development Director, Mrs Moore, and Mr Hall joins us as the new Reprographics Technician. We would like to welcome them all to KGS and wish them all the very best in their new departments and roles. Mrs Humphrey
Wedding Fair
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unday 19th July saw our first ever wedding fair held at Ditton Field, following on from our winter wedding fair in the Lovekyn Chapel in January this year. We were promoting our venue as a great outdoor space for wedding receptions, parties and any large scale gathering during the summer and Easter holidays when our facilities are not in use by our pupils. We had 200 guests come to meet over 60 wedding suppliers, from wedding dress shops to bespoke wedding favours and props to make your day personal. We hope the event will spread the word about our venue amongst the wedding supplier community as well as generate new enquiries and bookings. The early signs are good and we already have plenty of outdoor wedding receptions booked for Summer 2016. If you are interested in booking a wedding ceremony at Lovekyn Chapel or a reception at Ditton Field, please contact weddings@kgs.org.uk. Mrs McCay
HELLO AND WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS OF STAFF
Zoe Clark – Five Times a Champion! J ust as everyone else was settling back to enjoy a long summer off, Fourth-former Zoe Clark was powering her way to no fewer than five gold medals at the National Sprint Canoeing Championships at Nottingham in July. Nothing if not versatile, Zoe won a combination of events in singles and crew boats over a variety of distances, and added a silver medal to her impressive haul, missing out on a sixth gold by just 0.09 of a second!
Our congratulations to Zoe on her tremendous achievement, and we look forward to following her astonishing progress with great interest in these pages.
These amazing results were followed by a busy summer, including a week‘s training camp in Hungary with her development squad.
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September 2015 ∙ KGS Newsletter
sports
school life
ROWING Summer 2015 International Rowing
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fter extensive trials, Will Burden was selected to cox for England at the Home International Regatta. This saw Will in a crew with boys from schools around the UK. Will went to Scotland the week after the British Rowing Championships and returned with a Gold from the coxed four and a silver from the eight. A great end to a demanding year for Will and we of course wish him well in his quest for further international glory this year. As well as Will, KGS Coach Mr Ellison was the England Junior Team co-ordinator and coached the Girls' Coxed four and girls' eight to gold medals.
BRITISH ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015 Over the weekend of 17th- 19th July 19 students made the trip to Scotland for the British Rowing Championships. Like other rowing events in recent years the standard here has improved year on year with this year’s event at Strathclyde Loch just outside Glasgow having the biggest entry for this event when held north of the border. KGS entered nine events across the boys' and girls' categories and there were good performances from leavers Flo Blake-Parsons KGS Newsletter ∙ September 2015
and Issy Dodds, who finished their KGS rowing career with a personal battle for bragging rights which Issy won by 3 seconds. The girls finished 2nd and 3rd in their small finals placing them in the top half of this highly competitive event. Bea Stokman, in her first major regatta in a single scull, won her small final in some style beating girls who had been quicker in the earlier rounds. The other girls’ crew was a J14 quad and after one year in the sport these girls did a fantastic job with the time trial, semi-final and small final, showing a real progression through the regatta. To finish 9th overall was a promising result. The boys entered a junior eight, which was a mix of 6th and 5th form athletes, and also had crews in J16 coxed fours, junior pairs, J16 double sculls and junior coxless fours. The boys' pair missed a place in the final having been rowed down on the line by the eventual bronze medallists, KGS missing out by under a second. This was a frustrating result and a race the boys acknowledged they misjudged in the closing stages. The J16 coxed four came home 5th in their 7 boat semi-final and never really challenged for a qualifying place from the start. However the two crews behind them in the semi-final had been quicker than KGS earlier in the year so some satisfaction can be gained from finishing the year ahead of previously faster
boats. The junior coxless four won their heat in some style but in the final couldn’t make the next step onto the podium, missing the medals by 4 seconds. There is no doubt that this crew were capable of achieving a medal but they got caught out by the early speed of King's School Canterbury and never recovered their form. The boys were despondent after this race knowing a real medal chance had been thrown away. In the eight the boys led in the early stages but couldn’t maintain their early speed and finished just 2 seconds off the bronze medal, for the J16’s in this event racing athletes up to two years older emotions were mixed; whilst it was the fastest the J16 boys had gone in an eight the excitement was tempered with dreams of the medal that might have been. In reality 4th was a good result for this crew. Thanks should go to the coaches, who had a long, arduous weekend with a long drive at each end to transport athletes and boats to Scotland. Also to Mrs Corcoran who stepped up to provide the requirements for the additional female staff we needed to take the girls on this trip. Mr Simmons
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sport
Go Set a Watchman
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t’s the book that everyone is talking about; first day sales topped 100,000. It is of course "Go Set a Watchman". Whether you’ve read it or not, come along to a special Breakfast Book Group on Wednesday 30th September at 8am in the Library and join in the debate on Watchman, Mockingbird and all things Harper Lee. Sign up in the library to reserve your croissant. Copies of both books are available in the library.
Summer Sport Successes O
ver the summer, KGS had five current pupils represent England in various junior international hockey tournaments. Owen Williamson and Zach Wallace both played for England U16 boys, Ellie de Heer and Lottie Ross played for England U16 girls and Holly Munro played for England U18 before being invited to train with the Great Britain development squad. Ellie and Lottie wrote the following report on their time at the 6 nations tournament. “We began our summer of hockey on the 10th July with a 3 day test series against Belgium. We won two out of the three games convincingly with Lottie Ross captaining the second. After a week of rest we flew to Bremen, Germany to compete in the U16 Six Nations tournament where we played against; Germany, Holland, Spain, Ireland and Belgium. Our highlights were beating Ireland 1-0 and scoring a field goal against the Dutch. It was a successful week and a great experience as Lottie captained her last two games for England U16 and Ellie de Heer received the players' player award at the end of the week.” Current girls' 1st XI captain Holly Munro wrote the following report on her time with the England U18 girls in Spain “The team had a tough pool, facing Spain, Germany and Russia. With a draw, a loss and a win, they squeezed through to the semi-finals and then played Belgium for the bronze medal position. Having already beaten Belgium this season, the team looked confident and played a fantastic match to take the bronze medals.” Holly also gained selection to the senior England Development squad and the U21 GB squad, though she had to decline the latter due to clashes with A level commitments. Mr Beaumont
Extreme Reading
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f you haven’t yet entered, do not despair – there is still time. Email the photo of you/your group reading a book in an interesting/unusual/exciting/ beautiful location to be in with a chance of winning. You don’t need to jump out of a plane or scale a mountain, consider opportunities at sports fixtures or training. Prizes for creativity and originality as well as extremeness.
COMPETITION
PHOTO CHALLENGE Submit a photo of yourself reading in an unusual place Simply email hcleaves@kgs.org.uk or librarian@kgs.org.uk Entries must be received by
Thursday 10th September There will be prizes for the best pupil and staff photos and the best entries will be displayed
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THERE ARE ONLY THREE RULES:
∙ KGS September 2015Don’t endangerNewsletter yourself Don’t endanger anyone else Don’t endanger the book