Where
Canoeing
Our week in Loch Eil was superb. From rock climbing and rowing to gorge walking to raft building, these trips are synonymous with teamwork, challenging yourself and building confidence. Thank you, all, for persevering when times were tough and being a fantastic group of students to spend time with.
Ms S Butler I Head of First Year
One of the best ways to learn a new language is to travel around a place where it is spoken. There may not have been much travelling involved but Third and Fourth Year German students did spend the day at the German School in Ham to practise our spoken skills and experience some German culture. After a tour of the school we all experienced a lesson, either German or Maths. It was a great experience: we expanded our vocabulary and got a glimpse into the German education system and the similarities and differences between the German School and KGS.
In May, we returned the hospitality and welcomed the German students to KGS. They were particularly interested to experience Tutor Time and assembly, as these do not happen in the same way at their school. They enjoyed an afternoon of tennis at Ditton Field to finish the day.
Olu Koevoets I Fourth YearWe were honoured to welcome Mike Haines, the founder of a charity called Global Acts of Unity, to talk to Fourth Year RP students. In 2014, Mike’s brother, David, was beheaded on camera by ISIS extremists. The natural reaction to this atrocity would have been for Mike to hate his brother’s murderers but he felt this would mean they’d succeeded in ISIS’s goal of spreading hatred. So, he refused to hate. When two of the perpetrators were captured and brought to trial, Mike went to the court and gave a statement ending with the words “I forgive you”. I found Mike’s story astounding and inspiring. It showed forgiveness is possible in any situation.
Mike used his story to persuade us that the best way to tackle extremism and hate speech is with love and understanding, He also told us not to judge all Muslims by the acts of ISIS and other Islamic terrorist groups. Islam, Mike said, is a religion that promotes love and unity, and these groups do not represent common Islamic beliefs. Our media should not misrepresent all Muslims as extremists. Doing so encourages discrimination against Muslims and pits communities against each other.
As Mike reminded us, it is only by tolerating other people’s beliefs that we can create a more rounded, peaceful society.
Emma Pope I Fourth YearA snapshot of a happy, busy term
“Tolerance,
We said goodbye to our senior musicians at an informal evening concert this term.
They have all made an enormous contribution by throwing themselves into the musical co-curricular life of KGS, performing in assemblies, concerts and special events. They will all be missed very much and very much hope that they continue their love of music as they move on to new adventures. Thank you and all the best to Kiki Zhang, Imogen Marinko, Lila Skeet, Luis Knowles, Jasmine Levelle, Emma Stoner, Jemima Jordan, Bryn Kamleh-Chapman, Toby Ison and Penny Bennett.
Our chamber ensembles, coached by Mrs le Huray, Violin Teacher Mr Szekely and Graduate Music Intern Mr Lewis, meet regularly throughout the school year and performed in an informal after-school concert last week to celebrate their achievements.
FIRST YEAR TRIO:
Conor Barr, Milly Hutton, Francesca Laudicina
Our midweek piano recitals give Lower School students the opportunity to perform solo works in a friendly and informal setting.
Well done to Aidan Cua Jun Zang, Lucas Pardal, Alexandra Street, Hugo Whyte, Phoebe Watts, Sammy Ridley, Micah Brackin and Oliver De Soyres who have all taken part this term.
Mr J Lewis I Music Intern
SECOND YEAR TRIO:
Clarissa Cheng, Connie le Huray, Jemima Mack
THIRD YEAR TRIO:
Lizzie Clark, Oliver de Soyres, Yena Huh
STRING QUARTET:
Clarissa Chen, Chaohan Fang, Milly Hutton, Mr Szekely (ensemble leader)
FOURTH YEAR QUARTET:
Joshua Berry Thornton, Tessa Holz, Chloe Jackson, Mr Calvo (Visiting Music Teacher)
Mid-June saw Lower Sixth biologists set off for a three-day field trip to Leeson House in Dorset. This is the regular location for our annual trip and gives the students an excellent opportunity to experience ecology field work in some stunning locations.
The group’s first task was the woodlice capture-mark-recapture experiment, a tried-and-tested way of estimating animal populations. The following morning, we set out for the glorious Studland Beach to examine sand dune succession, a key concept on the A Level syllabus. The students’ hard work on a pleasantly warm day was rewarded with lunch and an ice cream by the sea. After lunch we headed to the River Piddle, to investigate differences in invertebrate biodiversity between a fast-flowing and slow-flowing part of the river. In addition to the various insect nymphs and freshwater shrimp that were caught, a few juvenile fish were also netted. Our field work was occasionally interrupted by some exuberant dogs splashing about in the cool water!
The next day saw us heading to Kimmeridge Bay to examine periwinkle zonation on a rocky shore. There was also a bit of time afterward to do some rock pooling, in search of some local anemones and crabs. The remainder of the time at Leeson House involved planning and carrying out their own ecological investigation, which makes up part of their A Level practical competency award.
All the staff on the trip were very impressed with how efficient and diligent the students were on the trip and we look forward to seeing some high-quality follow-up work from them when they return in September.
Mr M Rodgers I Head of Biology
As another successful and happy academic year at KGS draws to a close, we are delighted to be launching a regular alumni section in these termly Newsletters. As the new Alumni & Development Team, we have a wider plan to connect with as many Old Kingstonians as possible and would love to hear your news, big or small.
Do email us at alumni@kgs.org.uk We’ll be in touch over the summer with our calendar of events for 2023/24.
Chess player, teacher and translator, Marcus recently competed in the Reykjavik Open where he finished an impressive 201st out of 400 entrants.
Marcus left KGS in 2012 and went on to study Russian and French at the University of Exeter. His year abroad was spent in Irkutsk in Russian Siberia, somewhere he describes as an “off the beaten track” choice as he feared his spoken Russian was not good enough to get by in a large city. Having enjoyed his time there, he returned after graduating to spend another year teaching English as a Foreign Language as well as acting as a tutor to a family in Moscow.
Marcus has been involved in chess since his school days and has fond memories of his time as Chess Captain and weekly Chess Club meetings with David Sorley. He jokes that nobody has ever actually seen Mr Sorley play chess, but that his cohort always had suspicions he was a secret grandmaster! On his return from Moscow in 2017, Marcus became President of Epsom Chess Club which is in the Surrey League and has recently been promoted to the top division. He continues to play chess, as well as running the chess club in several local schools and giving private lessons to both children and adults.
His memories of his time at KGS span all walks of school life, not just chess; he recalls attempting to stand as the Monster Raving Loony Party in a school mock election, an eventful Geography field trip to Yorkshire and many happy matches (despite not many goals being scored) with the Boys’ 3rd XI football team, run with spirit by former history teacher, Mr Davies.
In his spare time, Marcus participates in outdoor challenges, most recently attempting to cross both Scotland and Wales in a straight line. In England, he says, it is near impossible to achieve this due to the number of train lines connecting north and south. He records these adventures on his YouTube channel, Marcus the Chess Teacher, and is optimistic that he’ll achieve his goal.
Marcus is a strong advocate for chess and its benefits beyond the game itself; in particular, as his website says, chess is a truly egalitarian game, as “anyone who develops a love for chess can become a talented player, regardless of their background.”
Hal only left KGS last year but as well as embarking on a BA in Illustration at the University of Edinburgh, he has just published a book of his own poetry.
Despite always having been artistic and enjoyed creative writing, Hal says poetry was never really on his radar until Sixth Form, when he studied it as part of A Level English and began to read it for pleasure. In March 2021, during a History lesson, Hal found himself opening a Word document, not, he admits, to take notes but instead to draft what would eventually become the first poem in his now-published collection; he describes this as effectively a stream of consciousness that he felt he had to get onto paper, rather than allow the thoughts to continue distracting him from 20th century British history!
His interest in poetry started to take shape during an InterRail trip, during which he wrote another six poems. He still, though, had not considered publishing them; this idea was presented to him by a friend at Edinburgh who encouraged Hal to contact publishers specialising in publishing poetry –specifically small collections of poems by independent or unpublished authors, or those wishing to complete “1-a-day” poetry challenges.
Hal speaks fondly of his time at KGS and the friendships that he made. A memorable period for him was the second Covid lockdown from January to March 2021, in which he says the school spirit was an important factor for him in managing what was for many people a difficult time. He also extols the English Department at KGS, who supported, encouraged and inspired him to continue to write and read for pleasure throughout his time here.
His aspirations for the future are plentiful. Hal has just completed his first year at Edinburgh and is looking forward to continuing his studies of Illustration, as well as electives of English and Art History, over the coming years. Additionally, he hopes to publish more poetry and would like to continue to experiment with new styles and themes, as well as exploring the ways that poetry or prose can be combined with his interests in Illustration, potentially for children’s books or poems accompanied by illustrations.
Hal’s collection of poetry, My Cat is Up to Something, is available to PURCHASE HERE
Colonel Jon Wright (OK 1981) died unexpectedly in March aged 59.
Jon assumed command of England’s most senior infantry platoon in Gibraltar, served in Northern Ireland as a platoon commander and undertook two tours in Iraq.
Our annual Sturgeon cricket match at Ditton Field, together with the KGS Family Tennis extravaganza, took place in fabulous weather – hot and sunny – and a convivial, slightly competitive and welcoming atmosphere!
We hosted parents and KGS students who spent a wonderful couple of hours playing tennis before enjoying refreshments. The cricket game saw a group of Old Kingstonians play some of our top cricketers. In a tightly fought game, the alumni (Ronan Harvey-Kelly, Joe Hughes, Owen Williamson, Ben Park, Ed Darwin, Joe Woodcock, Matt Pugh, Michael Moran, Tom Gooding, Ross Mcgeachie, Andy Wickerson and Alasdair Dean) narrowly won but there were strong performances all round, despite the sweltering temperatures. This was followed by a barbecue and a presentation of trophies and awards as the day drew to a close.
It was great to see a number of staff and former parents at the event, and a lovely afternoon was spent sitting on the boundary. It was also the last time we would see Dave Bartram play for either KGS or the alumni as he heads off to a new school. Thank you to those staff and alumni who supported the event, especially James Gordon who presented the trophies at the end of a lovely Sunday afternoon.
More recently, he was based at NATO Allied Command in Virginia followed by undertaking the post of Defence Attaché in Colombia.
A talented hockey player, he gained Infantry Colours. Jon was a much-loved officer and will be sorely missed.
Our 75-Mile Challenge Fundraiser in May celebrated 75 years of the NHS and Kingston Hospital. Thank you to everyone for their efforts in meeting their 75-mile goals!
Students enjoyed morning walks on Fairfield, ran around Ditton Field, took on teachers as part of a bikeathon and undertook a sponsored row.
The KGS Charities JustGiving page in support of Kingston Hospital Charity is still live here if you’d like to contribute.
DONATE HERE
After a slightly disrupted start to the summer due to the English weather and the additional Coronation Bank Holiday, there has been some fantastic sport played this term. Mr Lavery, Mr Morris and Mr Green in particular have worked hard to provide regular opportunities for students in cricket, tennis and rowing respectively.
On the cricket pitch, the effort put in by players through the winter has led to a number of excellent individual and team performances. At the time of writing, our U13 girls had just qualified for the County Cup Final, while the U12s show a great deal of promise. The enthusiasm of the U15s is great to see and we hope that these students go on to play senior cricket for the School. The 1st team have come into some late season form: we wish our Upper Sixth all the best and hope they continue to play at university and beyond. We are now well into double figures of players who have represented Surrey and Middlesex this season.
The tennis players have been hugely successful in both LTA and Surrey Schools competitions. As we went to press, the U13 girls played incredibly well to become Surrey Schools Champions – huge congratulations to them! We retained the cup v Tiffin thanks to an outstanding display from our U12s in the final match.
This summer we have introduced fixtures on Saturdays along with a number of internal tournaments too, as we look to provide the opportunity for more players to represent KGS.
There has been significant progress in both the girls’ and boys’ J16 crews. There were some outstanding performances at the National Schools’ Regatta with the crews reaching the finals. The J18 girls, Rosie Symons, Natasha Pearce, Lola Crampin and Matilda Drewett, have continued to excel and are racing at Henley. This has been teamed with high participation levels in the J14 age group, as they head to Peterborough.
Congratulations to Matilda Drewett who won three gold medals for Great Britain at the Munich International Junior Regatta. We also wish Mikey Eldridge and Ollie Stone well this summer, as they represent England U18 and U16s hockey squads respectively, as well as Martha le Huray who has been training with the EDP squad.
We are excited to wrap up the term with a new and improved Sports Day, which we have extended to include the Lower Sixth for the first time.
I have thoroughly enjoyed working with students and staff alike in my time at KGS. Particular highlights have been coaching the current U13A and 1st XI hockey sides, as well as the girls’ 1st XI cricket team. The approach of students, in particular, is something I have really valued. I will take away fond memories of Ditton Field and am already looking forward to coming back for future fixtures!
Mr A Watts I Director of SportThe U15 girls made KGS footballing history this term by reaching the national semi-finals of the ESFA Small Schools’ Cup. In an already successful season where they reached the county semi-finals, losing to the eventual winners, the team won their first four matches, scoring 26 goals. After a win against Wolverhampton in the quarter-finals, we were drawn to play Hurworth School in Durham at Premier League side Middlesborough’s training ground.
The girls put on an excellent display of football and found themselves deservedly 1–0 up through a smart finish from Audrey Shepherd. We carried on pushing for the second goal but were pinned back as Hurworth scored a scrappy one right at the end of the first half. KGS soon took the lead again through Lauren Tozer with a calm finish. The opposition put the team under immense pressure for the last 15 minutes but some excellent defending and goalkeeping from Ada Akyol maintained the scoreline. Unfortunately, with 30 seconds left to go, a scruffy cross found the back of the net. Extra time brought more drama, including a few chances that we were unable to convert into that winning goal. With two minutes remaining, Hurworth broke through the defence and scored, despite Ada’s best efforts in goal.
The girls should be very proud of their performances both in that match and throughout the season. Well done to the team of Ada Akyol, Imogen Cockerell, Hanna Rouse, Anna Gleeson, Maia Hendrickx, Abi Man, Charlotte Edwards, Audrey Shepherd, Lauren Tozer, Tess Halliwell, Sophie Aymat, Ava Dent, Julia Stewart and Grace Goold
Mr M Hall I Head of Football
Our 1st VI dream team played their final game of netball for KGS with the staff as their opposition! The sun shone, music played and the girls and staff were in high spirits. The staff team took a while to find their form as the leavers took the lead comfortably but with Miss Hicks and Mr Watts popping the shots in, and Mrs Phoenix, Mrs Butcher and Mr Lawrence effortlessly bringing the ball down the court,, the girls had to work hard to maintain their lead. Miss Parkes put the pressure on in the circle, making Eve Abbott and Fia Mahdi have to work hard to get their shots. By the last quarter, the staff were only five goals behind... With a minute to go and the pressure of a golden five-point goal, the staff team upped their game whilst the leavers lost their flow! Miss Hicks scored the golden goal, making the final score 19–19!
Mikey Eldridge was one of three boys selected from the U17 age group to play in the England U18 Three Nations Tournament in Utrecht over the Easter weekend, captaining the squad against France. He was subsequently awarded one of just four U18 England Hockey Squad REPS awards that recognise players who have exemplified the core values of the programme. The #EmbraceDiversity award is a recognition of the diversity of players’ strengths and is for a player who can deliver on it consistently for the benefit of the team, recognising the strengths in others and utilising their game to bring out the best in others. He followed this achievement by captaining the side to victory over Wales in early May. Well done, Mikey!
Well done to Kye Brown and Emily Parmenter, both First Years, who represented Surbiton Hockey Club at the In2Hockey U12 National Finals in May. Emily was captain of the side that finished second overall, while Kye played in the boys’ side who won the competition. Congratulations to them both on their fantastic achievements.
Mr A Watts I Director of SportWe’re so sad to be saying goodbye to this lovely group. Well done, everyone and thank you!
The annual Past vs Present golf match took place at Malden Golf Club at the start of term. A team of six students and five staff took on the Old Kingstonians of the KGS Golf Society in a match comprising nine holes of greensomes and nine holes of fourball better ball. On a sunny but windy day over a resplendent-looking Malden course, the Present continued their run of victories that now stretches back to 2018 with one of their most dominant performances yet, a 9–3 win where the result was settled with two matches still out on the course. Every Present pairing contributed at least 1 point to the team effort but special mention should go to Upper Sixth pairing of Fin Dickinson and team captain Oli Dawson, as well as Mr Rodgers, for winning two points out of two. Mr Hall, with eligibility for both teams, chose to represent the Present and took home the nearest the pin in two shots on the tricky 17th hole. Thanks to everyone who played, particularly Rowan Bantick and Charlie Bark who both stepped in to play at the last minute.
A huge thank you to the 13 Third Years who volunteered at St Joseph’s Sports Day. Our students were stationed at different points around Fairfield on the carousel of sporting activities, which included shot put and hurdles. They explained, encouraged, demonstrated and measured, showing great enthusiasm, patience and athletic prowess!
The students who participated were: Abi Man, Sophie Aymat, Belle Brown, Carl Romberg, Rufus Pilcher, Saif Malik-Agrawal, Edward Lewis, Chingiz Najafov, Ava Kasolowsky, Tess Halliwell, Evelyn Greenslade, Imogen Cockerell and Aisha Kalaiyalahan
Thanks also to St Joseph’s for their warm welcome and to Mr Gardner, Ms Clifford and Mr Hall for volunteering their time to support the KGS volunteers.
Miss V Paterson I Head of Community ServiceFollowing the hugely successful inaugural Blue Monday initiative for staff in January, the Summer Edition took place last month, with staff taking part in workshops that ranged from cross-stitch, dry point printing and summer bouquet making to sports sessions, guided river walks and an introduction to opera.
Eminent psychologist Rich Walker talks about new experiences helping you retain more positive emotions and minimising negative ones, whilst research by neurologist David Eagleman suggests that new experiences feel like they last longer. With a recent survey finding that Gen-Z enjoys doing something new the most, and baby boomers enjoying it the least, we were delighted to see the full age spectrum of our staff body getting involved, having fun and learning something new along the way.
Mrs D Sherwood I Assistant Head