KonnEctionS Autumn 2010

From The Head Master We were delighted with our GCSE and A level results, particularly with such a large proportion obtaining the new A* grade at A level (27%), 16 gaining places at Oxford and Cambridge and 97% successfully achieving their choices at university.

A number of new facilities have been completed over the summer including the new astro surface on the Hill Lane site, a new car park at Wellington, 12 refurbished humanities and mathematics classrooms and the Eco-garden sponsored by KESSoc.

This is always a very eventful term and our students have been involved in an array of activity in sport, clubs and societies, charity work and culture. We have had several concerts this term organised by the students themselves and a piano master class and recital with Professor Ardakov from the Trinity Conservatoire. We have also enjoyed two drama productions; Molière’s ‘Tartuffe’ directed by the Sixth Form and Marlowe’s ‘Dr. Faustus.’ Preparations are now well underway for the Carol Service in the traditional venue at St. Mary’s Church.

This issue also reports on the many events that have taken place since July, ranging from regular features such as the Watersports holiday in France,

the Romania Project, the Goedgedacht Trust in South Africa and Summer Camp at Swanage to the fun involved in visiting art galleries in New York and exchanging life experiences in Charlotte, North Carolina and Qingdao in China with our partner schools in those cities. The challenges of the rugby tour to Canada and biology fieldwork in the jungles of Indonesia are also captured – experiences not for the faint of heart! Closer to home our linguists have been improving their fluency with trips to Spain, Germany and France.

KonnEctionS gives a brief snapshot of the busy lives of so many of our students at King Edward’s. Some of the individual achievements are also highlighted. For further information please refer to our website and the news section which is up-dated regularly.

AJ Thould Head Master

KONNECTIONS AUTUMN 10

King Edward VI SchoolWilton Road . Southampton . Hampshire SO15 5UQTelephone: 023 8070 4561 www.kes.hants.sch.uk

Established 1553

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2 | KONNECTIONS AUTUMN 10

Academic Achievements& Activities

Outstanding A level resultsThe School was again delighted that students received another year of outstanding examination results.

At A level, 91.4% of our students achieved A*, A and B grades. More than a quarter of entries were awarded the new A* grade: this compares very favourably with the national figure of 8% and the independent one of 18%. Over 10% of our students achieved three or more A* grades, more than half of them three or more at A or A*. The overall pass rate was again 100%.

The GCSE results were also impressive: 99% of all results were in the A* to C range, with 75.3% at A or A*. 100% of pupils gained 5 or more GCSEs at A* to C including Mathematics (IGCSE) and English.

These results have ensured that our students are able to proceed to a range of competitive universities in Higher Education, with 79.1% achieving places in universities ranked in the top 25 in the country. 16 students achieved places at Oxbridge this year, 14 of whom were in the Upper Sixth. This represents 18% of their applicant year group.

Speech Day 2010Speech Day 2010 took place on Friday 24th September at The Mayflower Theatre. The whole School, Governors and guests gathered to celebrate the achievements of those pupils to whom prizes were awarded. The Chief Guest, The Hon Nirj Deva DL FRSA MEP, also addressed those present giving a speech on the history of the European Union. London Art Trip

On Wednesday 22nd September the Sixth Form artists and photographers went to London to visit art galleries. The photographers went to see the V & A photographic collection, whilst the artists went to the Tate Modern. After lunch, both groups met up at the National Portrait Gallery before also visiting Tate Britain. All were very impressed by Fiona Banner’s huge installation of a Harrier jump-jet and a Jaguar fighter.

D&T inspirationIn the autumn term, students from the Design and Technology Department visited the Audi garage and Harley Davidson showrooms in Southampton. The visits aimed to provide students with inspiration they could subsequently use to influence their ongoing D & T projects.

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KONNECTIONS AUTUMN 10 | 3

Academic Achievements& Activities

Bath time for Third YearsOn Wednesday 6th October, all the Third Year Latin classes, along with the visiting Chinese exchange pupils, went on a trip to Roman Bath. Expertly led by Mrs Cole, much fun was had by all, ranging from a taught session on life in Roman Bath to discovering the delights of Vilbia’s infamous curse tablet.

On Friday 8th October, Professor Michael Fulford (the UK’s leading expert on Roman Britain) visited KES to deliver a lecture to the Upper School and Sixth Form Classicists. Currently based at Reading University, his work over many years at Silchester Roman Town near Reading is world famous. The School was very grateful that he took time out from his busy schedule to visit.

French exchangeto Le HavreAt the end of the summer term, the Third Year Le Havre exchange students returned after their four days with their French partners in France. Fine weather, a variety of outings and much French were enjoyed over the very sunny weekend and the host families were very impressed by the KES students.

Puzzle DayMichael Ellis and Simon Purkess entered the Further Maths Puzzle Day organised by Southampton University in July. The Havant College event involved a range of educational institutions entering pairs of students to complete mathematical puzzles on various topics. The boys were the highest placed pair in the competition and gained the ‘Trophy for Best School’.

Wookey HoleIn October, the Second Year geography groups visited the cave complex at Wookey Hole, Somerset. For many this was their first experience of limestone caves. The students studied the formation of caves, along with their various uses both past and present. Many enjoyed the hands-on paper making exercise but few appeared to enjoy the aroma of the naturally maturing cheddar cheeses in the caves!

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Angers amid the protests!The Sixth Form French exchange got off to a ‘bang’ with the news of a general strike on the day of travel from Paris to Angers. This did not stop the group from enjoying the French capital city in the sun and KES students braved the protesters and escaped Paris by coach before the demonstrations closed all the roads. In Angers the group discovered that the ‘éboueurs’ were also on strike and the Lycée St Martin was barricaded every night with dustbins. La France en grève was proving interesting as petrol started to run out.

True to form the KES students remained upbeat and the visit to the Château de Brézé, in particular, proved highly entertaining and fascinating. Two mornings of lessons were followed by visits to the Château d’Angers and the famous tapestry of the apocalypse, before returning home to Southampton.

Geographers visit Lulworth CoveThe Lower Sixth geographers visited the Dorset-Hampshire coastline on Thursday 4th November. The students studied the classic coastal landforms at Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door as well as visiting Naish Farm and Barton-on-Sea. They looked at the issues relating to coastal management and land use conflicts in each of these areas.

Mutterstadt – home and away

On 30th September, an excited group of Lower and Upper Sixth students gathered at Southampton Airport to welcome their partners from Mutterstadt as part of this year’s Sixth Form German exchange programme. During the week’s visit, the visitors spent a day in KES, went to London for sightseeing and shopping, enjoyed an excursion to Oxford and a day out on the Isle of Wight. Their KES partners returned to Mutterstadt during the October half term and spent a week

engaged in a very full programme of day trips. From Frankfurt and Mainz to Darmstadt and Mannheim the outings included a variety of activities such as a visit to the ZDF TV studios, a printing workshop at the Gutenberg Druckladen, a tour of the European Space Operations Centre, a youth theatre production, a day of lessons at the IGS, an audio tour of Mannheim Palace, a walk round an Art Deco artists’ colony and plentiful shopping!

New York, New York!Over half term twenty-six students and three staff spent six days enjoying the galleries and museums of New York. Manhattan was gloriously warm and perfect for walking over Brooklyn Bridge and Ellis Island. Highlights were the Guggenheim and the spectacular show - Fuerza Bruta. The party lunched in Central Park and were sung to in Ellen’s Stardust Diner. By the time they left, New York felt like home.

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Co-Curricular

Second Year pupils marked Activities Day by going on a short break to Normandy. Fifty-two pupils and five teachers left KES early on Thursday morning and spent two fun-packed days in Normandy before returning on the Sunday.

The group enjoyed a number of activities but perhaps the swimming pool proved to be the most popular due to the hot weather. On Thursday the group visited Arramanches and the D-Day beaches and on Friday they explored the market at Bayeux before going to see the Bayeux Tapestry. A number of museums and cemeteries were also visited along the way and a great deal of ice-cream was consumed.

A Normandy experience

The first few weeks of the autumn term saw all of the First Years enjoy a trip to Beaulieu Outdoor Activity Centre in their forms. During the day they took part in team building and initiative exercises including the ‘Leap of Faith’ - a jump from a very wobbly platform, some 30 feet up in the air. Accompanied by their Lower Sixth Prefect helpers all the groups experienced an amazing day although some were luckier than others with the weather conditions.

A leap of faith!

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Awards CeremonyOn Friday 24th August, KES hosted the annual Southampton DofE Award Evening in the Dobson Theatre. The event saw approximately 150 participants, parents and supporters celebrate the achievements of successful DofE candidates of all levels, with the Mayor awarding certificates to those attending. Former Deputy Head, Phil Hartley was also presented with a long service certificate for his 25+ years continuing dedication to the DofE Award.

AwardsCongratulations to the following students who have been awarded their Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Bronze: Clara Jordon, Will Holmes, Charles Cox, Nicolaas Heemskirk, Rachel Blyth, Oliver Houghton, Joe Schuller, Charlotte Cobb, Adam Diaper, James Taylor

Silver: Anna Clark, Helen Cracknell, Stephen Hunt, Ellie Jones, Nikhil Bassi, Jasmin Dowdall, Roo Roberts, Lucy Sharp, Julian Webb, Matthew Crouch, Jonny Fox, Mark Singleton, Simon McCormick-Cox, Luke Sevier

The following recent leavers have also had their awards sent on to them: George Placidi (bronze), Mathew Roberts, Lucy Athawes and Andrew Harrington (silver), Joel Hulmes, Oliver Dolbear and Pollyanna Wigley (gold),

Duke of Edinburgh

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Mountain bikingOn Sunday 26th September, the Mountain Biking group met at Queen Elizabeth Country Park for a 26km ride. They started on the park’s red-graded bike trail then followed the South Downs Way to find more good riding in the surrounding woods. After a very pleasant ride, they returned to the park to play on some jumps and then finished with the second half of the red trail with its fast and rough final descent.

China 2010The UK leg of the China 2010 exchange began on Wednesday 29th September with the arrival of seven students and two teachers at Heathrow. Jie Shao, English teacher, and Xiaoqing Zhang, Chinese teacher, said that they hoped to exchange cultural and linguistic ideas in the course of the ten-day visit.

During their visit, the group visited many key UK sites including Stonehenge, Winchester, St Mary’s Stadium, Hillier’s Arboretum, Portsmouth, London, Bath and Oxford. Time was also spent at KES in lessons and savouring the ambience of the Sixth Form Concourse.

An American taleIn half term five Third Year pupils and two staff flew to Charlotte, North Carolina to participate in the annual creative arts exchange program with Charlotte Country Day School. Based at the school for the next week, the pupils worked on their individual projects. Each had an expert mentor at the School and worked hard to incorporate American influences into their piece. As well as experiencing American school life, the group also visited a modern art gallery, a museum of the Southern States and the Nascar Hall of Fame. Other highlights included attendance at a school football game, Halloween trick or treating (American-style), and a great deal of fast food.


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Parents’ CalendarWeek 1 A Tuesday 4 January Term commences Wednesday 5 January Fifth Year GCSE Mid-sessional Examinations begin Second Year PSHE Day

Week 2 B Monday 10 January Upper Sixth January GCE Examinations begin 4:00 PM Fourth Year English Trip - Julius Caesar - London Tuesday 11 January Third Year PSHE Day Wednesday 12 January Fifth Years Mid-sessional Examinations end 4.15pm 7:45 PM KESSOC Council Meeting - Commemoration Room Friday 14th January 1:00 PM Staff & Parent Prayer Meeting

Week 3 A Tuesday 18 January 7:00 PM Higher Education Evening for Lower Sixth Parents - Dobson Theatre Thursday 20 January 8:30 AM Fourth Year Classics Trip to the British Museum, London Third Year Theatre Trip - Evening Friday 21 January 7:30 AM Upper Sixth ALP Philosophy Conference

Week 4 B Monday 24 January 1:20 PM First Year Junior Science Trip to Intech, Winchester: I/1, I/2, I/3 Tuesday 25 January 8:30 AM AS Sport Science - Rugby School 1:20 PM First Year Junior Science Trip to Intech, Winchester: I/4, I/5, I/6 7:00 PM Drugs Talk for Parents Thursday 27 January Second Year Theatre trip to see Warhorse - Evening Friday 28 January Charities Commission RNLI SOS Day Saturday 29 January Admissions Examination

Week 5 A Wednesday 2 February Fifth Year Poetry Day 7:00 PM Fifth Year Parents’ Evening Thursday 3 February 4:15 PM Intermediate Mathematical Challenge: Third, Fourth, Fifth Year Friday 4 February National Youth Jazz Collective at Alton College Saturday 5 February 9:00 AM Byron Society trip to Derbyshire - returns 6th February 9:00 AM Canoe Club - Beginners’ trip to Lakeside, Eastleigh

Week 6 B Monday 7 February 9:00 AM Spanish GCSE Conference - London 9:00 AM Sixth Form English Language Trip - British Library Tuesday 8 February 7:30 AM Sixth Form ALP Conference - London 8:30 AM Upper Sixth Sports Science visit to Bath University Wednesday 9 February 6:30 PM South Africa trip Parents’ Information Evening - Hospitality Suite Thursday 10 February 7:45 AM French AS Conference - London 7:30 PM The Real Inspector Hound - Dobson Theatre Friday 11 February 4:10 PM Junior House 7:30 PM KESSOC Quiz - Main Hall 7:30 PM The Real Inspector Hound - Dobson Theatre

Week 7 A Tuesday 15 February 8:30 AM A Level History Conference - London 1:00 PM Upper Sixth Geography Field Trip Wednesday 16 February Sixth Form Spanish Trip to Salamanca - returns 23rd February 7:30 PM That Certain Uncertainty - Dobson Theatre Thursday 17 February Chinese Exchange party departs to Qingdao - returns 27th February 4:15 PM First Year Trip - The Lion King - The Lyceum Theatre, London 7:30 PM That Certain Uncertainty - Dobson Theatre Friday 18 February Staff Inset Day: School closed Monday 21 February Half Term Fifth Year History trip to Berlin - returns 24th February 2-day Cycle Training Thursday 24 February Third Year Charlotte Exchange - Party from CCDS arrives Friday 25 February Half Term

NB : This is not the full calendar. Details of the full calendar (including sports fixtures) can be found on the website.


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Week 8 B Monday 28 February 7:00 PM Theatre Trip - To Kill A Mocking Bird Tuesday 1 March 7:00 PM Third Year Parents’ Evening Wednesday 2 March 7:00 PM First Year 2011 Intake - Information Evening Friday 4 March 4:10 PM Junior House Saturday 5 March Sixth Form Admissions Interviews

Week 9 A Tuesday 8 March Third Year Exchange Party from Charlotte, USA, departs Wednesday 9 March 7:30 PM Spring Concert Thursday 10 March 7:00 PM Second Year Parents’ Evening Friday 11 March Sixth Form French Exchange - home leg - departs 18th March 4:10 PM Junior House Saturday 12 March 9:00 AM Cactus Club Visit to Kew Gardens 7:30 PM South Africa Team - Ceilidh

Week 10 B Monday 14 March Staff Inset Day: School closed Tuesday 15 March Monday’s timetable 1:00 PM Staff & Parent Prayer Meeting - Hospitality Suite Wednesday 16 March Music For Youth National Festival - Taunton’s College (provisional) 8:15 AM German AS/A2 Topic/Examination Skills Practice Day - London Thursday 17 March Drama AS and A2 Practical Examinations Music For Youth National Festival - Taunton’s College (provisional) 8:15 AM German GCSE Examinations Skills Day - London 9:00 AM AS/A2 Spanish - London Conference Friday 18 March Second Year Options Forms deadline for returning to tutors Charities Commission - Red Nose Day 2:00 PM Classical Society Trip to Lovaton - returns 4pm on 20th March 4:10 PM Junior House Saturday 19 March 9:00 AM Canoe Club trip to River Hamble, Botley Sunday 20 March Sixth Form Cycling in the New Forest

Week 11 A Monday 21 March 7:30 AM AS and A2 Business Studies Revision Conference - London 9:00 AM Fifth Year GCSE Practical Music Exams Tuesday 22 March Sixth Form visit to European Parliament in Brussels - returns 24th March (provisional) 9:00 AM Fifth Year GCSE Practical Music Examinations Wednesday 23 March 9:00 AM Fifth Year GCSE Practical Music Examinations Thursday 24 March 9:00 AM Fifth Year GCSE Practical Music Examinations Friday 25 March 4:10 PM Junior House Saturday 26 March 8:00 AM Lower Sixth Geography Field trip departs - returns 31st March

Week 12 B Tuesday 29 March Fifth Year Mathematics Trip to Portsmouth Theatre Royal Thursday 31 March Third and Fourth Year Trip to Andalucia, Spain - returns 4th April Friday 1 April Term ends [Easter Holiday] Saturday 2 April Ski trip to France departs - returns 9th April DofE Expedition departs - returns 5th April Monday 4 April Gold Assessment & Practice DofE Expedition departs - returns 8th April Tuesday 5 April Classics trip to Greece - returns 12th April Monday 11 April Beam House Activities Trip - returns 15th April Sixth Form Philosophy Trip to Paris - returns 14th April Wednesday 13 April DofE Expedition: Fourth Year departs - returns 14th April Monday 18 April Second and Third Year Netball Tour to Holland departs - returns 22nd April DofE Expedition: Fifth Year, Lower & Upper Sixth departs – returns 21st April

Summer Term begins Tuesday 26 April 2011


The ever-popularKESSoc Quiz Evening

Friday 11th February at 7.30 pmIn the School Hall for parents and friendsTeams of 8, £12.50 per headSupper included

Further information and booking forms are available from Carole Pierce on 023 8055 3500 after 8 pm or [email protected]

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Music, Drama & The Arts

School Music CompetitionThe annual School Music Competition took place at the end of the summer term with former pupil Richard Moore (currently studying music at St John’s College, Oxford) as adjudicator. After some fantastic performances, the results were as follows:

Grade 1-3 First place: Emer Healy Runner up: Rhianna JonesGrade 4-6 First place: Luke Roberts Runner up: Tom HawkinsGrade 7 plus First Place: Jenny Whitby Runner up: Bi Jia Wu The Music Department is particularly grateful to former pupil, Tony Rowthorn, who generously donated prizes for the competition.

Indian drum workshop

In September, a group of Fourth and Fifth Year GCSE musicians took part in a very interesting and informative Indian tabla drum workshop with musician Iqbal Pathan. Iqbal performs and leads workshops all over the country and the GCSE pupils learnt to play basic tala patterns on the drums, gaining a valuable insight into the complex world of Indian drumming.

Annual Art ShowIn June the Art Department held its annual end-of-year exhibition with pupils, parents and guests all thoroughly enjoying the quality and mix of artwork on display. The work is taken from the GCSE and A level courses in Art and Photography and provided an excellent opportunity for pupils to showcase their talent.

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Ballet WorkshopIn October, KES ballet dancers enjoyed an excellent workshop with members of the English National Ballet. After a warm up at the barre, the focus was on Nureyev’s award-winning choreography for Romeo and Juliet. For the afternoon session, KES also welcomed pupils from its partnership schools - St Marks and Springhill Juniors - and all the pupils later met up at the Mayflower to watch the ENB Company in a full performance of the work

Life and DeathThe ‘Life and Death Revue Evening’ on the 19th October was an opportunity to celebrate KES’s breadth of talent in the Performing Arts. Upper School students, both experienced and inexperienced, performed dramatic and comical scenes, classical and humorous musical pieces, as well as contemporary dance and a Gothic reading all loosely based around the theme of life and death. Nearly fifty students were involved in the evening.

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Sport at KES


Game, set and matchOn Sunday 21st June the School hosted the annual First Year Pupils’ and Parents’ Tennis Tournament. In the pool rounds there were some very close games ending in a Plate Competition final between Evie Lock and her dad and Samara Jones and her dad - a close game that ultimately went to the Lock family. In the main competition the final was an all male one, with Charles Bolton and his dad taking on Cameron Brown and his dad. This match was again very close ending in a tie break but the Browns came through victorious. Well done to all those who took part.

Sports DayDespite some heavy showers, Sports Day took place on Tuesday 29th June with Lake House winning first place in the overall total scores, closely followed by Sylvester. The Victor Ludorum 2010 went to Luke Benali who won both the 800m and 1500m on Sports Day and the Victrix Ludorum 2010 went to Rebecca King who won the Long Jump, Shot Putt, 200m and 100m events. She remained unbeaten at 100m and 200m throughout her time at King Edward’s.

KES Sailing RegattaThe annual KES Sailing Regatta was held on the afternoon of Sunday 27th June and was considerably more successful than England’s performance in the World Cup. In perfect conditions the overall winner was Will Archibald of U18 in the fast handicap fleet with Nicholas Francis of I/3 being the winner of the slow handicap fleet.


Victory for School basketball teamJust before the summer break, the School basketball side received confirmation that they were the winners of the U18 Senior ‘B’ Division for 2009-2010. The team played 17 matches recording 13 wins. Well done to all those involved!

King’s RugbyTournament

On Sunday 12th September, Wellington was the glorious sunny setting for the 7th King’s South Coast Rugby Tournament with schools from England and Wales taking part. The two KES sides performed with much credit, but unfortunately little success in terms of results.

Netball success!On Tuesday 28th September the U16 netballers took part in the County Netball Tournament which had twenty competing teams. They qualified for the National Schools’ Competition in the afternoon during which they played admirably, drawing with Cams School and Mountbatten School but losing to Thornden who were the eventual winners of the tournament.

A week later, netballers from the Fourth and Fifth Years hosted two U17 netball teams from Maria Mater School of Sydney, Australia. On the Sunday afternoon the girls played two matches against the touring sides. Both games were hard fought with some excellent netball from both sides. KES won both games; the B team scored 24-17 and the A team 30-17. KES then held a tea in the Dining Hall for the Australian team and their hosting families during which presentations were made.

U16 girls reach County Finals

Congratulations to the U16 girls’ hockey team who played in the National Schools’ County Final against PGS on Thursday 11th November. The girls played some impressive hockey and the match finished 1-1 after full time and extra time. The game went to penalties where unfortunately the girls just missed out, losing 3-2 to PGS. They are to be congratulated in becoming National Schools’ County Runners-up.


Where were you this summer?Rugby tour of Canada and USIn July, the Senior Rugby Squad travelled to Canada and the US for their much awaited tour. The team had spent a busy year fund-raising and preparing for the trip and they were not to be disappointed. They returned having beaten all the teams that they encountered. Away from the rugby pitch, they made good friends in Seattle, Port Alberni and Kamloops, the venues where the team was hosted. They also sampled a variety of extra curricular activities, with a day of white water rafting on the Green River in Whistler and an afternoon and evening up Whistler Mountain being the highlight. Under the captaincy of George Sylvester, they were formidable tourists and, as ever, superb ambassadors for the school.

Match ResultsSeattle Vikings 0 - 79 KESCrimson Tide 0 – 55 KESPort Alberni 0 – 65 KESMeralomas 17 – 37 KESKamloops 14 –30 KES

South AfricaIn August, sixteen Sixth Form pupils and four staff went to South Africa for two weeks. The first three days were spent on the Entabeni private game reserve during which the group spotted lots of wild animals at very close range. This was followed by eight days with the Goedgedacht Trust, a charitable organisation and farm that aims to help the local rural community out of poverty. KES students were able to help out on the farm practically, but the most rewarding part of the

trip was working with the children. Members of the team helped them with their homework, organised craft sessions and took part in games. The last two days were spent in Cape Town. Unfortunately, the cable car up Table Mountain was closed and the weather caused the ferries to Robben Island to be cancelled. However, the team spent time in the aquarium instead and went up Signal Hill for stunning views of the city.

Watersports in FranceAt the end of August, forty-nine pupils and four KES staff headed off to the South of France for the annual Watersports trip. The group took part in various activities throughout the stay including kayaking, sailing and surfing and all enjoyed it tremendously. With fabulous weather for the duration, they returned home tired but with lots of happy memories.

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Summer CampIn July the annual Summer Camp took place. The Sixth Form team and KES staff took a group of local young carers for a week’s camping in Swanage funded by the host of fund-raising activities that had taken place during the year. Throughout the week, the children took part in kayaking, spent a day at the high ropes course, visited Monkey World and Corfe Castle and went on beach trips and tried crabbing. Everyone enjoyed a fantastic week away and this was a well-deserved break for many of the children involved.

IndonesiaDuring the summer break, a group of students and six KES staff headed for Indonesia for an experience of a lifetime. Their trip included a stay in the rainforest (including two nights in a remote node camp) and a visit to the marine site at Hoga Island where the group took part in some spectacular diving excursions amongst the coral reefs - some of the most bio-diverse in the world. From night time frog searches and jungle training to bat observation and sleeping in hammocks, this trip was unforgettable for all those who took part.

Paris Music TourAs School came to a close on the last day of the summer term, forty-seven musicians and five staff headed off for a five-day action-packed tour of Paris. The players from the Concert Band, Big Band and String Orchestra performed the first of three concerts on stage at Disneyland where the whole experience was extremely professional with sound and lighting and an enthusiastic audience. The second concert was in the heart of Paris at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in the Champs de Mars and the final concert took them to a charming, and typically Parisian part of city - Square Jean XXIII.

In addition to the three concerts the members of the group enjoyed a variety of excursions: the Royal Opera House, a late night jazz club and the Eiffel Tower. The sights and sounds of the City were further sampled on a Seine River boat cruise, at the artist’s quarter in Montmartre and in the delightful Tuileries Gardens.

Romania 2010On the first Monday of the summer holidays a team of nineteen students and four staff met bright and early at Hill Lane to set off for Romania to work with some of the country’s poorest and unwanted children. The first five days were spent at the children’s summer camp. As well as playing, the team also took them on walks in the surrounding forests, made salt play-dough, played sports and organised other activities. They then returned with the children to their home at the Alexander Centre in Onesti where they helped for a further five days. The children in the centre ranged from babies to those with severe disabilities or those with conditions such as ADHD and autism. There were some tearful ‘Farewells’ when it was time to depart but everyone returned home with a wealth of happy memories.

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Individual achievementsJames Taylor, Sam Harper and Neil Saund, all from the Fourth Year, completed the 3 peak challenge during their summer holiday. The boys completed the climb to the summits of all 3 mountains (Snowdon, Scafell and Ben Nevis) in 23 ½ hours.

Anna Goodison is a keen contemporary dancer and has been selected for the Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) scheme at Trinity-Laban in Greenwich. She is also a member of the Hampshire Youth Dance Company and last year won one of two Hampshire dance bursaries to develop her skills.

Byung Gong has been selected to play violin for the National Youth Orchestra. This is a fantastic and well-deserved achievement.

Cameron Kavanagh has been playing squash for Hampshire for the last 3 years and has, this season, been invited to be part of the South East of England team.

William Sheard and Grace Murray reached the National Fencing finals in their age group.

Robbie Keefe came 2nd in the British Junior Squash Championships in October firmly establishing himself as one of the top two players in Great Britain in his age group.

Hattie Rawson-Smith competed in the Winter JC Final in the Royal International Horse Show held at Hickstead in July. Riding Billy, she jumped two clear rounds to finish in 2nd place, losing out to the winner by only 2 seconds!

Congratulations to Jenny Beckingham who won two silver medals at the South of England U20 Athletics Championships and competed at the National Schools’ finals at Birmingham in July where she came 4th in the 800 metres.

Jenny Whitby (post grade VIII flautist) has won the Music at Beaulieu Junior Award. The Music at Beaulieu Trust (organisers of the competition) awarded Jenny a prize of £500 that she intends to use for a flute course during the summer break.

In summer, Miriam Chapman-Rosenfeld won the county round of the Road to Wimbledon Competition 2010. Her win enabled her to progress to play in the final of the competition at Wimbledon in August.

Fifth Year cellist Anna Roberts has represented the School in the English Schools’ Orchestra. Anna performed Respighi’s Pines of Rome and Verdi’s Requiem with the orchestra at Symphony Hall, Birmingham on the 30th October

Charities EventsAutumn 2010The year began with the Macmillan Cake Sale which took place at break time on Friday 17th September and raised £60 for the cancer charity. On Friday 1st October many KES students and staff participated in the national Jeans for Genes day. Jeans for Genes is the UK children’s charity that aims to change the world for children with genetic disorders. The School successfully raised £882 for this worthwhile cause. The launch of the Romania Shoe Box Appeal took place at the beginning of October and 127 boxes were filled and handed in by the end of the month. On Wednesday 13th October, students from all age groups entertained a captive audience with a selection of jazz and blues numbers in a charity fund-raising evening. The student-run event was a great success, offering the chance for some up-and-coming musicians to perform for the first time.There were some excellent renditions and everybody went home with a swing in their step. In November the First and Second Years enjoyed the Summer Camp Lower School Disco with its theme of ‘famous people’ and raised over £600 and KES Quidditch followed in the same month during lunchtimes. This year’s Toy Appeal involved a sponsored toy-themed run. Each participating student dressed up as a toy (past or present) and completed a sponsored run around the perimeter of the School. Plans are in place for Christmas week with stalls offering a variety of Christmas items for sale and with the grand finale being the Cinderella Staff and Student Pantomime production, taking place on 16th December in the Dobson Theatre.


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Documents

KonnEctionS Autumn 2010