from
Issue No 7, 2020
An Online School
A full remote teaching and learning programme came into operation from the start of the summer term. King’s Education Online
has had an excellent engagement level from pupils, reflecting their commitment and that of their teachers, as well as full support and
encouragement from home. A wide-ranging “Preparing for University and Enrichment” programme has also been put together for 6a pupils. Highly varied topics include “Political Thought from Plato to NATO”, “Challenges facing Business in the 21st Century”, “Architectural Drawing Techniques” and “Artists of the Italian High Renaissance”. Nor has the co-curricular
An Historical Perspective
side of school life been neglected, with pupils able to choose from no less than 80 different afternoon activities, including sessions as varied as “Chinese Culture in Poetry”, “Basic Bike Maintenance”, “Quick Dog Training Tips”, “Fitness Programming and Nutrition” and “King’s Does Desert Island Discs”.
Few people living through the outbreak, with The Cantuarian COVID-19 pandemic have noting “the term came to an abrupt experienced a crisis like it. As and undignified end”. Headmaster we are so often reminded, these Norman Birley ended the year by are “unprecedented” times. Yet telling the boys, “Remember that throughout history, there have if anyone feels unwell it is his duty been similar moments. The to report at once, and not carry school’s archivist, former History scarlet fever germs all over the teacher Peter Henderson, has country.” In Tudor times the school been looking back at comparable was affected by plague, being crises which have affected King’s “King’s Scholars in Cornwall, 1944.” forced to break up early in 1575 and the wider world. (Read the Full Article here) with the schoolmaster and scholars told to return The school was even forced to leave Canterbury in by September 1st. There have been many other the Second World War and it is perhaps telling of the disruptive periods in the school’s long history, but magnitude of current circumstances that 2019-20 as Peter Henderson concludes: “If there is a positive will be the first academic year since 1945 that has not conclusion to be drawn from this brief account, been completed in The Precincts. 1928 Speech Day it must be that both the School and the Cathedral arrangements were cancelled amid a scarlet fever survived and that life carried on.” Edited by David Hopkins, Head of Prep School Liaison (dnh@kings-school.co.uk)