The Roffensian 2022/2023

Principal of King’s School, Rochester

Mr B. P. H. Charles

BA (Hons), PGCE, Universities of Exeter and Durham

Headmaster of Senior School

Mr B. P. H. Charles

BA (Hons), PGCE, Universities of Exeter and Durham

Telephone

01634 888555

Fax 01634 888505

Email pr incipal@kings-rochester.co.uk

Website www.kings-rochester.co.uk

Headmaster of Preparator y School

Mr T. H. Morgan

BMus (Hons), RCM, The Royal College of Music

Telephone 01634 888577

Fax 01634 888507

Email prep@kings-rochester.co.uk

Website www.kings-rochester.co.uk

Headmistress of Pre-Preparator y School

Mrs K. Crozer

B.(Ed) Hons, QTS University of Greenwich

Telephone

01634 888566

Fax 01634 888506

Email preprep@kings-rochester.co.uk

Website www.kings-rochester.co.uk

Cover: In June the School hosted the Alps Walkathon to raise money for new facilities on the Alps. All members of the School were invited to take place in this sponsored walk, and Mr Charles, Mr Morgan and Mrs Crozer all volunteered to be “gunged” to help as part of the fund raising.

Principal's Address Principal's Address

Chairman, Mr Dean, Mrs Pears, Governors, Parents, Staff and Pupils, I am very grateful to the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral for allowing us to hold our Speech Day and Prizegiving in this magnificent setting. We are privileged to be able to be here in this place today for another occasion which makes King’s such a special and unique place to learn and work.

Last Friday we held a special service in the Cathedral for the Upper 6th Leavers and their parents and it was an emotional and poignant event as we marked the end of their time at the School. Today, of course, is a wonderful opportunity to say a final farewell to them all.

Thanks to staff

I would also like to express my heartfelt appreciation to the staff. Teaching in this day and age grows ever more complicated, but their enthusiasm, expertise, and dedication help inspire our pupils to, dare I say it, reach for the stars and is much appreciated. They strive to create an environment that nurtures curiosity, fosters creativity, and ignites a passion for learning.

We have been fortunate to appoint a number of outstanding academic staff this year and their fresh perspective and buy-in has ensured that our Common Room remains in very good health.

I would like to thank the Senior School’s Senior Management Team: Mr Owen Smith, Miss Nicola Steel, Miss Hannah Catlett and Mrs Sarah Miles for their support and hard work this term.

Farewell to staff

At the end of this term, we say farewell to a number of teaching and support staff who are moving on from the Senior School. In particular, thanks go to:

In the Music Department we say farewell to Karl Gietzman, teacher of Music, Natahsa Dutton, Singing teacher and Alison Moncrieff-Kelly, Cello teacher.

The School’s Head of Marketing, Louise Melbourne, moves on at the end of this term.

Chris Thomson, supply teacher of Maths moves on to Wrotham School.

Clare Coop, Teacher of Biology and resident Boarding Tutor moves on to Weald of Kent School.

Georgia Snook, our Sports Graduate, also departs the School after two years of service.

Alex Glashan departs as Head of Rugby and we wish him well as he moves to the Middle East for new adventures in the desert.

Fran Lowe moves to become Head of English at Knightsbridge School in London.

Although not leaving today, the School’s Bursar, Diane Godwin, will be departing King’s in December and so I would like to take this opportunity to express a huge debt of gratitude to Diane for her commitment to the School over the past 6 years.

I would also like to thank two long-serving members of staff, not based in the Senior School, but who are with us today and who leave King’s School today:

Glyn Mitchell - Director of Sport in the Prep School (27 years).

Katja Neubauer - Teacher of German in the Pre-Prep School (26 years).

We thank them all for their service to our community and wish them well as they embark on new adventures and experiences beyond King’s.

Thanks to pupils

To our incredible pupils - each and every one of you has played a significant part in our school's journey this year. Your endeavour, aspiration, roundedness and teamwork have borne fruit, and today we celebrate your accomplishments. Whether it be academic achievements, musical success, sporting

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triumphs, artistic endeavours, or acts of kindness and leadership, you have exceeded our expectations and made us immensely proud. I would like to thank Aidon, Rebecca, Jusleen, Alexander and Marina who, as the senior prefect team, have continued to support and guide me this year with their dedication, positivity and generosity of spirit.

To our prizewinners

As you receive your well-deserved awards and prizes today, remember that they are not the end but the beginning. Embrace the lessons you've learned, the friendships you've made, and the experiences you've gained.

However, we always remember that success is not solely measured by accolades and awards. It is also about the values we embody and the positive impact we have on the world around us. To all those pupils leaving King’s at the end of this year, and we said farewell to the Upper 6th properly and formally last week, I wish you well in your future endeavours and you go with our love and best wishes for the future.

As current or past members of this community it is essential that we use our talents and privileges to make a difference, to uplift those around us, and to create a compassionate society.

Thanks to Governors

The Governors of the school are often hidden away in the background of the life of the school, but their work is exceptionally important in shaping strategic thinking and development.

The appointment of our new Chair, John Maas, OR, has been a significant step forward for the School and John’s passion for his alma mater while at the same time providing critical friendship with his fellow Governors, has provided continual support this year. We have welcomed former member of staff, Wayne Smith, to the Governing Body this year and I would particularly like to thank one of our Governors, local businessman, Bruce Bell, who steps down at the end of this term after 10 years of service.

Many of our Governors come from a variety of backgrounds in the world of work. They are volunteers and their time is precious, so I am grateful to them for their guidance and support of the school over the last year.

Thanks to parents

I would also like to pay tribute to those of you who are parents of pupils at the school. I said this to the parents of our leavers last week, but helping teenagers to navigate a pathway through some pretty tricky challenges can be tough sometimes. The idea is that we at school and you at home work together to instil them with an independence of thought and spirit, a confidence in their own ability to achieve all

those things of which they are capable and the love to nurture them through the difficult times.

Your efforts and encouragement are much appreciated and go a long way to making this place the school that it is.

May I also thank the Friends of King’s group, led by Helen Watmough, for their kind support this year. Last night’s ball was testament to their organisational zeal and loyalty to the school and I hope that you all had a good time. Looking at some of you, maybe too good a time… And thanks for the tequila, Mrs Virdee…

Sport

At the top end of the School we’ve not quite reached the heady heights of last year, but it has been fantastic to witness the growth of rowing as a competitive sport this year. Wins for our J15 coxed 4 and Ruben Gordon in the single sculls at various events including the Barnes/Mortlake Regatta and Reading regatta have been fantastic achievements.

Sport tours to the Isle of Man for rugby and the north west for our younger cricketers have provided great opportunities for broadening pupils’ horizons and I am grateful to all sports staff for their encouragement and care of the sporting provision on offer at the School.

Daisy Kidd has signed papers for Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club and is a mainstay in the girls and womens’ set-up there.

Following the smashing of the School record in the House Cross Country earlier in the year, Alfie Osborne has been selected for the GB U20 Triathlon Squad at the age of 17.

We have various players representing elite clubs, the County and the Region in their chosen sports and my congratulations go out to you all.

Just as importantly, I am delighted that pupils of all standards and abilities have had the opportunity to represent their House and their School in various fixtures throughout the year. At school level, sport is not just about winning, but about enjoyment, participation and fostering a lifelong love of the benefits sport can bring. I am delighted that King’s promotes these values for our pupils.

Music

There have been some truly marvellous musical performances this year and we have been so lucky to have been present for some memorable occasions, including the Baroque Concert and Summer Concert this term. We have some wonderful, loyal stalwart musicians leaving the school today, but it has also been particularly gratifying to hear our younger performers coming through the ranks to take leading roles as soloists and in ensembles.

I am grateful to the choir for leading us in our

Principal's

Address

Principal's Address

worship each week and I know that you will be looking forward to the tour to Barcelona next spring. May I also take this opportunity to thank Oliver Lister for his organ playing throughout his time at King's, but particularly this year, as he has led a tight-knit group of aspiring organists through services and concerts.

Open Mic night earlier this week was just a wonderful celebration of music, creativity, community and, yes, love. With some brilliant performances by pupils across the age range.

I am hugely grateful to John Mountford and his team of peripatetic music teachers for their hard work over the year.

Drama

And, of course, we sent pupils to the moon back in March. The production of Stephen Edwards’ Moon Landing was a sensational one, involving a cast and crew of thousands, so ably led by Karen Hebden and John Mountford. Many of us will never forget the performances of Alexander Hebden-Edwards, Sam Davies, Rebecca MacDonald, Amy West, Ciaomhe Mallon and Elizabeth Caithness amongst others. It is no coincidence that the opening lines of the performance, echoing President John F Kennedy’s speech of 1962, ‘We choose to go to the Moon, not because it is easy but because it is hard…’ reflect directly the complexity of the music, theatre production and storytelling of Moon Landing and wasn’t it a stunning piece of drama?

On a personal note, it was amazing to actually be in the same room as the performers for the first time having succumbed to COVID last year and needing to make-do with sitting on the garden wall in order to watch Fiddler on the Roof.

CCF and Outdoor Pursuits

A number of CCF Camps and DofE expeditions have

taken place over the year and I am hugely grateful to Steve Short and his teams for running these, very often at weekends and over Bank Holidays.

The CCF Bi-Annual Inspection, which took place towards the end of March, produced a highly complimentary report and so my gratitude to the staff for their hard work in creating such excellent provision for the School and to the pupils for making the most of their opportunities.

A small party of recent ORs received their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards at Buckingham Palace in May.

Cathedral and Chapel

I have listened in awe to our pupils speaking in this building for our chapel services this year. Pupils showing such maturity and kindness of heart in the messages they have given to the rest of us. The recent series of talks ‘Why I am a…’ have proved especially poignant. I am grateful to Father Stephen for leading us through our worship in this place, reinforcing the relationship between the School and the Cathedral which goes back so far.

Charitable fundraising and partnerships

The pupil-led Language and Culture Evening last autumn was a wonderful example of our partnership work. Bringing people together from across Medway in support of charities and organisations continues to be a key focus for the School. Funds raised on that evening went towards the Medway Afro-Caribbean Association who went on to give awards to senior pupils, Aidon Hook and Jusleen Virdee, for their charitable work.

The School’s charity this year has been Cobbe’s Meadow, an organisation that provides riding opportunities for disabled children. As well as raising money for this most worthy organisation, our pupils have been out to visit the charity itself to witness its

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work and to help spruce up its facilities.

And our pupils continue to work with various primary schools as part of our outreach work, providing help and support to the schools and welcome experience for our pupils. I am very proud of being part of the Medway Champions group and the work we undertake in partnership with them.

REVIEW

As parents will know well, this academic year has coincided with a significant period of change and upheaval. Internationally, events that we wouldn’t necessarily believe would have an impact on our daily lives, have done just that.

Nationally, we are all conscious that external factors are having a direct influence on some of the choices we are having to make for our families, our businesses, our institutions and our schools.

Locally, Medway Council has changed from blue to red and this means that the forging of new relationships on a political level is also a priority for the School.

The year has been book-ended, of course, by significant royal events. Cast your minds back to September and, as a whole school, we mourned and commemorated the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; marvelling at her length of service, her dedication to her role and her resolute sense of duty to her country and the Commonwealth.

In May, we celebrated the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. All of these have been massive changes in our daily lives.

Chuck in the nature of developing Artificial Intelligence then the pace of change has been difficult to keep up with at times.

My own view is that all of these factors bring both challenge and opportunity and whilst I know that, right here right now, no-one wants a political and economic lecture or forecast from the Principal (and don’t worry, I’m not going to do that) I do think that by continuing to work together we can still go on to achieve great things.

We have been able to affect some important changes across the School ahead of next year.

The School has worked hard to redefine its Vision, Aims and Values and these now focus on what we call the HEART of King’s, with reference to the opening line of the School’s Song, printed on the back page of your programme - ‘Ere the Heart of Brave Paulinus.

Happiness Endeavour

Aspiration Roundedness

Teamwork

From September, Miss Catlett becomes the Whole School Director of Co-Curriculum - a role that will provide greater clarity to all the activities we run in order to provide a breadth of opportunity to our pupils across the whole School.

Mr Hebden becomes the Whole School Director of Sport providing further strategic oversight in this crucial area.

I am hugely grateful to Mr Paul Medhurst who has led from the front in reviewing the whole School’s curriculum. The educational landscape is changing at a faster pace than ever and so the provision for the pupils through our teaching and learning offer needs to be adaptable and flexible enough to embrace and accommodate that change.

Navigating a balance of retaining the relevant traditional elements of our offer with innovation and creativity whilst being cost effective can be a challenge, but the eight strands of the curriculum review reflect the direction of travel in how we want to seek a synergy between knowledge and skills so that pupils are equipped for a globalised future.

I want to reassure you that, from my perspective, a school like King’s will continue to be a community that focuses first and foremost on human interaction and relationships. Artificial Intelligence will be a gamechanger in much of what we do and will be brilliant for many aspects of our lives, but for this Principal, schools have still got to be about people. From that perspective, I shall look forward to seeing everyone back here in September, after a good break of course, refreshed and ready to go again.

It has become traditional for me to use this short poem on Speech Day and I make no apology for repeating it here again today. It’s called, Come to the Edge by Christopher Logue and reflects - very briefly - how I feel this School endeavours and aspires to encourage, nurture and develop our pupils.

Come to the edge.

We might fall.

Come to the edge.

It's too high!

COME TO THE EDGE!

And they came

And he pushed

And they flew.

For those of you flying the King’s nest - pupil, parent, Governor, member of staff - you may be leaving but you will always be welcome back here.

For those of you staying within the King’s community, I hope that you all have a wonderful and happy summer.

Floreat Schola Regalis! Go Well.

Address

Nursery

Nursery

September 2022 saw twenty new children join the Nursery, welcomed by Miss Claire Overal, Mrs Candice Hummel, Mrs Camilla Morgan and Mrs Fiona Cross.

As always, there were a few tears in the early days, but these soon gave way to smiles and giggles as the children began to make friends with their peers and form positive relationships with the staff. Before long, they looked forward to seeing each other and began to enjoy the Nursery resources.

Morning routines became well-established – hanging up coats, putting book-bags and water-bottles in their designated places and signing in for the day by finding their photo and sticking it on the board next to those of their friends. The children would then enjoy a period of learning and exploring, during which they were sometimes guided by staff to explore new resources and, at other times, encouraged to help themselves to favourite, familiar activities, thus fostering a greater degree of independence. The ‘tidy up time’ ritual ensued, after which the children were soon sitting on the carpet, helping sing our ‘welcome’ song, singing about the days of the week, counting how many children were in the Nursery each day, learning to read and write the day and the date, discussing the current season and looking at the visual timetable for the day.

Every day there would be a ‘focus activity’, with a bias towards either listening, phonics, observation, discussion, sequencing, counting, sorting, mark-making or another skill we wished to develop in the children. The activity would be introduced to the whole class on the carpet, executed in small, adult-led groups and followed up informally by the children during learning and exploring times. After the focus activity, each day would have its own particular flavour. Mondays featured colourstrings before lunch and library time in the afternoon. Tuesdays brought German before lunch and yoga before home-time. Wednesdays brought PE in the morning and martial arts in the afternoon. On Thursday mornings we made use of the iPads to reinforce our learning and enjoyed another session of German. Fridays often brought visits to Chadlington Hall to watch assemblies and our second colourstrings lesson. Every day there were opportunities to engage with a range of indoor and outdoor activities and there was the daily walk to and from lunch (across The Paddock in fine weather and along the path around The Paddock in wet weather).

Punctuating these regular daily and weekly routines were exciting seasonal events………

In the Michaelmas term we took part in International Day, when the children were invited to come to

school wearing the colours of a flag holding a special significance for their family. By talking to the children and their parents we identified the countries to which they had special connections. We used a map of the world to show these connections and made the amazing discovery that our twenty Nursery children had close family living in fourteen different countries.

In October, we were introduced to Sunflower Drama School, who came into the Nursery to lead a very enjoyable drama workshop.

Also in October, we took the children for their first visit to our school playing fields at The Alps. They all donned hi-vis jackets and were hugely excited to ride in our school minibuses. Once on site, we enjoyed some ‘forest bathing’ with Major Short.

November was a very busy month. We took the minibuses back to The Alps, where we collected leaves and twigs to create outdoor artworks.

In the Nursery classroom, Mrs Hummel helped the children to mark Remembrance Day by making stunning poppy mosaics, using small scraps of paper.

Mrs Harvinder Kaur came into the Nursery to talk to us about Diwali, after which we enjoyed making diya lamps.

Sunflower drama

Outdoor learning the Alps

Anti-

school and by attending a drama workshop, designed to help the children express their emotions through songs and dance.

The children enjoyed a First Aid workshop, learning how to phone 999 in an emergency and how to apply cold compresses and plasters.

Before long, we were wearing our Christmas jumpers and making decorations to hang on the Chadlington Christmas tree.

The Michaelmas term concluded with our Nursery angels being transformed into twinkly stars for a morning to perform a beautiful dance in the early

year's Nativity play, while their proud parents looked on, tissues at the ready.

In the New Year, two new children joined the Nursery, taking our total to twenty-two.

In January, we enjoyed a trip to Rochester High Street, where we visited the Library.

In February, we spent another exciting morning at The Alps, this time building hedgehog houses with twigs, leaves and mud. We had lots of fun on Shrove Tuesday, making and eating pancakes in the Nursery before climbing the stairs to Chadlington Hall to watch the rest of the Pre-Prep children take part in the annual House Pancake Race. We all cheered for our houses.

We participated in

Bullying Week by wearing odd socks to

Loving outdoor learning

Remembrance poppy mosiac

Odd socks day

Decorating the tree

First Aid

Making pancakes

Christmas jumpers

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Nursery

During the Lent term, Mrs Cross brought in some frog-spawn from her sister’s garden in Higham. We were fascinated to watch the tadpoles emerge from their eggs and develop into froglets. We fed them on boiled lettuce until they developed legs, then gave them special tadpole pellets. There was great excitement when they began to emerge from the water to sit on their log. Sadly, though, this marked the moment for them to be returned to Higham to rejoin their family, so after observing them jump on and off the log for a few days, we bade them a fond farewell.

In March, we began to learn about the solar system. We painted 2D planets and made 3D planets out of papier mache. We sang a song about the solar system, through which we learned (and managed to retain) a huge number of interesting facts about the planets.

The Senior School were putting on a show called Moon Landing – One Giant Leap and some of the performers came to the Nursery wearing their astronaut costumes

– it was so exciting to meet them.

As the Lent term came to a close, we had another visitor – the Easter Bunny! She came into the Nursery bringing each child a chocolatey treat – and this year there were no tears from any of our children.

During the course of the Midsummer term, we were joined by nine more children, taking our total to thirtyone. We received a visit from the Animal Man, who brought us a wonderful range of creatures to observe, touch and handle. We were most impressed by the children’s bravery as they stroked the soft legs of a tarantula, and felt the cool, silky skin of a snake.

Many of them were even happy to have a giant stickinsect placed on their tummies.

As the weather became warmer, we enjoyed more time than ever on The Paddock, playing on it after lunch and snatching every opportunity to use it for our Sports

Loving outdoor learning

Finding out about space

Visit from the insect man

Visit from the insect man

Day preparations. We practised running, passing, throwing and balancing in our house teams, ready for the big day, when we demonstrated our skills for our cheering families and friends.

Over the course of the Midsummer term, we paid three more visits to The Alps – once for a plantmatching game, once to hunt for minibeasts and finally for the whole-school walkathon. We also enjoyed observing our tiny class caterpillars as they very quickly grew, spun their chrysalids and emerged as beautiful painted lady butterflies. We took them to St Margaret’s garden, where we watched them fly off to enjoy the flowers, the blue sky and the sunshine.

The last few weeks of term brought us two more opportunities to perform for our families and friends. We took part in our class assembly, singing songs, speaking lines and demonstrating how clever and brave we had become over the course of the year. We also sang our butterfly song in the Cathedral for the end of term service.

What a year it has been – so many exciting experiences, so much fun and so much learning. Most of our Nursery children are now ready to move up to their Reception classes. We shall look forward to watching them as they continue to flourish at King’s. They will leave behind a few younger friends, still too young to join Reception, who will be with us throughout the coming year – these will be our ‘big ones’ this coming September. I am sure they will help us to settle in our new additions to the King’s family. We can’t wait to see what the coming year will bring…

Nursery team

Sports Day

Visit to Rochester Library

Emerging butterflies

Academic Review

The academic year 2022-2023 began with great excitement as children met their new teachers and learning got underway. All year groups have enjoyed their learning in and out of the classroom this year and continued to stun everyone with their progress and enthusiasm.

Reception

Reception children have worked within their seven areas of learning. The areas of learning are split into two categories: the prime areas and the specific areas. The three prime areas lay the foundations upon which all further learning can develop. The three prime areas of learning are:

Communication and Language

Over the year, the Reception children have become confident in expressing themselves and are able to speak and listen in a range of situations. They love to work together communicating their ideas and thoughts with each other.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

We are all very proud of how the children have developed such a positive sense of themselves and created positive relationships with each other. In all they do they show respect for each other. They are all learning to manage their feelings and to have confidence in their own abilities. They have a great attitude to learning.

Reception children talking and sharing ideas as they explore the environment

Getting to know each other and talking about our families

Sharing lunch with friends on our Teddy Bear’s Picnic Day

Working together and sharing the construction resources

Physical Development

The children have benefited from all the opportunities that have been afforded to them to be both active and interactive. They have worked hard developing their coordination, manipulation and movement. The children understand the importance of being physically active and eating healthily. They benefit from their weekly specialist Games lesson.

The three prime areas have been strengthened by the four specific areas: Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design. These areas are all connected, and the Reception children show that their learning in one particular area supports their learning in other areas.

Literacy

It has been exciting to see the proud faces of the children in Reception as they become confident

readers and amazing independent writers. Daily fun phonics lessons introduce the letters and sounds they learn to start blending and decoding words. There are soon lots of book worms in the class enjoying reading and sharing books together. Fun mark making activities are always available and hand writing sessions support the children to write in the cursive script. This year everyone has enjoyed writing facts, creating their own lists, writing cards and stories and adding captions to their drawings.

Fantastic independent writing

Enjoying World Book Day

Using our phonics

Developing our ball skills

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Academic Review

Mathematics

The children in Reception have enjoyed their daily mathematical lessons and they have confidently learnt to count and order numbers. They have explored their composition and numerical patterns. They have begun to work on addition, subtraction and division. The children enjoyed exploring shape and measure through practical activities. They have applied the skills they have learnt to a wide range of problem solving activities. Completing a traffic survey and collecting data was a highlight of their maths learning in the Midsummer term.

Understanding the World

As the children grow up in the amazing world they live in they are always keen to explore and learn more about it. This involves sharing and understanding the different communities and families they are familiar with. Every week the children were excited to update their friends with news of celebrations and special occasions they have experienced.

Everyday there

and experiencing the natural world. Walks across The Paddock often included a discussion about what the children could see and hear, in the summer time it was the beautiful aroma of flowers in the garden being visited by bees and butterflies. Regular Forest School sessions have been established this year led by Major Short. The children have explored the woods, built dens, searched on treasure hunts, identified different flora and built hedgehog houses when visiting The Alps.

was time spent outside exploring

Creating a repeating pattern

Subtraction

Creating a number line outside

Working on a 100 square

Careful measuring using cubes to find the length of a car

Searching for snails

Building a hedgehog house

Bug Hunting

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Expressive Arts and Design

The Reception children loved to be creative and explored their imagination in a variety of ways during the year. The role play area could be the vets, a cafe or a dinosaur museum where the children choose to develop their games amid much laughter and discussion. Outside, impromptu musical bands could be heard playing, picnic trips were planned and houses built using the large construction blocks while they worked and played together following their ideas. Exploring different mediums, materials, and craft resources have resulted in some fabulous artwork over the year.

Year 1- 3

In Years 1-3 children begin to study specific subjects. They enjoy daily English and Maths lessons. In English they develop their phonics, spelling, reading and writing. They become very confident readers and writers. They are confident in sharing and discussing their work. In Maths children work on number and place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, shape and measure. Our children love their Maths lessons and are very confident to discuss why they have chosen a particular strategy to solve a calculation or problem. They enjoyed weekly lessons in Computing, Science, History, Geography, RS, PHSE (including RHSE), German and Art and Design. Added to this the children enjoy specialist taught Music and Games lessons. The progress they make and the enthusiasm they show for all aspects of their learning is outstanding. There are many academic highlights from each of the year groups.

Year 1

Art and Design

Throughout Year 1, the children have enjoyed exploring a range of topics in Art and Design, learning about famous artists and using different mediums to create. Some of their topics include: sewing animal hand puppets, drawing and painting self-portraits and moulding clay penguin sculptures.

Reception has had a marvellous year making great strides with their learning.

Exploring colour

Making our dinosaurs

A journey in my car

Mixed up portraits

Our self-portraits

Pre-Preparatory Academic Review

English

Year One shared a number of their favourite traditional tales. They spent time reading the story ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ and used this story as a part of their English, Maths and Science lessons. The children enjoyed writing their own versions of the story, measuring capacities to create the Giant’s perfect brew, and growing their own beanstalks. They even had a special visit from the Giant.

Year 1 pupils have completed a lot of descriptive writing throughout the year, learning how to use adjectives, sentence openers and conjunctions to make their writing interesting.

A description of ‘Jack’ from Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack has a big grin and he has slick hair. He has shorts ripped to his knees and old clothes. Jack is small and he has brown long elf shoes. Jack has brown trousers and cheeks like roses.

Isaiah, aged 5

A description of ‘The Giant’ from Jack and the Beanstalk

This is the Giant. He has a curly, ginger beard. He has a gold belt with a brown strap. He has size 50 shoes and the colour is light brown.

Zen Singh-Laville, aged 5

Penguin

The penguin is fluffy and it is having fun in the water. The penguin is cute and his eyes are black. The penguin is black and white and the water is blue. The penguin has an orange beak and his arms are long.

Amariah Cheema, aged 6

Space

This is space. The rocket is shooting because it is sharp and pointy. The moon has lots of craters. There are shooting stars. The planet is spinning every day.

Fiona Vance, aged 6

Making our puppets

Growing our beanstalks

Finding clothes to be a Giant Measuring to mix the Giant’s perfect brew

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Stickman

This is Stickman. He is made of wood. He fell in the ditch and washed up by a bird’s nest. On the top of his head are two green leaves. He is running because he wants to get home.

Harvey Beslee, aged 6

Sense Poem about the colour red Red is the sight of a spiky rose, Red is the taste of spicy pepper, Red is the touch of a slithery shark, Red is the sound of a bumpy heart, Red is the smell of a smelly strawberry.

Roman Yershov, aged 6

Year 2

English

Throughout the course of the year, Year 2 were encouraged to read and enjoy a variety of books. They often worked in small groups or pairs to discuss the work of an author. They have enjoyed a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Some of the authors they have looked at include: Anthony Browne, Margaret Wild, Helen Ward and Deborah Hopkinson. This has led the children to write in lots of different genres and styles.

into a tunnel, only to be found later, turned to stone. The children created their own plots for Jack for the period he is missing and were inspired to create their own tunnel story.

The tunnel was dark. I could not see anything. I smelt fish bones and leaves. I heard strange sounds. I felt brave. At the end of the tunnel there was a soundless wood that turned into a dark, creepy forest…

Giana Patel, aged 6

I could see figures in the trees. I felt more excited than ever. I heard the wind faintly through the trees. Suddenly, I came to a clearing and I stepped on a circle of rock. I could not move. I was turned to stone!

Arturo Wilton, aged 6

I entered the tunnel and I got petrified. I felt squishy wet moss. I heard the echoing of the water dripping. I smelt stinky damp smells. I saw creepy darkness. I was stuck in a field of black. I travelled further, when I saw the end, I saw light from the sun. I smelt tasty food. I heard the strong wind and found I was in a bright meadow. I ate the food then I was turned into stone. Finally Rose rescued me.

Veer Sharma, aged 6

Jack crawled through the tunnel. Rose waited hours and hours but he didn’t come out. Rose was close to tears. Rose had to follow him. She was terrified but then she entered a beautiful fairyland. Then, a dragon came and wanted to eat her up. Finally, she found her brother as still as stone. She was late and she spilled blood over the dragon. She hugged her brother and he became a normal boy again.

Alina Gasanova, aged 6

Poetry

Year 2 have enjoyed reading, performing and writing lots of dif ferent styles of poetry. They wrote some very impressive ‘simile’ poems.

My Sister Amber

As beautiful as a princess,

As fast as a racing car, She can sing like a hummingbird. As funny as a clown,

As soft as a teddy, She can jump like a hare.

As wise as an owl, As cute as a puppy, I love my sister Amber.

Daya Dhaliwal, aged 6

Year 2 enjoyed studying the books of Anthony Browne, especially ‘The Tunnel’. The character Jack disappears

Children enjoy exploring books, reading and writing

THE ROFFENSIAN

Academic Review

Pre-Preparatory

My Cousin

As strong as a gorilla,

As funny as Santa,

She can dance like a ballerina,

As wise as mum,

As jolly as my dad.

She can sing like an angel.

As soft as my teddy.

As loving as my cousin.

I love my sister.

My Mum

As fluffy as Bertie Bear,

As happy as a hippo,

She can sing like an angel,

As sweet as birds,

Tobiloba Omoba, aged 6

As wise as an owl, She can swim like a dolphin.

Eloise Parren, aged 6

Haiku Poems

They enjoyed exploring haiku poems. This style of poetry only has 3 lines and a very strict syllable pattern 5, 7, 5. The children had great fun creating their own. They based their haiku on a favourite bird.

Blackbird flying high

Taking showers in the rain

It went off to glide.

Fluffy clouds up high

Joshua Fayoade, aged 7

Blue tit in the blustery wind

The clouds are moving.

Tabitha Dunsin, aged 7

The eagle’s swooping, The peacock has a green tail, Owls hoot in the dark.

Marcus Lee, aged 7

Art

In Art, using pastel, paint and colouring pencil the children looked at tulips and created their own triptych. First of all, they drew from observation and practised their sketching skills, then they chose the correct colours to decorate their tulips. What wonderful triptychs they created.

Science

The Year 2 children loved their weekly science lessons. They have proven to be great scientists able to predict and plan fair tests to answer scientific questions. They have had great fun too.

Working on the observational drawing of a tulip

Working on the observational drawing of a tulip

Art

Year 3 have had a fabulous year and have worked hard to move their learning on in all subject areas. They particularly enjoyed their Art lessons and over the year worked on many projects involving using their observational skills and different mediums. They were very proud of the work they produced.

Year 3

Enjoying a minibeast hunt

Will my bridge hold the cars?

Tonal portrait

Tonal portrait

Tonal portrait

Tonal portrait

Autumn leaves using different art mediums

Pre-Preparatory Academic Review

Writing

Year 3 have looked at lots of different genres of writing over the year and from this have written confidently, replicating the style of writing learnt from the exploration of the different text types.

Volcano Poems

They began the year by looking at different parts of speech. They wrote volcano poems using exciting verbs, interesting adjectives and adding in adverbs.

Firstly, the red dark lava was bursting scarily out of the rough, tall cone,

Then, it exploded and a foggy smoke was rising quickly everywhere,

The red, hot rocks were heating up rapidly and tumbling down the volcano,

Finally, it all went silent.

Shivaan Patel, aged 7

Firstly, the exciting, hot lava was tumbling quietly down the volcano,

Next, the deadly scary ash started flying up in the red, orange fiery sky,

After that, the boiling hot rocks were exploding noisily all around.

Eventually, the menacing volcano died.

Aleeza Rahim, aged 7

Mrs Cole

After reading a selection of books by the author Michael Foreman, Year 3 had fun writing the beginning of their own version of his book ‘I’ll take you to Mrs Cole’. We imagined that ………

When my mother arrived home from the gym I had messed up the house and she shouted, “If you’re bad I’ll take you out and leave you at the space planetarium”.

Completing an insect by observing shape and colour

Autumn leaves using different art mediums

Completing an insect by observing shape and colour

Working on an insect mosaic

Sketching peppers using charcoal

Autumn leaves using different art mediums

I imagined the space planetarium, would be terrifying and you would be floating around in mysterious fog. It would be as cold as an ice cube and there would be exploding stars and deep dark wormholes. I had heard that the aliens would attack you if you moved.

When mum went back out to work I had kicked a hole in the wall. I decided to sprint away. I stepped out into the crisp white snow. When I arrived at the door of the planetarium my heart was beating rapidly and I was quivering. I slowly opened the door and WOW …

Henry

Morgan, aged 7

When my mum sprinted home from work and she saw that I had smashed up her bed she bellowed, “If you are bad again I will take you to the middle of Frettin Forest.”

What if it was as dark as night and the long branches were standing still like statues? What if it was as cold as ice? I’ve heard there’s a big scary head teacher who lives underground.

Next day, when mum went out to work I drove a truck into the house. I decided to run away so I stormed out onto the cold snowy and dark street. When I arrived at Frettin Forest my hands were trembling, my heart was racing and my teeth were chattering. On the gate was an old lady and she smiled cheerfully at me and invited me into the forest. It was a magnificent place with tall green trees, a gentle flowing stream and the most amazing natural play area. Now my mum says I can visit Frettin Forest if I am good.

Jethro

Ozorewor , aged 7

Year 3 enjoyed looking at diaries and recounts. They enjoyed writing a recount in the form of a diary, after exploring the eruption of Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii. They also enjoyed reading the book ‘The Diary of a Killer Cat,’ by Anne Fine and writing a recount in the form of a police report in character as Tuffy the cat.

Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii

Dear Diary,

Yesterday, I survived the horrific event of Mount Vesuvius erupting. When I was waking up I gazed out of the window at the gentle slope (which I now know was a volcano). Then, I charged downstairs and had a delicious breakfast. After that, I enjoyed a game of knuckle bones with my friend Livia. She won! Next, I ran down to the theatre to watch my dad rehearse his next play. I loved it! Suddenly the ground began to shake but the actors just carried on. I decided to try and find Livia.

When I found her, she was crying because her goat had run away when the ground shook. We crept outside to try and find it but thick black smoke blocked our way. We began to run away from the smoke and headed down to the harbour. We leapt onto a Greek cargo ship and hid under the thick soft blankets. We fell asleep. When we woke up the ship had left the harbour and we looked back and saw lava pouring out of the volcano. We wondered whether we would ever see Pompeii again.

Teddy Brassey, aged 7

Dear Diary,

Yesterday, I survived the horrific eruption of Mount Vesuvius. I got up out of my bed and gazed out of the window. It was a lovely sunny day and I could see Mount Vesuvius looking tall and majestic. I decided to go down to the theatre to watch my dad perform. As I was watching him I could feel the ground starting to tremble and quake beneath my feet. The actors just carried on but I felt a little bit worried. I thought I would head to the bakery to find my friend Livia. We tried to find her goat who had run away but we couldn’t. Dogs started howling as black smoke began to cover the town. Livia and I ran as quickly as we could towards the harbour. We clambered carefully onto a Greek cargo boat and hid underneath a rug. We closed our eyes and said a quiet prayer.

Oscar Pennington, aged 7

Police Statements as Tuffy

It was a cold day for me to be outside. I was chilling out in the lobelias when snow fell from the dark sky and turned into a blizzard. I glanced across into the neighbour's garden and something caught my eye. It was our neighbours. They were burying what looked like a huge box and I thought that could only mean something had died. Eventually, the blizzard stopped and the next door neighbour's nasty dog was prowling around. He dug a hole and pulled out the box. He opened it and pulled out poor Thumper in his huge jaws. Next, he spotted a bone on the ground and dropped poor old Thumper in the middle of the garden. So, being the kind cat I am, I dragged him across the garden and into our house through the cat flap. Well if you had heard the fuss the family made you would have thought I had murdered the poor animal.

Samuel Linnett-Charles, aged 7

Firstly, I was merrily napping in the bed of lobelias when suddenly I heard poor Thumper's family burying him outside by the cherry tree. I felt sorry for Thumper.

Academic Review

Pre-Preparatory

Being a good friend I carefully dragged poor Thumper to our house and in through the cat flap. I thought the family would want to help. Then, everybody was angry because they thought I had killed Thumper. How could anyone believe that about me? Ellie kept crying, she was always crying. They washed Thumper, dried him with the hair dryer and put him back in the cage in the dead of night. At least everybody now knows I am innocent and poor Thumper just died of old age. I think it was the next door neighbour's nasty brown dog who dug him up. He was looking very suspicious.

Arianna Cattlet, aged 8

Fantastic Mr Fox

A highlight in Year 3 is studying the story of ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’, by Roald Dahl. We enjoyed looking at how we are made by the writer to dislike the three farmers. We imagined we were a member of the council asking the farmers to explain why they had dug a huge hole in the countryside. We decided that they actually had a very valid point of view and we wrote a letter as one of the farmers in response to the council’s complaint.

Dear Mrs Robinson,

I am writing to complain about your letter accusing us of destroying the countryside.

We had no choice but to deal with Mr Fox. Mr Fox is stealing our food and we will run out.

Also, you are the council and it is your job to control pests. You might think that Mr Fox is cute but he is actually a criminal.

We did not know that using machines to dig holes was against the law. I promise we will fill in the hole and plant new trees once the fox is caught and the stealing stops.

Yours sincerely,

Bunce

Dear Mrs Robinson,

Sarah Loughlin, aged 7

I am writing this letter to respond to the points you made in your letter.

We had no choice but to deal with the fox and we would like to say that it is not our job to deal with pests like Mr Fox. It is actually your job to get rid of the fox family not ours.

I am sorry that we brought in our heavy machinery and have destroyed part of the woodland. We had no choice as they are stealing our food and we will starve and lose our businesses. We will be left with no money.

I know that it seems cruel as they appear to be a cute animal but Mr Fox is a thief.

We did not know it was against the law to bring in our

machinery. We will replant the woodland once Mr Fox is caught.

Yours sincerely,

Bunce

Charlotte Baldwin, aged 7

We then had great fun writing the opening to a story in the same style as ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’.

Deep in the rainforest there was a small village and in that village, was a glorious fruit stall. At that fruit stall, there were two people intent on selling fruit. Their names were Joseph and Bella. Joseph was clean and posh when he was on duty but when he was done for the day he was mean and dirty. His breath smelled of rotten mangoes. Joseph was also clever, so clever in fact that he was able to make sure that the other fruit stalls had no customers. There was nothing good about Bella either. She would steal from Joseph because she knew he had lots of jewels. But she was dumb as she always got caught by Joseph. She also had hair that looked like cress. It was even green! They had one problem at the fruit stall: monkeys kept stealing the bananas.

“Death to that monkey,” screamed Bella at the top of her voice.

“I think you mean those monkeys,’ replied Joseph cleverly.

“There is only one,” mumbled Bella clenching her fist, annoyed by Joseph.

“No, there are more,” argued Joseph calmly grinning snidely.

“Well, whatever,” muttered Bella, “What can we do?”

“Don’t worry,” said Joseph putting his finger on his lips, “I have a plan.”

Teddy Brassey, aged 7

Down beside the beach was a fancy fish and chip shop. Three men worked in the shop. The oldest man was Billy. He had never had a shower or a bath and he stank. Bert was very grumpy and had dry skin and smelly breath. Brian picked his nose and never brushed his teeth, but he was the cleverest of the three.

Living next door was the cat family. Mr Cat, Mrs Cat and four very cute kittens. They had no owners and spent all their time stealing the fish from the fish and chip shop.

“Those horrible cats keep stealing our most delicious fish,” shouted Bert as he stamped his foot grumpily.

“What can we do about it?” grumbled Billy as he snapped a twig.

“I have an idea,” screamed Brian as a slight smile spread across his face. “So we will hang a huge net up and it will fall down and then ……”

India Gilmore, aged 8

Activities, Trips & Special Events

Reception Activities and Trips

Nativity story trail at Rochester Cathedral

In December, the Reception children were thrilled to have a visit to Rochester Cathedral and go on a story trail to learn about the Nativity story. The education team had set up different interactive stations that the children travelled around, each one telling a part of the story. After the trail there was time to be creative and make a Nativity hat which was proudly worn on the walk back to school in time for lunch.

Year R Team

Visit to Maidstone Museum

The Reception children had a wonderful visit to Maidstone Museum in the Lent term.

After listening to an interesting talk about dinosaurs from the Education Officer they enjoyed workshop activities that included fossil rubbings, sketching a jaw of a tyrannosaurus rex and studying ammonites and fossils using magnifying glasses. Before lunch everyone contributed to a brilliant drama session to re-enact how dinosaurs became extinct. In the afternoon we were able to walk around the museum to have a look at the various exhibits there. Everyone agreed it had been a great day.

Year R Team

Mini Beast Workshop

We welcomed Andrew Smith, a teacher and arachnologist, who gave a ‘hands on’ workshop to the Reception children in May. This was linked to the children’s topic learning about mini beasts. The room was filled with wonderment as Andrew shared his collection of spiders, snails, stick insects, lizards, to name but a few, for the children to handle and discover fascinating facts about. The workshop gave a brilliant opportunity for each child to have a close encounter with many different species of animals and feel confident to try a new experience.

Year R Team

Activities, Trips & Special Events

Year 1 Activities and Trips

Knights and Castles

For their History learning in the Michaelmas term, Year 1 enjoyed a 'Knights and Castles' day. We welcomed Lady Guinevere from the Past Productions Company who took us into the past to the time of King Arthur. The children explored types of castles, took part in a jousting tournament and learnt a medieval dance. The children were even lucky enough to receive their knighthood.

Year 1 Team

Gurdwara Visit

One of the world faiths explored in Year One is Sikhism. The children enjoyed visiting the Guru Nanak Durbar Gurdwara in Gravesend to better understand how Sikhs worship. The children were able to spot the Khanda, see the Guru Granth Sahib, and try delicious traditional foods in the Langar.

Year 1 Team

Visit to Guildhall Museum

In the Michaelmas term, the children thoroughly enjoyed learning about toys from the past in their History lessons. They had the chance to visit the Guildhall Museum to explore and handle a range of old toys. This included a pumpette and a wooden acrobat toy. The children got to each have a turn playing with the acrobat and they enjoyed exploring the differences between toys from the past and toys from the present.

Year 1 Team

Visit to Horton Kirby

As part of their learning in Science, Year One visited Horton Kirby Environmental Centre to spend the day with Mr and Mrs Nature. The children spent the day identifying various birds, trees and minibeasts. They even got the chance to do the ‘river shuffle’ in order to find invertebrates in the river.

Year 1 Team

Activities, Trips & Special Events

Visit to Rochester Cathedral

Year 1 visited Rochester Cathedral as part of their learning about Christianity. The children had a guided tour of the Cathedral, during which they got to identify its key features such as the nave, pulpit, font and stained glass windows. We then visited the crypt where we got to learn about celebrations of significance in the Christian faith. The children were able to re-enact a baptism and were selected to play important roles in order to welcome a new baby into the Christian faith.

Year 1 Team

Creepy Claws

Children in Year One thoroughly enjoyed their Creepy Claws workshop in the Lent term, where they got to learn about a variety of unusual pets. The animals were brought in from the Creepy Claws rescue centre, and included a milk snake, tortoise, tarantula and a skinny pig to name just a few. The children learnt many facts about the animals, including how to look after them and what their habitats are.

Year 1 Team

Pirate Day

Year One thoroughly enjoyed their Pirate Day in the Midsummer term. To link with their learning about the history of pirates, the children took part in a Pirate Day where they came to school dressed as a pirate and took part in many pirate activities.

These included making a pirate ship, creating a treasure map with tea-staining and designing their own pirate flag. Arrrrrrggghhhhh!

Year 1 Team

Year 2 Activities and Trips

Reculver Trip

Year 2 had an amazing trip to Reculver to investigate seaside habitats and food chains. In the morning, they enjoyed a variety of games. They started as anemones using their colourful long tentacles to catch their food. Next they became turnstone birds and enjoyed using their beaks to forage for lugworms and ragworms under shells and stones. The ‘Crazy Crab Crawl’ race was definitely the highlight as they scuttled around using their pincers to catch worms, mussels, shrimps, seaweed, whelks etc. without being caught by the seagull.

In the afternoon equipped with nets, tickling sticks and spades they enjoyed rock pooling on the beach and discovered a huge variety of marine life. With quick digging under the rocks, they found mussels, sea lettuce, common and dog whelk shells, oysters, shrimps, crabs, slipper limpets, barnacles, thorn back ray fish and shark egg cases/ mermaid purses. Finally,

as they walked back, they noticed the sand martins had moved their nests further along in the sandstone cliffs where it was more stable with plants and were preparing to migrate to warmer climates. They also saw thousands of important solitary bees nesting in the cliffs which help pollinate our edible plants. Year 2 truly enjoyed their seaside experience and looked forward to continuing their investigations back in the classroom.

Year 2 Team

The Great Fire of London Workshop

Year 2 took part in a fantastic workshop about The Great Fire of London. They were immersed in a whole day of activities and learnt a lot of facts about this historical event. During the morning they met Samuel Pepys and discovered what life was like in 1666. They created their own cityscape of London burning, using pastels and a variety of coloured paper for the buildings and fire. During the afternoon session they had a go at creating a people chain with real buckets of water, and practised writing with a quill pen and ink pot. The children were able to try on a variety of costumes and act out freeze frames. They also took part in a treasure hunt around the school and tried to find cheese, wine and grapes that belonged to Samuel Pepys. Finally, the children were taught a dance and performed a short routine to music.

Year 2 Team

Activities, Trips & Special Events

Year 3 Activities and Trips

STEM

Year three have enjoyed three STEM workshops this year. They were led by Paul Shefford. In the Michaelmas term the children designed and made a fidget spinner. In the Lent term, they designed and made a balloon car and had great fun racing them. In the Midsummer term they came with their understanding of electric circuits and made vibrating bugs. They learnt the importance of trial and error but also precision and accuracy. Incorporated into each project was the concept of design. We were all amazed at the language they used to describe and explain both the process and the science.

Remembrance Day

On Friday November 11th Year 3 and Year 2 went to the War Memorial in Rochester. The Year 3 children read the letters they had written, reflecting what it must have been like to be a soldier in the First World War. At 11am the children took part in the 2 minute silence and listened as the town crier read the poignant ‘At the going down of the sun’. They joined in with ‘I will remember them’. They then laid a wreath on behalf of the Pre-Preparatory School.

Dear Soldier,

I am writing to say thank you because you worked very hard in the war.

I know it was horrible in the trenches because it was muddy, wet and dangerous. How did you fill the sand bags? I would not like to keep digging and not sleeping.

Your mum and dad must have felt scared that you would not come home. You must have been missed.

Thank you for fighting for our freedom.

Shivaan Patel, aged 7

Dear Soldier,

I am writing to you to say thank you for sacrificing your life for our country. I would not like to have been in a trench listening to the loud bangs. I would not like to be hungry and tired and I would hate the mud and dirt.

You must have missed your family a lot. They must have really worried about you. Your family must have been very proud of you.

Thank you so much for protecting our country.

Isabella Noble, aged 7

Dear Soldier,

I am writing to say thank you for fighting for our country. I know it was terrible in the trenches and you probably felt sad and scared. How horrible was it in the trenches? I wouldn’t have liked the muddy, wet trenches.

Your mum and dad must have been so sad when they got the letter that said you had died.

Thank you for sacrificing your life for us.

India Gilmore, aged 7

Maya Day

In the Lent term, the children once again enjoyed Maya Day, led by ‘Big Nose’, a mighty Mayan Warrior. The day supported the children’s history learning on ‘The Maya’, a topic they really enjoyed. They enjoyed

Year 3 Team

Year 3 Team

learning how to count in Maya, and particularly enjoyed the staff v children counting competition. They enjoyed learning more about Maya traditions and customs, the idea of sacrifice being a favourite. They discovered the importance of chocolate and even tasted some. In the afternoon they worked in small groups to explore a topic through drama. Their presentations were brilliant. The day ended with a retelling of ‘The Maya Creation Story’ with Mrs Green and Mr Parker-Bruce acting as the two main gods. A lot of learning took place and a lot of fun was had by everyone.

Year 3 Team

Our Trip to the German School in Richmond

On Tuesday 23rd of May 2023, we went on a school trip to London because there is a school that is a German school.

We were supposed to be at our school at 07:30 am, which is an hour earlier than the usual school time. We went on a coach and it took about 2 hours, so we took a book and our water bottles, so when we were in the coach we could drink water, read and sleep.

After two long hours, we were there and it was playtime so we played and met some German children. Then we went to different classes. There was 2a, 2b and 2c and we had different teachers teaching us. After that, we introduced our names to all the pupils in the school and we played a game to do

it. Next, we started looking at the adjectives and the German children helped us to do this because all the questions were in German. Next, we played a word hunt and it was still all in German, but we had other children who knew how to do it. After we had finished that, the German teacher told us all the answers and we got them all right.

Next, it was time for playtime again and we played in the sand because the school had a sandpit. After that, we went back to the school and we had a little tour around the school. Then it was lunch time and it was different than at our school, but everything was yummy. After everyone had eaten lunch, we had to go back to school, and get ready to go back to our school. Then we said goodbye to our friends and headed back to Rochester.

I HAD A GREAT TIME!

Cathedral Trip

Rini

Kundu, aged 8

In the Midsummer term, Year 3 went to the Cathedral to take part in two workshops. One focused on tessellation and developed the children’s problem solving. The other looked at stories in glass, as the children looked at and explored the Cathedral’s stained glass windows. The children had a great day and enjoyed the learning.

Year 3 Team

THE ROFFENSIAN

Activities, Trips & Special Events

Special Events

Language and Culture Week

In the last week of September, we celebrated the diversity of languages and cultures represented within our school. The week kicked off with a colourful display of pupils and staff wearing either their traditional dress or national colours. The children made flags and wrote interesting facts about their country. During the week the register was taken in a different language each day. On Friday, Senior School pupils delivered a very engaging assembly to Pre-Prep. The entire week culminated in an evening event in the school hall, with food, poetry and music from all corners of the world. Everyone had a wonderful week.

Celebrating History

What a year historically! In September we learned the sad news that Queen Elizabeth II had died. We witnessed a country in mourning and a state funeral. Year 3 went to the Cathedral to sign the book of condolence on behalf of the Pre-Preparatory School. The children reflected on her long life and her unswerving service to the country. In May, we witnessed another historic event, the coronation of King Charles III. May 6th was a bank holiday, but later in the week The Pre-Preparatory School joined with the rest of the school to celebrate this event. A garden party was held in St Margaret’s Garden. It was lovely to see the whole School join together for a

traditional celebration including tea, games and maypole dancing. What a memorable event and year.

L. J. G.

Eco-Council

21 members from Year 1-3 joined the Eco-Council for this academic year. They had to write an application outlining why they thought that they should be part of this group. In our first meeting, we discussed how important it is to recycle our paper and to switch off lights and computers to save energy. The members of the council reminded their peers in their classes. They also designed posters which were displayed around the whole school. We met together with the School Council to discuss our charity for the year. It was agreed that we wanted to raise money for ‘The Queen’s Green Canopy’. Many events took place during the year to raise money for this important cause.

In March the Eco-Council gave a helping hand with our ‘The Spring Show’. It was a wonderful occasion and enjoyed by all.

The Pre-Prep playground allotment was a Pre-Prep Eco-Council initiative as part of the sustainability project led by Laura MacDonald and Katja Neubauer to promote growth, gardening and plant to plate science topics in our school.

Zabrina Wilton the chairperson of The Old Roffensian Society raised funds for the project and Andy Ratcliffe who is an OR and one of the committee members kindly hand made the planters for us.

A big thank you to Bourne Amenity Ltd. who provided 2 tonnes of compost free of charge for our playground allotments which was organised by Thomas Bush (Head of Ground Staff).

We would also like to thank Chantry Community Academy for inspiring us, led by Helen Caithness who recently won the ‘Environment and Sustainability Award’ for their wellbeing allotment and growing their own food.

Our Pre-Prep children were very keen to look after the plants and to watch the fruit and vegetables ripen.

Well done Eco-Council for all your enthusiasm and hard work during this academic year.

K. M. N. and L. A. M.

Celebrating St. Martin with a ‘Laternenumzug’

On the 11th November each year ‘Martinstag’ is celebrated in Germany. Days before, children in Nurseries and Primary schools make lanterns and practise songs. On the evening of the 11th November, the children and their parents process through the towns and villages with their lanterns singing Martinsongs. This is a very old tradition and remembers Saint Martin of Tours who cut his cloak in half and gave one half to a beggar.

The children in Pre-Prep were very excited to join in with that special tradition. Parents were invited after school to join the celebration. Some Year 3 pupils performed the story of St. Martin and told everyone about this German tradition. This was followed by the whole of Pre-Prep singing the lantern song. The parents were then challenged to show off their singing skills. They sang surprisingly well. Afterwards, a yummy goose shaped biscuit was enjoyed by all. Then it was time to process with the lanterns around The Paddock. Everyone had a lot of fun joining in this special German tradition.

K. M. N.

THE ROFFENSIAN

Activities, Trips & Special Events

Christmas

Christmas in Pre-Prep is always a busy but exciting time of year, full of eager anticipation. Christmas events began with Year 3 boarding minibuses and heading to Maidstone to sing carols in aid of Demelza House. We enjoyed singing a wide repertoire of Christmas songs and left feeling very Christmassy.

On the morning of the 6th December children went into their classrooms and found that the trainers they had left out the previous evening were filled with gifts. St Nicholas had visited.

We enjoyed our Christmas lunch cooked and served by our wonderful catering staff. It was delicious.

With the arrival of the Christmas tree we donned our Christmas jumpers and headed for our chosen Christmas activity session. The staff offered lots of exciting choices and we got to have a go at our favourite.

This year, Year 3 were once again able to sing Christmas carols and songs at the Watts Almhouse. It was a very special occasion where the residents enjoyed the singing and the children happily chatted with residents asking and answering questions. The afternoon finished with juice and some sweet treats.

A highlight every year are the Nativity services.

In the morning, EYFS confidently performed their Nativity in Chadlington Hall and we were amazed by their wonderful confident performance. We were so proud of them all. In the afternoon Years 1-3 performed their Nativity in the Cathedral. It was amazing. Year 3 assisted by Years 1-2 retold the traditional Nativity story with a mix of narration, acting, dancing and singing.

Activities, Trips & Special Events

Visit by a German Musician

In January, the German musician Martina Schwarz visited Year 1 and 2 to introduce her new songs about looking after the environment. The children enjoyed singing about nature, dinosaurs, forests and recycling.

K. M. N.

World Book Day

In March, the Pre-Preparatory School enjoyed our now annually embedded celebration of World Book Day. On the day, we dressed up as our favourite book characters, and held our house reading assemblies. Our younger pupils love having books read to them by the older pupils. The highlight of this years celebrations were the fun and interactive workshops delivered by the author Chloe Inkpen. There was the opportunity to get one of the books she had written signed. The PrePreparatory School love books.

School Council

School Council have had a busy year. After writing their letters and being elected by their classes they set about choosing the charity for the year. After discussing it in their classes they decided they would like to link with the Eco-council and support an environmental charity. After further discussion, they decided to support the Woodland Trust as part of a project to create green spaces, knowing the importance of this for animals, but also for human health and wellbeing. This linked with a project set up by the Queen during her diamond jubilee, ‘The Queen’s Green Canopy’. This project was extended after her death by the King, a great advocate for nature and green spaces. The School Council presented an assembly to the School on this charity. With their classes they decided on events for the year which included non-school uniform days and supporting the Eco-council with a spring show. As a school we were privileged to have a visit to an assembly by Lady Colgrain, Lord-Lieutenant of Kent, to explain the Queen’s Green Canopy Project.

The School Council have begun with their classes to look at further ways of enhancing the playground. It also met each term with the ‘Whole School Council’, and discussed whole school issues including whole school events, transition and sustainability. They impressed with their mature, confident and thoughtful comments.

L. J. G.

L. J. G.

The Chadlington Spring Show

This year the Pre-Prep led by the Eco Council hosted a ‘Spring Show’ on Friday 24th March in Chadlington Hall as a fundraising event for our school charity, Woodlands Trust/The Queen’s Green Canopy.

The children were asked to enter as many exhibits as possible from each of the three sections. There was a super selection of options to choose from in the gardening, art and craft and baking sections. The emphasis was on having fun and being creative and many won certificates for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes.

This was a wonderful way to celebrate spring and share a variety of plants which had been successfully grown at home, in containers, window sills, grow bags, allotments or even in their own vegetable patch in the garden. The competition also celebrated those who have a particular interest in baking, photography or art and craft. The theme for the categories was Woodlands. There were 40 categories in total to choose from to cover a wide range of talents.

Everyone was welcome to view the show in Chadlington Hall after school. Proud pupils guided their families around the many exhibits and shared their excitement of the wonderful display. Refreshments were provided and there was a cake sale and a tombola to raise money for our school charity.

L. A. M. and K. M. N.

Research Project with Oxford University

We were very privileged to be chosen by the University of Oxford for a language research study. Johannes Schulz, a PhD student, visited us throughout the Michaelmas and Lent terms to conduct his study. Our children in Year 2 had great fun taking part in this exciting research which looked at the role of ‘multi-word units’ in native and foreign language acquisition.

K. M. N.

Music Review Music Review

Children enjoy their weekly music from Nursery to Year 3. Mrs Cross runs colourstrings sessions with all children in Nursery and Reception. Children in Years 1-3 enjoy weekly lessons with the Preparatory Head of Music, Mrs Nathan. From Year 2 children have the opportunity to learn

a range of instruments and take lessons. This year children have chosen to learn piano, guitar, violin, trumpet, percussion, clarinet to name some. This year saw an exciting development with children from Year 1-3 being given the opportunity to take part in a small group ‘First Strings Experience,’ on either the violin or cello. These sessions were well received by the children.

This year saw the introduction of informal concerts. They took place after school in the Conference Centre and allowed the children the opportunity to perform in front of a supportive audience.

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In the Midsummer term, we held our ‘Performing Arts Pre-Preparatory Concert’. We were able to watch the ballerinas, hear the choir and listen to some of our Year 3 children who have had individual lessons. It is great to see how much the children enjoy their music and dance and how confidently they perform at the start of their musical and dance journey. The afternoon was enjoyed by all. We are very grateful to all the individual music and dance teachers who inspire the children. We are also grateful to Mrs Nathan who masterminds this event.

Music Review

PPS PPS

The Pre-Prep Supporters (PPS) have been super busy this academic year.

The PPS are a group of volunteer parents who support with provisions and treats throughout the school year.

• Starting with an amazing autumnal display for the Harvester assembly, the team put together a autumnal display including a custom hand-made balloon arc.

• The group organise and donate a range of treats, including hand-made Zuckertute, Nikolaus Christmas gifts, lanterns, Easter treats and sports day ice-lollies.

• The PPS handmade 170 ‘Zuckertute’, which is a gift traditionally given to children in Germany on their very first day of school. It includes pencils, rubbers, sharpeners – and the odd sweet.

• The PPS donated 170 lantern sticks and batteries, which the children decorated themselves. These are used on the ‘Laternenumzug’ (lantern procession) which took place on The Paddock.

• The PPS support with additional projects, such as the Year 3 leavers hoodies. They also support with additional learning and education enhancing equipment.

• The PPS have supplied board game tables and also a outdoor sensory place for quiet time and out-door learning.

A big part of the PPS is organising special events, this year they hosted 3 events:

• Christmas Surprise, which included Santa’s Grotto and a live performance of a Christmas pantomime

• Easter Treasure Hunt – scavenger hunt held at the Conference Centre

• Finishing off with the Summer Extravaganza in St. Margaret's Garden, which included bouncy caste & slide, crafts and lawn games, colour raffle and food trucks.

We work closely across the schools and collaborate at joint events, such as the King's Coronation Day celebration in St. Margaret’s Garden.

A big thank you to our PPS team this year. Dr Shabat Hothi (Chair), Mrs Lieu Dada (vice-chair), Mrs Rachna Patel (Treasurer), Mrs Catharina AbiolaJames (Secretary) and Mrs Esther Moore (School representative). They are supported by an amazing committee and group of helpers and school staff.

The PPS Easter bunnies and Easter helpers visit the children during Easter Assembly. They also gifted each child with an Easter treat. At the end of the term, the PPS Easter Bunny hosted an Easter treasure hunt in the conference centre.

Leavers’ Service

Pre-Preparatory School Prize Giving

The afternoon of Thursday 6th July saw a wonderful celebration of our School year. The whole School was involved from Nursery to Year 3 as we reflected on the year gone by. It was lovely to see such a full Cathedral. The Year 3 children took charge and shared the experiences that we have enjoyed this academic year, each year group, along the way, injected their sparkle in the form of a song or a poem. Nursery sang us a song they had learnt about a caterpillar, and Reception sang a song about transport, a topic they very much enjoyed. Year 1 reminded us of the importance of being ourselves in the form of a song, All About Me. Year 2 wrote a poem inspired by Shakespeare about the journey they have been on so far and performed it brilliantly. Year 3 sang a song in German about the months of the year, followed by a rendition of When I Grow Up, a truly goose bump and eye watering moment. Year 3 then went on to share some

of their memories from their time in the Pre-Preparatory School, as well as their aspirations for the Prep School. We were able to continue our tradition of singing Shine Jesus Shine and filled the Cathedral with our voices.

The service is also a time for us to say a proper goodbye to our leavers. Saying goodbye to the children is always so hard, and although they are only across The Paddock, and we know they are ready for the next part of their learning journey, it is always a time full of emotion. It has been a pleasure watching them grow and develop throughout their time in the Nursery and Pre-Preparatory school –what incredible children they are.

The afternoon finished with refreshments on The Paddock, provided by our brilliant catering team and were very welcome on the lovely warm summer’s day. A great way to end the school year.

Salvete Valete

A. Adeshina, T. Adisa, O. Agboola, A. Agyei, I. Ajala, A. Apata, H. Beslee, A. Bhat, O. Boyes, J. Brown R. Chopra, L. Clark, K. Cobbinah-Denieffe, M. Davey-Brown, D. Eboda, C--C. Forson, D. Gbenedio, D. Gbenedio, A. Hanson, E. Hewitt-Jones, E. Ikokwu, A. Jassal, K. Kapesa, H. D. Kazmi, K. King, A. Lall, S. Lidl, O. Mackinlay, M. Naeem, M. Obafemi, I. Ogunnaike, H. Ogunyanwo, E. Olawole, B. Panesar, L. Patel, U. Rahim, C. Rodrigues Amaral, E. Rowley, L. Schupp, G. Slack, M. Spencer-Nixon, A. Thurgood, F. Tongola, N. Walker, E. Wilton, R. Yershov, G. Yianni, E. Yue.

N. Dhesi, J. Williams, A. Das Adhikari, O. Abiola-James, F. Abiola-James, N. Dastagir, L. R. Rengifo, J. White, L. Karpusenko, A. Famutimi, Y. Sidorenko.

Cups, Trophies & Prizes

The Mills Cup for Leadership: Oscar Pennington

The Strathmore and Kinghorne Cup for Good Manners and Politeness: Tendai Mudavanhu

The Collett-White Trophy for Music: Sam Linnett-Charles

The Turnbull Cup for Endeavour: Sariah

The Jelfs Cup for Sport: India Gilmore/Zach Gill

The Walker Cup for Kindness: Ariana Catlett/Joen Gono

The Lester Cup for Art: Zimo Shen

The Nolan Cup for School Loyalty: Elizabeth Allen

The Medhurst Cup for Performing Arts: Isabella Noble

The Nickless Cup for High Academic Achievement: Teddy Brassey

The Pre-Preparatory School Mathematics Prize: Kyan Hothi

The Pre-Preparatory School English Prize: Henry Morgan

The Swimming Cup for Most Improvement: Sarah O’Loughlin

The Brownett Cup for Improvement in Ballet: Savanna Mason

Old Roffensian General Knowledge Award: Jethro Ozorewor

The Dodd Prize for Creative Writing: Rini Kundu

School Report School Report

How lovely it is to be able to write and reflect on another year as Head of the Nursery and Pre-Preparatory School. It has been a busy and exciting year. We have very much enjoyed welcoming parents into the School for events such as assemblies, and of course we were delighted to be in the Cathedral for our Nativity and End of Year Celebration Service. We have also enjoyed welcoming visitors into School and taking the Pre-Preparatory School children out on trips again, such a valuable part of our learning experiences and the curriculum. The quality of education the children receive has continued to be outstanding, thanks to the wonderful teachers. We are a wonderful community and I feel lucky to be part of it.

Let me highlight some of the moments this year that have been particularly special.

In September, we started a brand-new year, in new classes, with new teachers, and welcomed all the new

children to our school. The Reception children received their Zuckertute, as usual, and thanks went to the PPS who gave them some school essentials inside. We were thrilled to be able to open our doors again and welcomed parents to our open classrooms. This is a great opportunity for parents to share in their child’s school life first hand. We also enjoyed sharing our ‘relaxed learning areas’ as each class has either a bean bag or cosy corner for the children to use – this helps to promote the wellbeing of our children. We have also been thinking about a cosy area outside in the playground, and thanks to the PPS, we now have a cosy igloo which offers the children a nice, quiet space to sit and relax at breaktimes.

Of course, learning is not always done in the classroom and our children have been able to, once again, enjoy a multitude of trips and visitors. A special feature of this year has been the development of our ‘Mini Dukes’

Enjoying Harvest Festival Assembly together

Reception children receive their Zuckertute

A quiet area to go at breaktimes

programme, with thanks to the OR Society. We have continued to build on an outdoor learning programme which sees the children visit the wooded area at The Alps. The children have enjoyed activities such as designing and making hedgehog houses, building campfires, toasting marshmallows and scavenger hunts.

The start of Mini and Junior Dukes

Year 2 at The Alps eating marshmallows

Year 3 team building at The Alps

Reception children enjoying den building at The Alps

Year 2 building a bonfire at The Alps

School Report

Further to this, Year 3 enjoyed team building mornings with Mr Morgan. We are looking forward to developing this further.

We were also lucky enough to take part in the ‘Walkathon at The Alps’ which saw the whole School come together. I am sure the children enjoyed seeing Mr Charles, Mr Morgan and I get gunged. A very enjoyable afternoon (for some).

We have enjoyed many more house events this year, as we seek to develop the house system. We have had house shoe shine, tie tying, and board games to name a few. So much fun was had and it is great to see the PrePreparatory School work together to accumulate tokens. This year the winner was Crick.

Whole School Walkathon

Whole School Walkathon

House Winter Race

House Tiddlywinks

Whole School Walkathon

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Swimming lessons are back with a splash, and the children in Year 2 and 3 had the opportunity to swim as far as they could to earn themselves a distance badge. They also took part in a Year 2 and Year 3 swimming gala. It was a particularly impressive show and congratulations go to both Whiston in Year 2 and Parker in Year 3. Well done to all.

Clubs play a crucial role in our lives and our School. We are thankful to the staff for all the clubs that they run.

This supports the mantra ‘Play hard’, and it is pleasing to see so many of our children attending them.

School Report

House Chess

House Pancake Race

House Winners Crick

Paper Plate Club

Nature Club

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School Report

Our individual music lessons have continued meaning great progress has been made. This was showcased in our Year 3 Performers' Assembly at the end of the year where all the Year 3 children who learn an instrument were able to play. An exciting development this year has been the introduction of our ‘First Experience’ string groups. This has given 18 pupils, from Year 1 – 3, the opportunity to play either a violin or a cello. We are excited to see how this develops next year.

It is through the dedication and energy of the staff, who work incredibly hard to create the most inspiring learning for all the children in their care that has meant this year, everyone has triumphed. It is a privilege to work with such a capable and committed team who share the vision that every individual deserves the very best.

THE ROFFENSIAN

Individual music lessons

Enjoying our workshops

In summary then, an incredible year in the PrePreparatory School. The team is fabulous and we enjoy the children in school. Our aim is to make the children smile every day.

I would like to thank the Old Roffensians for their support, as we go from strength to strength. I would also like to thank the staff, parents and pupils for their support and making the School a happy place for the children to grow and develop.

Pre-Preparatory School House Staff

Parker

Lindsay Green

Lauren Govey

Becky Recardo

Cheryl Halmkan

Camilla Morgan

Sarah Deforges

John Killoran

Whiston

Wendy Black

Fiona Cross

Sarah Whalin

Lisa Donnelly

Jess Whalin

Esther Baker

Crick

Andy Parker-Bruce

Jacquie Pilkington

Candice Hummel

Marnie Martin

Natalie Bhat

Storrs

Lou Burrows

Katja Neubauer

Laura McDonald

Emma Harris

Claire Overal

Liz Johns

Enjoying learning and exploring

Enjoying our special days

Enjoying our trips

Enjoying our games lessons

Sport and Games Review

Sport & Games Review

Children in the Pre-Preparatory School enjoy their games and swimming sessions. They are taught the sessions by specialist staff from the Prep and Senior School.

During this academic year many of the children had the opportunity to join events run by ‘The Howard School Sport’s Partnership’. This gave them the opportunity to learn new skills and compete against other schools. The first event involved a group of Year 3 children going to The Howard School to take part in a tri-golf event. Later in the year, another group of Year 3 children took part in an athletics festival at Medway Valley Park. In the Midsummer term, a group of Year 2 children took part in a multi-skills event. The children thoroughly enjoyed all the events learning new skills, working well as a team and meeting and talking with children from other local schools.

On Friday 26th May, the Pre-Preparatory School was excited. It was our Sports Day. All the children had a fabulous afternoon working together in their house teams. After all the races the children returned to the classrooms and had an ice lolly kindly provided by the PPS, while families and friends enjoyed tea and cake on The Paddock. The day ended with the results and the winning House was Parker.

The children have continued to enjoy their swimming. Children in Year 2 and 3 completed distance badges over the year which showed the terrific progress they had made. The highlight for both Year 2 and 3 were the house swimming galas. Cheered on by both their peers and families the children all swam confidently. They were wonderful occasions. In Year 3 Parker was the winner and in Year 2 Whiston.

What a wonderful year of sport!

L. J. G.

Preparatory Academic Review

Academic Review

LEnglish

ooking back on this year, so much has taken place both inside and outside of our classrooms. I asked our Heads of Department for some of their stand out moments this year which I have included in the following reflections.

Mrs Cross highlighted World Book Day and the spoon dressing competition; Year 7’s memorable trip to The Globe to see The Tempest; and the visit from author Thomas Taylor.

Mathematics

Mrs Heddershaw’s stand out moments included: three of our Year 6 pupils winning through to the finals of the Year 6 Maths Challenge, with Adi Vasudev and Shelbie Chui gaining bronze level awards; in the Year 8 Maths Trust Challenge, Rahul Gandhi achieving a gold award; and, in the Year 7 and 8 Kent Preparatory School’s competition, our pupils achieving an excellent fourth round place. Several exciting workshops have also taken place this year and enabled so many of our pupils to enjoy practical challenges to use their maths skills to help them solve problems. These included Year 6 building a giant tetrahedron and Year 5 taking up the Geodesic Dome challenge. The final highlight of the year for Mrs Heddershaw was the Young Apprentice project, in which all our year 5 and 6 pupils created some imaginative and fun stalls using their mathematical knowledge.

Science

Mr Caithness highlighted the Year 6 trip to Wingham Park, where our pupils learnt about adaptation and conservation, and the Science photography competition which focused this year on ‘Saving the Planet’. Congratulations to Layla Fitzgerald, the junior winner, and Emily Richter, our senior winner.

Geography and Spanish

For Mrs Rogala and Señora Wiltshire a real highlight of the year for Geography and Spanish was the trip to Tenerife. For Mrs Rogala, a stand out moment was the visit to the Sustainability Centre and Organic Banana

Religious Studies

Mrs Rogala mentioned the Year 7 visit to St Paul’s Cathedral and the Year 4 talks by Mrs Zaman and Father Stephen about Islam and Christianity, which provided important opportunities for our pupils to learn about different faiths.

French

For Madame Warne, a highlight of this year was the trip to Warsy and, in particular, the boat ride on the Seine and the view from the Montparnasse tower. Historic

Plantation while for Señora Wiltshire it was the churros tasting and finding out about the carnival traditions.

Preparatory Academic Review

Languages

Frau Gibson’s highlight for languages this year was the Year 5 Language Challenge presentations to parents. Staff and parents were impressed by the standard of presentations and the learning about languages that had taken place.

Review

During this year, every year group has also experienced a residential trip and had the opportunity to learn

encouraged by their teachers and grown in confidence.

Of course, the academic reflections would not be complete without highlighting the successes of several of our pupils who have been awarded scholarships to the Senior School following the Year 8 examinations. Congratulations to Zara Aggarwal, Annie Crozer, Rahul Gandhi, Anna Hunter and Maia Sanghera who were awarded Major King’s Scholarships and Rita Gray and Lily Marshall who were awarded Minor King’s Scholarships.

Dr C. G.

Activities, Trips & Special Events

General Knowledge

General Knowledge enjoyed a busy and memorably successful season with the mixed-age group team defending its title in the Rowland Constantine Shield against challengers from across the county, while the Senior team won through to the last eight in the Junior Schools Challenge, a national competition based on TV’s “University Challenge”.

Preparatory School General Knowledge team successfully retained the Rowland Constantine Shield in Friday's IAPS District 2 General Knowledge

Final. The team of Ethan Ojo, Zubaida Khan, Tinashe Nyamuzuwe and Rahul Gandhi were in striking distance of the lead throughout, scoring especially well in the team rounds on airline logos, holy books, literary first lines and heroes and heroines, as well as showcasing impressive recall in the individual rounds. However, the team's knowledge of castles proved decisive as it snuck home in the final round to head the scores of Bickley Park, Hilden Grange, New Beacon and Wellesley House,winning by two points to defend the title. Well done!

Sadly, the absence of pupils on residential trips meant that the team was not able to take its place on “finals day”, but victories en-route against Lancaster Royal Grammar School, Ripon Grammar School and Hilden Grange speak to the team’s broad general knowledge and the players’ speed on the buzzer.

On the domestic front, the Nickless Prize competition produced a keen contest, with last year’s runner-up,

Tinashe Nyamuzuwe, claiming the title in the 54th running of the competition. Four points adrift, Rahul Gandhi finished as runner-up over the two rounds of the paper.

Both of these pupils performed creditably in the annual SATIPS Challenge Tinashe Nyamuzuwe and fellow Year 6 competitor, Adi Vasudev, claimed prizes in the Junior Challenge with scores of 83% and 79%, respectively. Tinashe’s score was especially laudable, for it was only five points adrift of the overall winner.

To conclude the season, on the final morning of the Midsummer term, the buzzer version of the House General Knowledge Competition was run, with Storrs claiming victory.

For their success in reaching the last eight of the national finals and their service to General Knowledge throughout their time in the Preparatory School, Annie Crozer, Rahul Gandhi, Tinashe Nyamuzwe and Maia Sanghera were awarded Full Colours.

Zubaida Khan and Ethan Ojo, who alongside Rahul and Tinashe, made up the victorious Rowland Constantine Shield team, were awarded Colts Colours.

Nickless Prize for General Knowledge 2022 Overall

Tinashe Nyamuzuwe (6H), Rahul Gandhi and Maia Sanghera (both 8C) were among twelve pupils who defied the Question-Master’s attempt to outfox or at least outGoogle entrants scoring centuries in Round Two of the Nickless Prize for General Knowledge and, as a result, the final positions on the podium were unchanged. Tinashe thus claimed the title as the 54th winner of the Nickless Prize for General Knowledge with Rahul four points adrift of the winning score and Maia, the runnerup in 2021, a further three points back in third position.

Strong performances from Annie Crozer, Anna Hunter and Rika Gray confirmed 8C as the winners of the Form Prize, while on the individual leader-board Emily Carpenter and Christopher Handel (both 6W) and Zubaida Khan (6H) are to be congratulated in joining Tinashe as Year 6 pupils who secured places in the “top ten” slots.

Activities, Trips & Special Events

Ethan Ojo and Tomi Saheed (both 4M), Rahul Sanghera (4LW), Leo Duarte Mondim (4CW), Roman Gilmore (5N), Sid Upreti (6W), Annie Crozer (8C), Lily Marshall (8C) and Amelie Lau-Fuller (8BW), joined the medallists in claiming “full houses” after profitable halfterm holidays researching and memorizing answers, significant skills in themselves, and Ethan’s total of 136 secured him a share of tenth place overall, a creditable achievement for a Year 4 debutant.

In the house competition, with an average of 65.6 points per pupil, Parker squeezed past Whiston, whose average of 62.2 points secured second place from Crick, whose 59.2 points was three points ahead of Storrs.

With some fiendishly difficult questions this year, the 54th running of the contest, provided an entertaining and closely fought challenge. Progress over the two rounds was shown by the majority of pupils with the mean average in Round One being 18.7 points, climbing to 44.17 points in Round Two. Congratulations are extended to all pupils who improved on their showing across the two rounds and those who made it on to the leader-board are to be particularly commended.

Top of the Form

Overall - The Top Ten

Thanks are also due to the form tutors who marked scripts and to George Williamson for compiling results and supporting the quiz teams throughout the year.

Certificates are awarded to all “centurians” and pupils who scored more than 100 points over two rounds, while the overall winner and runner-up will receive a copy of Mr Nickless’ compendium of questions from the first 50 years of the competition, courtesy of the Old Roffensian Society, along with books on Speech Day.

House Crepe Competition

There were 33 entries to this year's competition and a huge range of mouth-watering crepes were made and (I hope) devoured by pupils in the Prep School. Everyone who took part this year was awarded a blob for starters. Mme Warne and Mme O'Kelly found receiving all the pictures of the crepes you made, made them very hungry indeed.

Crepes are a wonderful French dessert which is typically enjoyed around this time of year and our Y6 classes (once they have finished their assessments) will be studying the French crepe-festival, La Chandeleur, and possibly making some more crepes to eat in class.

House points awarded:

4th Place Whiston

3rd Place with 8 entries - Parker

2nd Place with 9 entries - Storrs

1st Place with 10 entries - Crick

Posters are going up around the school so you can see the crepes that were entered into the competition. We have a few more prizes to award in the following categories:

1. Prize for the most professional crepe (and this was hotly contested with honourable mentions for Betty Ward in Y6 and Darcie Davey Brown Y6) goes to Anastasia A-R in Y7.

2. Prize for the most creative crepe goes to Maya Cox Y6 for her Scotsman crepe.

3. Prize for the funniest crepe is shared between Noah Fielder Y5 for his big-eared, chocolate-face crepe and Jessica Richter Y5 for her smiling-bear crepe.

4. Prize for the most King's crepe goes to Catherine Brassy Y6 for her King's Logo crepe.

5. Prize for the crepe that looked most like a cat is shared between Emily Tolhurst Y5 and Nicoletta Prompona Y5.

6. Prize for the most original crepe, is likewise shared between to Charlotte Elvers Y5 for her clock crepe and Tara Jones Y5 for her happy, alien crepe.

7. Prize for the healthiest crepe - Amara Girach and Shelbie Chiu both in Y6.

8. Prize for the most appetising - Gabrielle Ofori - Y6.

Well done all. A. W.

House Spelling Competition

The House Spelling final results are as follows:

1st - Whiston

2nd - Parker

Joint 3rd - Crick and Storrs

International Subbuteo Tournament

Max Carmo European Champion

Max Carmo of 6W, partook in the prestigious F.I.S.T.F Major of Frameries (Mons) in Belgium in March.

Max was the first British national to ever win a major international Subbuteo table football tournament at any age category.

This was Max’s first international Subbuteo tournament where he competed against other children of U12 category from Belgium, France and Greece. He secured his first title without conceding a goal and racking up 28 goals in total over 6 games, winning the final comfortably 4-0 against Belgian Diego Virgone.

Max proudly wore his Kent Invicta TFC club shirt, that

THE ROFFENSIAN

Activities, Trips & Special Events

SATIPS Challenge

King’s pupils recorded a series of strong performances in the annual SATIPS Challenge, a national general knowledge competition which was entered by over 2000 pupils in Preparatory Schools up and down the land. Rahul Gandhi’s score of 66% was enough to put him in the top 40 pupils in the Senior Challenge and win him an Amazon Gift Card, while Tinashe Nyamuzuwe and Adi Vasudev also claimed prizes in the Junior Challenge with scores of 83% and 79%, respectively. Tinashe’s score was especially laudable, for it was only five points adrift of the overall winner.

All our entrants are to be commended on the breadth of their knowledge, while the intellectual curiosity that quizzing fosters should serve them well in the future. Well done.

Townsend-Warner History Competition

Charlie Binney in 8C was among 250 pupils from the country's leading preparatory schools who qualified for Paper 2 of the prestigious Townsend Warner History Competition. A record 1,142 pupils entered the competition and Charlie's broad and varied historical knowledge secured him a place in the second round, which challenges the best young historians in the land.

Charlie followed up his fine showing in Paper One with an impressive return in the two-hour essay paper where

his score of 69% positioned him 151st in the country. Congratulations are offered to Charlie, who combines his love of history with outstanding musicianship as a Rochester Cathedral Chorister and a semi-finalist in the BBC Young Chorister of the Year Competition. When not singing in one of the oldest choirs in the world, Charlie is clearly well-qualified to chart its history.

P. N. M.

Trans-Atlantic Enslavement Enquiry Day

Pupils from Year 8 attended a Trans-Atlantic Enslavement Enquiry Day at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, as part of the cohort's focus on Black History Month. The group considered the impact of the slave-trade on the Atlantic world, complementing

the children's class-room studies of the "evil trade" which saw 11m Africans transported to the Americas. Pupils undertook a series of enquiry questions in the museum's galleries, before interrogating contemporary documents, including ship's manifestos, plantationowners' records and newspaper articles detailing the Emancipation Act of 1833. The use of artefacts highlighted the nature of Benin civilization, as well as the horrors of the Middle Passage and the response of the enslaved to their experiences. This was a fascinating day, which allowed the pupils to deepen their understanding and work collaboratively on this important focus within the History programme.

Year 8 visit to Ypres Salient Battlefields

On 7th October 1914, some 8000 soldiers of the Imperial German Army proudly marched into Ypres, Belgium. The following day, their bellies full of food, they promptly left the city’s walled enclave to continue the operationalisation of the already doomed Schlieffen Plan.

The Germans were not to be the last foreign power to occupy the medieval citadel, for over the next four years Ypres would play host to some fifty different nationalities, as it increasingly became one of the central hubs of the war in Europe.

The destruction that was meted out on Ypres is hard to comprehend. It was said that after the war a man on horseback could see unimpeded from one side of the city to the other. There were no buildings left standing and the once magnificent Cloth Hall and St Martin’s Cathedral had been immolated, ground to dust by relentless shelling, and when the guns finally quietened, this conflicted landscape of the Great War continued to be contested. Winston Churchill wanted the city to be left as it was, a permanent memorial to the many British and Imperial troops that had perished there in defence of Belgium. But the former citizens, who were keen to return and rebuild their shattered community, won through and gradually the city was reconstructed as an almost exact replica of its pre-war self.

Despite these efforts, it was almost impossible to heal the wounds of the Ypres Salient, which was home to many of the war’s most brutal battlefields, including Passchendaele, Messines and Hooge. Pupils from Year 8 visiting the Salient for the first time since the Covid pandemic, toured these very same killing fields, to see the row upon row of headstones standing in silent tribute to the youthful generations whose lives were surrendered in the hell of once anonymous villages.

THE ROFFENSIAN

Activities, Trips & Special Events

Stops at Lijssenthoek and Hooge Crater cemeteries allowed tributes to be made to Old Roffensians O. G. Maginness and A. E. C. T. Dooner who lie amongst the fallen, while the scale of Tyne Cot Cemetery was matched by a visit to Langemark German Friedhof, where divisions of reservists and inexperienced and untrained students were caught in the metal sights of English guns going to their death while singing patriotic songs during der Kindermord.

A halt at Bayernwald gave some insight into life in the trenches, while a guided tour of Talbot House offered

an image of the respite that soldiers stole during rare breaks from the attritional warfare.

While the salient was not only one of the bloodiest parts of the Western Front, it was also one of the most unsuited to modern warfare, due to its flat and often boggy terrain. It is a commonly-held myth that the machine-gun was responsible for the majority of casualties during the conflict, but in reality it was the artillery shell. Mass produced in their millions, these harbingers of death caused appalling injuries and many men who were caught in their path simply ceased to exist. The damage the shells inflicted on the waterlogged, clay earth of Flanders’ fields transformed the farmland and villages into nothing more than a series of deep shell holes, which quickly filled with water. It was this combination of violated nature and technologically advanced weaponry that contributed not only to such abhorrent casualty rates, but also to a new phenomenon of warfare - the missing. Attendance at the always moving Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate acknowledged those whose bodies were surrendered to the earth of these Belgian lands.

From here the party made a final stop at the Field Dressing Station at Essex Farm, where Colonel John McCrae penned his threnody and, in rapidly fading light at the grave of 15-year old Private Valentine Strudwick, we recited Siegfried Sassoon’s famous poem of a “simple soldier boy”, whose ordinariness and fervour were subsumed by despair as he encountered the realities of war. Notwithstanding the delays at postBrexit passport controls and the nausea induced by heavy seas, it was this thought that endured from a memorable, if long, day on the Western Front.

Giovanna Ofori (Year 4), Matisse cut-out project, paper cut-out

Zikai Shen (Year 4), Matisse cut-out project, paper cut-out

Joy Lin (Year 4), Matisse cut-out project, paper cut-out

Zara Grace Donald (Year 4), Sea-creature project, watercolour on paper

Ruaraid Mathie (Year 4), Sea-creature project, oil pastel on paper

Benjamin Herbert (Year 5), Frank Stella project, promarker, acrylic, card and masking tape

Tomi Saheed (Year 4), Sea-creature project, oil pastel on paper

Harry Brown (Year 5) Frank Stella project, promarker, acrylic card and masking tape

Catherine Brassey (Year 6), German Expressionist Project, Lino-cut print on paper

Matilda Hooper (Year 6), German Expressionist Project, Lino-cut print on paper

Mark Zalli (Year 7), Morandi and Still Life project, acrylic on paper

Lexie Hooper (Year 7), Morandi and Still Life project, acrylic on paper

Anastasia Rodrigues (Year 7), Morandi and Still Life project, acrylic on paper

Rika Grey (Year 8), Still Life, self-initiated work, pencil on paper

Jasmine Oyeyinka (Year 8), Vegetable and Fruit Still Life project, acrylic on paper

Alexa Turpin, (Year 8), Vegetable and Fruit Still Life project, charcoal on paper

Elise Adisa (Year 7), Morandi and Still Life project, pencil on paper

Elliott Landsborough (Year 8), Vegetable and Fruit Still Life project, acrylic on paper

Lucy Mae Stride (Year 8), Vegetable and Fruit Still Life project, acrylic on paper

Aaradya Das Adhikari (Year 7), Morandi and Still Life project, pencil on paper

Choristers

W Choristers

hen reflecting on the year just gone, it is often with a sense of wonder how you ever managed to get through it all. I joined Rochester Cathedral on September 1st 2022 knowing that September was always the ‘busy’ month….our first chorister rehearsal was on the morning of Tuesday 6th. By midday on Thursday 8th, rumours were abounding about ‘London Bridge’ a term used regarding the official arrangements for the death of the Queen.

By mid/late afternoon on the 8th, London Bridge became official and we sang Evensong that night knowing that the following evening we’d sing a Solemn Evensong with pre-programmed music, as yet unrehearsed, to an expected attendance of 150+. Sunday 11th was our Patronal Festival, rather muted this time and the following Saturday was a Civic Requiem (which scotched our second attempt at taking the choristers for their summer trip) followed by a full day of services on the Sunday. A week later we sang for Bishop Jonathan’s enthronement, followed by another full Sunday.

Then we came up for air….

After half-term, it all started again. In mid-November came Remembrance Sunday and two weeks later, our first carol service for the Wisdom Hospice. This was quickly followed by our Advent carol service heralding the start of the church’s liturgical year. Then, in quick succession: the Cathedral Foundation Call over (where those working within the Cathedral have their names ‘called’); a trip to St George’s Cathedral in Southwark; a concert for the Air Ambulance; our own Christmas carols (where Canon Rushton surprised us all with his interpretation of just how agile a partridge in a pear tree can be); two Nine Lessons and Carols service; a Christmas Eve carol service and finally, Eucharist on Christmas Day – the last 6 events singing to capacity crowds.

The Lent term began with the Epiphany carol service, and then a service for the blessing of the plough – which makes sense for the county referred to as the Garden of England. We presented an evening of music specifically for Holocaust Memorial Day which was very poignant and then at the official end of the 40 days of the Christmas season, we sang a service for Candlemas followed by a reception for choir & families to say thank you for all the hard work and support.

We sang a joint evensong at Canterbury Cathedral and shortly after, sadly bade farewell to Canon Matthew as he left for Edinburgh – but quickly said

hello to Revd. Belinda Beckhelling who stood in as interim Precentor. We joined forces with the Rochester Cathedral Children’s choir at Mothering Sunday and then started to prepare for Holy Week and Easter which fortunately came straight after the end of the term so we could keep momentum going for these key services of the year.

The summer term, no less busy, started with a chorister experience day where we were joined by 14 interested young singers wanting to find out more about being a chorister – 2 joined us from that day. We sang a Civic Mattins for the King’s Coronation and then a Eucharist for Ascension Day. The choristers visited Mordern College and The Mercer’s Livery Company who both support the choir, and then we enjoyed a joint Evensong with the Senior King’s Chamber Choir for the Old Roffensians reunion. We finally rounded the year off with a trip to Thorpe Park, especially pleasing for those adrenaline addicts.

On our final Sunday of term, we said thank you to Dean’s Choristers Alex Mathie, Charlie Binney and Rahul Ghandi, Choral Scholars Caoimhe Mallon, Sam Davis and Toni Lasakan, and Organ Scholar Oliver Lister, as they left either the Prep or Senior schools for pastures new. After the Eucharist we enjoyed a picnic in the Garth Gardens, followed by one final Evensong where we were joined by the Rochester Cathedral Voluntary Choir. The final words of Parry’s sublime anthem I was glad ringing in our ears, “peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces”.

Charlie Binney on BBC Young Chorister of the Year

Charlie Binney (Y8) was selected to appear in the televised semi-finals of the BBC Young Chorister of the Year competition. He received fantastic feedback from the judges who praised his interpretation of I Vow to Thee, My Country. Charlie beat hundreds of other choristers getting through to the final 10 and also met the presenters Aled Jones and the Reverend Canon Kate Bottley.

Drama Drama

Nativity! The Musical

The Christmas story is one that we have all heard countless times. From primary school Nativity plays when we were children battling over who got to carry the gold, frankincense and myrrh, to grand carol services with choirs, candles, and swelling, powerful music, it is a tale that most of us are incredibly familiar with.

In fact, many of us are so familiar with the story that it is all too easy to drift away, switch off, and not really pay attention to what we are being told about. ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ is also the story we all think we know.

So, the challenge facing the Prep School and the cast of over 100 pupils, when they started to put this production together was this: how do we make this story special? How do we make people sit up and listen? How do we make our version of the story that is told, as one character says, “every Christmas all around the world where Christians are,” unique?

The answer made itself clear through weeks and weeks of rehearsals which culminated in 3 wonderful performances to full audiences in the School Hall.

Over time, we came to realise what it is that is so important about the Christmas story, and why it is that

millions of children across the world produce their own version every year. And really, the answer is quite simple: joy. It’s a story about joy. It’s a story about love, about hope, and about the greatest gift that anyone could give. As the evenings have drawn in and the weather has worsened, we have had this moment of sheer celebration to look forward to.

As ever, the hard work of the cast was fully supported by a large number of supporters. The band was expertly led by Gwen Nathan with Thomas Hewitt Jones providing his music tech expertise and loan of equipment. Karen Hebden provided her technical expertise and production management displaying (once again) that she is a sound and lighting genius, as well as an all-round theatre guru, and this show would not

have happened without her incredible hard work. The Headmaster Tom Morgan was consistently supportive and encouraging, even when the going got rough. Thanks as well to our Theatre Production Society, for all their hard work producing props, decorating the set, and making sure this show looked and sounded professional. To the team in hair, make-up, and wardrobe, thank you for taking such care and patience to make sure every child on the stage feels confident and fabulous. Mention must also be made of Steve Nathan for fight coordination - a special skill!

These productions cannot be undertaken without the commitment of the parents and families for supporting their children through the rehearsals.

The smiles on the children’s faces are representative of that most important thing: the complete, utter joy of Christmas.

Music Review

General Overview

12

months fly by incredibly fast in a music department, and King’s is no exception in that regard. The musical year was punctuated by a number of exceptional events: most notably the lack of a Commemoration Service due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. In the academic sphere, we saw our last pupils through the Cambridge Pre-U examination and we bade a fond farewell to Mr. Gietzmann after 12 years of service. On the domestic front, the Nickless Prize competition produced, yet again, a keen contest.

New Partnerships: Sing with King’s

This year, we have partnered with two primary schools: Oaklands in Walderslade and English Martyrs Roman Catholic School in Frindsbury, aiming to develop the pupil’s vocal and rhythmic skills, increase their enjoyment of music and also to raise their awareness of playing instruments. We began with body percussion, rhythm games and vocal warm-ups, before teaching a wide range of songs. Between us, we are also able to demonstrate the clarinet, saxophone, violin, piano and trumpet, which added another dimension to our visits.

Michaelmas Term

Regular ‘Congo’ (congregational singing) practice gave all pupils the opportunity to practice the hymns ahead of weekly school services, and the Autumn Musical Showcase was a low-stakes opportunity for instrumentalists and singers to perform in front of friends and family.

The Prep production of Nativity! The Musical was a huge success, featuring a cast of 19 principals and a chorus of over 60 who all ‘sparkled and shone’ over the course of three sell-out performances. Unfortunately, the Christmas Concert of Music & Dance had to be cancelled due to heavy snow. However, the Carol Service was a lovely celebration for those who could make it.

The cast of Nativity! The Musical, December 2022

Choristers in the snow, December 2022

Next academic year, we hope to expand and refine the initiative further and perhaps look to have a primary schools’ performance in the Cathedral.

Pupils in ensembles began rehearsing in their new groups, led by a team of experienced music teachers.

THE ROFFENSIAN

Lent Term

Pupils had the opportunity to team up in small groups to make music together in the chamber music programme, learning valuable teamworking skills. Parents got a glimpse of the ensembles’ rehearsal process at open rehearsals. The Soloists' Concert was a great opportunity for musicians to perform in a formal concert environment and learn important stagecraft skills.

Midsummer Term

Alex Mathie (Y8) performed with Sheku Kanneh-Mason in the National Children's Orchestra. This was an opportunity to learn from one of this country's most inspiring young musicians.

The orchestra trip to Cliffe Woods Primary School was a great opportunity for pupils to share their skills and knowledge with younger students. They played in an assembly and talked about the importance of teamwork in orchestral playing. The Workshop & Performance of Jonah-Man Jazz was a joint project that brought together pupils from King’s and English Martyrs Primary School, Strood to sing in a performance.

The Summer Concert of Music & Dance was a wonderful opportunity for musicians and dancers to celebrate their achievements over the course of the year.

We are very proud of all that our pupils achieved in the Music Department this year. We are excited to see what they will accomplish in the year to come.

Baroque Concert

On Wednesday 24th May, St. Margaret's church was filled with the music of great masters of the past: Bach, Handel, Purcell and Vivaldi to name but a few. The beautiful weather, scenery of St. Margaret's churchyard, generous acoustic, large audience and polished performers made for a concert to remember. The programme began with a series of poised solos, leading to some stunning duets and consort items, with the choir beginning the second half. Professional tenor soloist Samuel Boden added an extra dimension to the evening, alongside baroque instrument demonstrations from Mr. Lewis (natural trumpet) and Mrs. Nathan (oboe d'amore). Congratulations to the pupils for their immense achievements in pulling off such a challenging and diverse programme to such a high standard, especially with the backdrop of examinations.

Prep Orchestra members enjoying a picnic lunch in Cliffe

Prep Orchestra performing at the Summer Concert of Music & Dance, July 2023

Alex Mathie (Y8) with Sheku Kenneh-Mason between rehearsals at the National Children’s Orchestra, May 2023

Leavers' Service

Preparatory School Prize Giving

The final Friday of the School year saw temperatures soar. The Paddock looked resplendent and the marquee stood in readiness to greet another set of prize winners, pupils and parents.

As pupils and parents arrived at the Cathedral, the coolness of the interior was the perfect accompaniment to the heat of the afternoon. The buzz of anticipation rose as the Cathedral filled. The number of prizes displayed highlighted the achievements of so many of our pupils over the past year. As the service began, Alexander Mathie accompanied the procession with a rousing Introit and the 2023 Prize Giving had begun.

Mr Morgan’s speech highlighted so many achievements this year in the Preparatory School and paid tribute to the

contributions of those staff who were leaving us this term. Dr Green then announced the prize winners who received their awards from Mrs Jane Scott, Chair of the IAPS charity, itrust. Following a violin solo performance played with such energy by Charlie Binney, Mrs Scott addressed the pupils and parents. In her speech, she emphasised the importance of making human connections in a world where so much communication is now managed digitally. A rousing rendition of Carmen Roffense brought proceedings to a close.

As always, it is valuable to reflect on the year past and celebrate all that has been achieved. However, in looking back, we must also remember to take time to look ahead and anticipate the beginning of another new school year in September.

THE ROFFENSIAN

Prize Winners

Sir Malcolm Stewart Prizes for Mathematics

Year 4:

Set I Zikai Shen

Set II Layla Fitzgerald

Set III Jessica Barrow

Year 5:

Set I Joelle Ozorewor

Set II Helena Assaee

Year 6:

Set I Shelbie Chiu

Set II Krisha Patel

Set III Farah Ktifi

Year 7:

Set I Lauren Allen

Set II Mark Zalli

Set III Nifemi Owolabi

Year 8:

Set I Maia Sanghera

Set II Robbie Hassell

Set III Elina Assaee

McMullan Mathematics Prize

Leandro Rodrigues Amaral

Sir Malcolm Stewart Prizes for English Literature

Dania Chelliah

Giovanna Ofori

Tomi Saheed

Roman Gilmore

Ebi Tabe

Catherine Brassey

Isabelle Williams

Emily Carpenter

Jessamy Holland

Alice Greason

Obinna Nnoluga

Amelie Vowls

Iness Ktifi

Anna Hunter

Reid Prizes for Mathematics

Year 4 Jiya Amin

Year 5 Phoebe Sheppard

Year 6 Jack Chappell

Year 7 Anastasia Rodrigues Amaral

Year 8 Lily Marshall

Whiston Form Prizes

Leo Duarte Mondim

Joshua Walker

Ethan Ojo

Sophie Luedecke

Zain Bedi

Zubaida Khan

Dillon Mistry

Sid Upreti

Aaradhya Das Adhikari

Dylan Elvers

Vihr Thaker

Opemipo Omoba

Lanre Dada

Zara Aggarwal

Sir Malcolm Stewart Subject Prizes

Anna Hunter

Rahul Gandhi

Maia Sanghera

Annie Crozer

Maia Sanghera

Zara Aggarwal

Rika Gray

Daniel Clay-Bertolo

Blueberry Katolik

Anna Hunter

Annie Crozer

Zara Aggarwal

Elliott Landsborough

Ava Millar

Annie Crozer

Zara Aggarwal

Charlie Binney

Nathan Kampira and Lily Marshall

Prize Winners

THE ROFFENSIAN

Prize Winners

Dean Storrs’ Reading Prize

Matthew Hunt

The Nigel Byrde Prize for Creative Writing

Bethan Kerri

The Martin Cup for Service at Year 6 Level

Matilda Hooper

The Matthew Davidson Brown Award for French Aaradhya Das Adhikari

Brian Nolan Prize for Art Rika Gray

Archdeacon Browne’s Prize for Religious Studies

Ishmail Akerele

Kiran Virdee Memorial Prize for Religious Studies

Ayra Zaman

Kerstin Wiesner Cup for German

Dylan Elvers

Frank Wiener Cup for German

Ronnie Killick

The Shotter Cup for Ecology

Billy South

The Jones’ Prize for an Historical Essay

Emily Carpenter

The City of Rochester Society Shield for History

Charlie Binney

Luard Selby Prize for Music

Alexander Mathie

The Chambers Prize for Commitment to Music

Christopher Handel

Archdeacon Tait Prizes for Extra-Curricular Activities

Ballet Matthew Hargrove

Nickless Prize for General Knowledge

1st: Tinashe Nyamuzuwe, 2nd: Rahul Gandhi

Cup for Ballet

Isla Sylvester

The Cheshire Chorister Cup

Rahul Gandhi

Dean’s Chorister Award

Charlie Binney

Rouse Salver for Service to School and Cathedral

Alexander Mathie

Cup for Geographical Study

Catherine Brassey

Rogers Cup for Drama

Anna Hunter

Stephan Cup for Dramatics

Elliott Landsborough

Hebden-Edwards Cup for Dramatics

Hollie Saha

Revell Cup for Drama and Sport

Amelie Vowls

Andrew Wood Memorial Prize – Sport and Music

Happy Oboh

Jubilate Cup – Science and Music

Rahul Gandhi

The Downs’ Shield for Teamsmanship

Gabriel Mason

Crossman Cup for Endeavour

Thomas Mills

The Leone Family Prize for Effort

Gabriel Jeavons

The Leone Cup for Citizenship

Gurshaan Bains

Old Roffensian Society Award

Robbie Hassell

Roy Trett Prize for Commitment to School Life

Annie Crozer

The Grant English Cup for Service to the School

Charlie Binney

Commander Myers’ Work Cup

Whiston House

Nickless Cup for Conduct Crick House

Salvete/Valete, House Staff, Scholars, Choristers

Salvete Cathedral Choristers

O. Agunbiade, E-G. Ajala, J. Amin, A. Bakoshi, J. Barrow, J. Bolaji, A. Chauhan, D. Chelliah, M. Dhariwal, Z. G. Donald, L. Duarte Mondim, J. Hothi, N. James , A. Jassal, H. Ktifi, D. Ladokun, J. Lin, R. Mathie, O. Ofodile, G. Ofori, E. Ogunbayo, E. Ojo, T. Olusanya, F. Pennington, O. Saheed, R. Sanghera, H. Scadeng, O. Sharma, Z. Shen, M. Solomons, D. South, A. Virdee, B. Whittles, A. Zaman.

Valete

O. Abell, A. Adhikari, T. Ajayi, J. Ajetunmobi, S. Avenell, C. Brassey, J. Chappell, H. Ching Chan, E. Dalby, D. Danny, A. Dastagir, R. Gandhi, J-L. Gavin, A. Girach, L. Herrero Poza, J. Iyaniwura, M. Jardine, Z. Khan, T. Kufakwaro, Z. Lamin, M. Mangwiro, C. Mercer, T. Newell, M. Nutt, T. Nyamuzuwe, O. Owolabi, A. Palmer, S. Passey, K. Patel, O. Ratchford, F. Saheed, N. Sandhu, J. Shergill, L. Smith, J. Tanday, T. Teunisssen, S. Upreti, A. Vasudev, I. Verma, I. Williams, E. Williams, C. Yiu Chiu.

Preparatory School House Staff

Whiston House

V. Bolton

S. Farris

O. Fratczak

N. Heddershaw

A. Rogala-Katolik

A. Waite

S. Walsh

A. Warne

Storrs House

O. Okere

E. Cross

M. Marshall

G. Mitchell

G. Nathan

G. Williamson

Parker House

C. Green

M. Caithness

A. Greason

O. Mahenga

C. Page

J. Waite

C. Wright

Crick House

L. Whittles

L. George

K. Hooper

P. Medhurst

S. Pembroke

B. Wilton

DEANS CHORISTERS

C. Binney

R. Gandhi

A. Mathie

CHORISTERS

C. Nathan

E. Adisa

D. Elvers

M. Hunt

R. Jungling

L. O’Connor

C.Handel

Z. Khan

A. Brighouse

PROBATIONERS

M. Solomons

Z. Donald

L. Boden

R. Mathie

H. Scadeng

Preparatory Scholars

C. Binney Minor Music Scholar

A. Millar Major Music Scholar

A. Mathie Major Music Scholar

Z. Aggarwal Minor Music Scholar

TSchool Report School Report

his academic year has been one filled with challenges, triumphs and moments which will stay in our minds for a long time.

Throughout the year, the Preparatory School pupils have demonstrated their dedication and enthusiasm. An example of this was the shared experience that I had with our Year 8 pupils in Dartmoor. It heartens me greatly to report that Year 8 were delightful. They embraced the challenges they faced, including spending a week without their mobile phones, they were polite, enthusiastic and incredibly supportive of each other. It was lovely hearing the compliments from the instructors.

First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the staff at King’s who contribute to making our school such a vibrant place. Their adaptability, humour and enthusiasm in effectively coordinating and managing our busy schedule, enables our children to experience an outstanding education and one which is full of opportunity and challenge. I would also like to thank Mrs George and Dr Green for all they have done in supporting me throughout the year. Their wisdom and guidance has been invaluable.

Throughout this academic year, we have undertaken a root and branch review of our King’s curriculum and Mr Medhurst has put in a huge effort in redesigning what is the backbone of all that we do at King’s. The ‘King’s Curriculum 2030’ will be anchored by eight strands which lend coherence and allow pupils to grow as they move through the whole school, while furnishing them with the skills they will need for their life beyond.

Some of the exciting changes will be implemented this September, and some, including the Year 7 and 8 King’s diploma, will be launched in September 2024. The world around us is changing more rapidly than ever before and our children need to be equipped for the future. Having a positive view of themselves is paramount and, with this in mind, we have spent the past year looking at the core aims of King’s, ensuring that they encapsulate the unique ethos that exists in our school: the ‘Heart’ of King’s.

I am reminded that an exceptional education fosters a deep appreciation for the beauty of diversity, cultivates a thirst for lifelong learning, and instils the courage to question. It is through education that we nurture the seeds of resilience and moral consciousness within our children, empowering them to become catalysts of positive change in an ever-evolving world.

Four members of staff left the Preparatory School at the end of this academic year: Mr Mitchell, Mr Page, Mr Glashan and Miss Snook.

Mr Mitchell has been at King’s since 1994. As you will imagine, 29 rugby seasons up at the Alps with the wind whipping up from the Medway has taken its toll and it is little surprise that Mr Mitchell decided to hang up his boots. He has inspired countless children over the years and I have valued his wit and wisdom. Indeed, plan ‘F’ has been a regular feature on a Wednesday afternoon. We will miss him hugely and wish him the very best for his retirement.

Christopher Page, Pagey, has been a fixture of King’s for many years both as a pupil here and as a member of staff. Throughout the years, he has made a marked contribution to school life. He has taught in various disciplines and has held a variety of positions of responsibility. I would like to thank Mr Page for the dedicated service that he has given King’s.

Mr Glashan has made a big impact in the short time he has been with us. He is highly regarded throughout the school and he has been an integral member of the Sports Department. He embarks on an exciting adventure as he moves to teach in Dubai.

Miss Snook has been a wonderful addition to the Games Department over the past two years and we wish her the best of luck as she embarks on her travelling adventures.

As we move into September, Mr Hebden will become Director of Sport for the whole school, Mr James Whittnall has been appointed as Head of Rugby and Cricket and Miss Pembroke will continue her role as Preparatory School Head of Girls’ Games.

This year, however, 25 pupils achieved their Principal’s Awards and I would like to specifically mention Aradhya Das Adhikari, Archie Cumming, Emily Richter, Stephen Goatham, Emma Harris and Ayra Zaman all of whom received a Principal’s Award in both the Michaelmas and Lent terms.

We have had numerous academic achievements throughout the year and I am pleased that in amongst our busy schedule, pupils have been industrious within the class-room.

Following the end of year examinations, the following King’s Scholarships have been awarded:

• Maia Sanghera, Annie Crozer, Anna Hunter and Zara Aggarwal will be King’s Scholars as they enter the Senior School and Lily Marshall and Rika Gray will be Minor King’s Scholars.

• Rahul Gandhi has also been awarded a King’s Scholarship, but leaves us for Harrow School.

• Also, Emily Carpenter will be entering Year 7 as a King’s Exhibitioner.

THE ROFFENSIAN

Further academic success has included Emily Carpenter’s outstanding and mature entry to the Jones’ Prize entitled ‘Peace in Pieces’ and Charlie Binney reaching the second round of the Townsend-Warner History Competition. Emily has also represented Kent in chess and she has had numerous chess-related successes throughout the year.

Amara Girach, Shelbie Chiu and Adi Vasudev gained places in the finals of the Primary Maths Challenge, Rahul Gandhi achieved a Gold Award in the UK Maths Trust Challenge and our U13 and U12 pupils came fourth respectively in the IAPS District 2 Prep Schools’ Maths Challenge.

Our General Knowledge teams reached the National Finals of the Junior Schools’ General Knowledge Challenge and won the IAPS District 2 Rowland Constantine shield along with reaching the IAPS National Finals.

These are impressive academic accolades, but it is the work that goes on within the classroom that enables our pupils to acquire knowledge and skills effectively. Carefully planned lessons ensure the delivery of the curriculum and in lesson observations and subject reviews throughout the academic year, I have been impressed with the quality of teaching and learning that is taking place.

I have enjoyed watching the Preparatory School pupils on the stage throughout this year. In the Michaelmas term, we enjoyed an excellent production of Nativity! The Musical and I would like to thank the entire support team of pupils and staff for their dedication to the productions that we have had.

Nativity! The Musical was followed by Moonlanding which was an extraordinary spectacle and it was lovely having so many Preparatory pupils taking part. Having younger pupils looking upwards to the older pupils in all aspects of school life is transformative. Be it on the stage, on the sports pitch, through the School Council or as a buddy or peer mentor, our older pupils are inspirational to the younger cohort.

Our choristers have improved hugely throughout this year and they are pulling together so well as a team. A highlight for me was our trip to Morden College for Evensong. Not only did the choristers sing beautifully, they were genuine and engaging with the elderly residents during the meal afterwards. Choristership is a big commitment for pupils and parents alike and it has been lovely seeing the choristers’ support for each other, and the positive camaraderie that exists between them.

Music in the Preparatory School is in fine fettle and we have had several noteworthy musical accomplishments.

Alex Mathie has been a member of the National Children’s Orchestra and has achieved distinctions in Grade 8 singing, clarinet and Grade 5 theory.

Charlie Binney also achieved distinctions in his Grade 8 singing and Grade 7 Violin. He also reached the televised semi-finals of the BBC Young Chorister of the Year.

We have enjoyed different musical performances and concerts throughout the year and I would like to thank all the musicians who have played before our Matins services each week.

Every year-group in the Preparatory School has had the opportunity of a residential trip at some point throughout this academic year. These trips have included the successful, if not a little damp, camping trip for Year 4 and I must congratulate our Year 4 pupils on their enthusiastic approach to the trip. As we organised this, we wondered whether there would be enthusiasm to come along and we were so pleased that every member of the year-group came and stayed the night. It sounds like a small thing, but for some, it was a big achievement.

These trips have been complemented by trips to Tenerife, the ski trip to Italy and the Year 8 trip to the battlefields in Ypres and all have contributed to the pupils’ skills of independence and self-reliance.

Our calendar of sporting fixtures has been full throughout the year and pupils have met a variety of challenges in the matches they have faced. Our ethos emphasises a sporting approach, ensuring that we host visiting schools appropriately and that pupils take pride in how they represent the school as visitors. Our results have been mixed and we have had many exciting and competitive matches and through them all, pupils have sustained their effort and positive approach.

We have also had success in the swimming pool and I should mention the numerous achievements of both Lanre Dada and Oliver Ratchford who have been awarded many medals for their achievements.

The Year 8 pupils have been busy organising their charitable fund-raising throughout the year and again, I have been impressed with the independence and effort that has gone in to the organisation of all the different events. Overall, we have raised over £2000 for our three separate charities, although I am told that there is still money owed for some of the s'mores which were shared around the camp fire in Dartmoor.

It has been a vibrant academic year which has been underpinned by the strong sense of community which runs through everything that we do. I would like to thank all the children, staff and parents that makes King’s School Rochester a unique and special place.

T. H. M.

School Report

THE ROFFENSIAN

Sport & Games Review

Sport & Games Review

Michaelmas

The new academic year began with girls participating in hockey, and boys playing football, enjoyment and opportunities for all continued to be the primary focus across the Prep School sports programme. Fixtures against opposition schools and a wide range of internal competition including house matches provided the chance for many of our pupils to compete at varying levels.

During the first half of term, 13 football teams competed in 49 fixtures, and pupils across all year groups had the opportunity to represent the school. The U13A side showed much promise during lessons although results in matches didn’t always reflect this. Improvements were made across the team and this was demonstrated at the Shapira Cup where the team arguably played the best football of the season.

Sticks, gumshields and huge goalkeeping bags always mark the start of the new academic year and the beginning of the girls' hockey term come September in the Prep School Games lessons, after-school training sessions and a busy, competitive fixture list allowed all the girls to participate and progress at the appropriate level. Both the U13A and U11A faced tough opposition and whilst the results column may not have looked in our favour, the measure of this season should be based on the improvements made as individuals and as teams, and that, was quite simply huge.

Four members of staff left the Preparatory School at the end of this academic year: Mr Mitchell, Mr Page, Mr Glashan and Miss Snook.

The boys' rugby season straddled the Michaelmas and Lent terms. At U12 and U13 age groups, the first half of the season saw a full fixture card of traditional 13 and 12-a-side games respectively. As the Lent term progressed boys in the top two year groups were introduced to rugby sevens where the core skills of catch, pass, run, tackle and ruck were put under a microscope. This also provided a fantastic opportunity for the boys to increase their tactical understanding. Including tournaments, the U13A’s had a busy fixture list with 14 games. Excellent performances against Ashford and Stationers’ Crown Woods were highlights of the season. The U12's and U11 ‘A’ teams played 24 games between them. A particular mention should be made for the U12's, who made significant progress throughout the season. Over half the team were playing the sport for the first time, but their hunger to learn and improve their skills was admirable. At the other end of the age group spectrum, the mighty U9’s enjoyed fixtures

at Ashford School on numerous occasions, and a Thursday afternoon trip to Radnor House was enjoyed by all. It’s never lost on staff that at this age, the bus trip and the match tea is just as important (if not more) to the players than the game itself. The social connections that players benefit from when involved in a rugby team are not reserved only for the older players.

The netball season got off to a fantastic start with preseason training at the end of the Christmas holiday. The girls were lucky enough to be coached by Sacha McDonald from London Pulse, who not only developed the technical skills and tactical knowledge of the players, but also inspired them for the coming season which was a busy one, full of playing opportunities for all. A staggering 106 games were played from U9-U13, including a number of fixtures as part of tournaments. The U13’s A enjoyed a brilliant day at the IAPS tournament, which provided the team with a chance to play against schools they wouldn’t normally come across: Daneshill, Cranleigh and Godstowe to name but a few. The U13’s had a challenging season, however, great progress was made and this was evident in a fantastic performance and win against Sevenoaks Prep. Netball is thriving in the Prep School and we are excited to see the teams develop as they make their way through the age groups.

The Midsummer term was jam-packed full of cricket and athletics. Games lessons on The Paddock, practising bowling, batting and fielding were combined with PE lessons and training sessions at The Alps honing athletic skills on the track and in the sandpit.

The summer sports continue to provide an excellent opportunity for boys and girls to train and take part in competitive sport together, especially throughout the cricket season. 74 cricket fixtures were played, with a range of boys, girls and mixed teams being selected.

Formats varied from 11-a-side hard ball at U13 and U12 level, to soft ball pairs for the younger pupils who were experiencing cricket for the first time. Cricket provides us with the opportunity to offer co-ed sport in a competitive, team environment and it was brilliant to regularly have girls and boys playing together at all age groups in the soft and hardball format of the game.

All the pupils took part in athletics, both in PE and Games lessons. Some were introduced to the various track and field events for the very first time, whilst others

honed the techniques in preparation for the Kent IAPS event. The school athletics season came to a fantastic end at the annual sports day. Mass participation and fierce competition were both on show, and whilst over 100 competitions took place, from sprints on the track, the Brabazon Mile, cricket ball throws and relays to touch on just a few, it was Crick that finished victorious.

Nickless Football League

Those with long, family connections to the School will know the name Chris Nickless; he was the first Head of the Pre-Preparatory School (1988-91) and, thereafter, became Headmaster of the Preparatory School (19922001), although the years spent in these lofty positions represent just a fraction of his time at King’s, having been a pupil here before returning to serve the School loyally for 39 years (1968-2007). Amongst his many achievements at KSR, Mr Nickless instigated the annual General Knowledge Competition, which now bears his name, and, for 30 years, he ran a hugely successful 5-a-side football league. In the Midsummer term of 2023, that league (albeit on a small scale) would be resurrected, with the following principles:

• Teams in the league would be named using popular football club name suffixes.

• Teams would be made up of a mix of pupils from different year groups (Years 4 - 6).

• Players would be “drafted” into teams completely randomly (other than to balance out the distribution of pupils in the same year group).

• All pupils from eligible year groups to be welcome. Girls and boys to play together.

• All pupils to play with joy and a sense of belonging and with independence and to respect fair play.

• Experience to be more important than results.

• Off-pitch coaching and influences to be minimised.

In order to promote responsibility and to enhance organisational skills, the league was run by a group of Year 8 pupils, with Gabriel Jeavons and Billy South sharing the job of League Secretary.

And so, after school on Tuesday 2nd May, the relaunched competition got underway, with five teams taking part – Albion, Argyle, Athletic, United and Wanderers. Each week, two matches were played, with one team not playing. Matches took place on the minifootball court at the King’s Rochester Sports Centre.

A key feature of Mr Nickless’ original 5-a-side league was the end-of-season statistical summary, so, in keeping with that tradition, the 2023 Nickless Football League can be summarised thus:

• 2nd/3rd place was determined by goals scored, after United and Albion had each won two games, drawn one and lost one (their draws being against one another) and had finished with the same goal difference.

• The league’s top-scorer was Taran Bains (Argyle) with 13, followed by Matthew Mangwiro (Albion) with 12 and Nicky South (Athletic) with 11.

• 35 players took part in the league, 16 of whom scored at least one goal.

• The biggest win of the season was Albion’s 10 – 0 victory over the luckless Wanderers, whose season was blighted by injuries and absence. This was also the only game in which a team kept a clean sheet.

• Ten goals were also scored when United and Albion drew 5 – 5, but the match with the highest number of goals (eleven) was United’s 9 – 2 win over Wanderers.

Starting and finishing with handshakes all around, all matches were played with good spirit and sportsmanship. This was fundamental to the ethos of the league and was allowed to develop and grow by the fact that the matches did not have referees; instead, the players had to know the rules and implement them independently, making decisions themselves on the pitch. Year 8 pupils were pitchside, monitoring matches, but would only offer guidance if required.

All matches were well supported by older siblings, parents, grandparents and guardians, and it was a particular pleasure to welcome Mr Nickless as a spectator on one Tuesday afternoon. He was greatly impressed by the quality of the football he saw, although, without wishing to belittle the standard of the new league, one must remember which team he usually watches.

The season concluded formally on Tuesday 27th June, when all players and a good number of supporters attended a presentation ceremony at the cricket pavilion on The Paddock. Mr & Mrs Nickless were the Guests of Honour and Mr Nickless kindly presented certificates, medals, prizes and trophies, including the new cup for the champions, before speaking of his delight that the league was running again and how flattered he was that it should now be named after him.

Such an enjoyable and rewarding competition could not have happened without a number of people, whose contributions, whilst out of the limelight, were invaluable, so, finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all Year 8 pupils who offered pitch-side assistance, to Gabriel and Billy for their commitment and enthusiasm in the shared role of League Secretary, to Mr Malone, the King’s Rochester Sports Centre manager, and his colleagues for their help and support, and to Major Short and Mrs Waite for ferrying the pupils between school and the sports centre.

Senior Academic Review / Activities, Trips & Special Events

Academic Review

GCSE Results

This year’s GCSE exam results reflect the School's best ever performance. Pupils had a great deal to celebrate with an overall 95% pass rate (grade 4 and above) and the results mark a substantial leap in performance compared to 2019 which is the benchmark being quoted by the Government and media.

Over a third of all grades were awarded the highest grades 8/9 (A*), with over half of grades at 7 (A) or above - 30% higher than the national average.

A few pupils to highlight: Sebastian Lawrence (King’s Scholar) achieved 10 x 9s; Yasmin Holland (King’s Scholar) 9 x 9s as well as an A at A level Latin; Ella Jeavons and Anna Rapjic (King’s Scholars) both gained 8 x 9s and 2 x 8s; and Bianca Rebeque de Brito achieved 6 x 9s and 4 x 8s.

These impressive accomplishments came hot on the

heels of celebrating a splendid set of A Level results, where notably, over 40% of grammar stream pupils achieved the coveted A*/A grades, and over three quarters of all A Level grades ranged from A* to C.

Considering the return to tougher pre-pandemic gradings nationwide and the fact that these are the first set of public exams taken by the Class of 2023, we were immensely proud to see that once again our King’s leavers head off to study a wide range of subjects at some of the top universities in the country. A few pupils to highlight: Marina Kromina (King’s Scholar) 1 A*, 3 A, 1 B - going to Queen Mary to read Economics and Politics; Aidon Hook (Chadlington Scholar) 1 A*, 2 A, 1 B is going to Durham University to read Law; Tom Allsworth (King’s Scholar) 1 A*, 1 A, 2 B is going to Loughborough to read Mathematics; and Oliver Lister (King’s Scholar) 1 A*, 1 A, 1 B has a deferred place at Durham University to read Theology and Religion.

Activities, Trips & Special Events

2 Languages and Culture Week

022 got off to a great start with Languages and Culture week taking place at the end of September. A whole host of events were put on by the language teachers along with the DIA running sessions on cultural awareness. Pupils had the opportunity throughout the week across the whole school to learn new and different languages, watch famous films created overseas, write freely, create poetry and perform. The week came to a close with a whole school evening event to celebrate our diverse community, which included pupils, staff and parents wearing traditional cultural clothing. The hall was decorated, guests were welcomed by bagpipe, pupils sang, danced, read poetry in their home language and

the Medway African and Caribbean Association (MACA) performed. It was a wonderful evening and a really special event. The event raised £2000 for MACA - well done King’s families!

Michaelmas Term

The rest of the first half of term saw the Upper Sixth attend the Holocaust Enquiry Day at the Imperial War Museum and the Wiener Holocaust Library, and the musicians went to watch an amazing Elgar Cello Concerto. Field Day ran for all Removes to Lower Sixth. A whole host of activities now take place, the CCF attend various camps and activities, the theatre production team spent the day preparing for the Preparatory School production and sports and music scholars focused on their specialist subject. The charities group visited Cobbes Meadow Riding School and the HANDS pupils spent the day at their weekly volunteering placement.

Autumn Half Term

Half term saw Mr Carroll and his colleagues take pupils to Rome and the Bay of Naples for a Classics trip. They were blessed with good weather throughout the trip in what promised to be a cold October. The trip offered a range of experiences for the pupils such as a walking tour of Rome and exploring the Colosseum before taking the coach down to Naples. The pupils were led to the summit of Vesuvius then guided through the streets of Pompeii and brought to the ancient coastal town of Herculaneum. The trip gave an invaluable experience to those reading Classics and the pizza, gelatos, and good weather kept everyone in high spirits.

Christmas

In the build up to Christmas the trips and activities focused mainly on Upper Sixth and Fifth pupils as once the new year begins they are busy revising and sitting mock examinations. Our geographers did their fieldwork, a Biology trip took place, a trench experience for the historians and the Lower Sixth psychologists went on a fascinating visit to the Freud Museum.

New Year

2023 began and Lower Sixth went on a university experience day at Canterbury Christ Church. They had tours, presentations from the finance department and got to find out more about a few of the more popular subjects. The Sixth Form also went to the Houses of Parliament and on a visit to the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

THE ROFFENSIAN

Activities, Trips & Special Events

Spring Half Term

During half term a large number of our pupils visited Austria with Mr Johnson taking the lead. They had an amazing time with fantastic snow. The pupils experienced everything from beginner lessons to the black runs. As always, the Solden resort provided outstanding skiing and some excellent evening activities. Solden’s connection to the James Bond film, Spectre, is never lost on pupils or staff and a highlight of the week was enjoying a hot chocolate at the Ice Q restaurant, followed by cruising down the long blue slope made famous for the aeroplane scene in the film. The pupils came back smiling, as they always do, with lots of fun stories to tell us and a great bonding experience for them all.

Easter Break

The Easter holiday saw our pupils head off to Florida on the NASA tour. A fabulous experience for our pupils with a mathematical focus led by Mr Stevens. The NASA trip was not only a once in a lifetime opportunity, but a great experience for our pupils to learn about some amazing lessons such as the complex maths and physics behind roller coasters and how they function. A highlight of the trip was when they got to try the NASA training programme and gain an insight into how astronauts train before their first mission in space.

Midsummer Term

The Midsummer term is always a busy one in the Senior School as external and internal examinations take place. A Spanish trip to the British Film Institute along with biologists visiting Wildwood and the whole of Remove going to Port Lympne. King’s also held the first ever walkathon on the Alps. A great opportunity to get the King’s community together.

It was an incredibly hot day and the children really enjoyed the start watching the Principal, Headmaster and Headmistress get gunged to raise funds for the regeneration of The Alps.

Walking through the NASA site gave the group an incredible chance to witness the different rockets used in the past decades and the huge scale of each and every one.

Activities, Trips & Special Events

Charities Committee

Over the year the Charities Committee, led by Miss Lowe, organised a range of successful events. Combining the funds from the last academic year and this, a total of £7700 was raised for Cobbes Meadow Riding School, a charitable stables offering riding lessons for children and adults with disabilities. The committee ran two pizza and quiz nights, raised funds through non-uniform days, organised the sales of drinks and snacks at open mic nights and sold Valentine roses and chocolates. Along with this they visited the stables on two occasions, helping repair the parking area to ensure easier access for wheelchair users, painting a mural in the indoor arena, and helping refurbish a shed giving it a fresh coat of paint.

Harry Goodwin (Remove), Self-portrait project, pencil on paper

Reuben Drewell (Remove), Self-portrait, acrylic on paper

Isabella Kilfoyle (Remove), Self-portrait project, acrylic on paper

Azzurra Mitchell (Remove), Self-portrait project, pencil on paper

Florence Robson (U5), Self-image, oil on canvas

Ella Jeavons (U5), Component 2, gouache on paper

Ella Jeavons (U5), Self image, acrylic on canvas

Claire Franks (U5), Self-image, oil on canvas

Clare Franks (U5), Component 2 oil on canvas

Jusleeen Virdee (U6), Self-directed component, charcoal, oil, linseed oil on paper

Ruby Page-Howard (Remove), Self-portrait project, pencil on paper

Nathan Dandeniya (Remove), Self-portrait project, pencil on paper

Boarding

Boarding

St Margaret’s

As the academic year at St. Margaret's comes to a close, we can't help but reflect on the incredible adventures and cherished memories we've made in our beloved boarding house. From festive celebrations to enriching journeys, it's been a year to remember.

We kicked off the holiday season with our annual formal Christmas dinner. The dining hall transformed into a winter wonderland, filled with laughter and the warm glow of camaraderie. Our housemates shared stories, and enjoyed a sumptuous feast that brought us all closer together. It was a magical evening, reminding us of the importance of family, even away from home.

Easter brought a twist of whimsy to St. Margaret's with our fancy dress dinner. Our creative spirits soared as we donned costumes of characters that shared the first letter of our name. Kairi’s homemade Kermit dress was an inspired choice and Caroline dazzled as Cruella DeVil. Previous Housemisstresses Miss Catlett and Miss Pembroke returned to join in the fun, and it was a pleasure to have them back with us.

Beyond our festive gatherings, we embarked on educational trips that expanded our horizons. Our visits to the historic city of Canterbury and the vibrant heart of London allowed us to immerse ourselves in culture, history, and adventure. These journeys left us with

lasting memories and a deeper appreciation for the world around us. The trip to Thorpe Park however, was just for fun.

We will be very sad to lose our Upper 6th girls, they have been the beating heart of our boarding house. They have brought much joy and laughter to the year, and the house will be a very different place without them all. Vicky, Anna, Caroline, Kairi and Mirren (who has been boarding since the age of 10) go on to their next adventures at university or in work with all our love and best wishes for all that they do in the future.

In addition to celebrating our shared experiences, we must express our heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated staff members who have made our boarding house feel like a true home. Miss Coop, whose unwavering support and kindness have been a guiding light, is embarking on a new role at Weald of Kent Grammar, and we wish her the very best in her new job. Miss Snook, who has brought enthusiasm and warmth to our house, is off to explore the wonders of Asia, and we send her our best wishes for a thrilling and safe adventure.

As we bid farewell to this school year, we carry with us the memories of these incredible adventures and the gratitude for the people who have made them possible. St. Margaret's remains a place of joy, learning, and lifelong friendships, and we look forward to the adventures that await us in the years to come.

E. H.

THE ROFFENSIAN

School House

At the start of the 2022 school year, School House, our boys’ boarding house, welcomed a resident tutur, Mr. Oliver Bailey, one of the school’s drama teachers. Mr Michael Grice, the School’s strength and conditioning coach, became new day tutor. Thankfully, amidst all these changes, Mrs Keep, day tutor, and Mrs Daniels, house parent, were there to ensure a sense of calm and smooth transition.

During the year, there were new arrivals into the boarding houses from far and wide including Egypt, Dubai, Italy, Spain and Ukraine. Alex, Thomas and Jacobo were new in the Removes. We also welcomed Luis, Yehor and Miguel into the Lower 5th; Lucas, Ben and Harry into the Upper 5th; Hugh, Bold, Harry, James, Paolo and Saif into the Lower 6th; and Matthew, Mathew and Leo into the Upper 6th.

Once the academic year began properly, everyone settled into the new routine of school life, the new boarders soon made lots of friends with day pupils and the noise and excitement of day-to-day life filled the boarding houses once again. There were so many school events that our boarders enjoyed, particularly house music and the our first black tie Christmas dinner in several years.

The Christmas season was dusted with some much enjoyed, although slightly unexpected, snow that made the last week of the Michaelmas term magical.

During the year we managed to return to having weekly trips and activities. Amongst the most memorable was a trip to the West End to see Wicked, a Thames River cruise, a visit to Royal Greenwich and a trip to Brighton with fish and chips. We also enjoyed visits to Covent Garden, Canterbury, climbing the high wires at Go Ape and several of the boys took part in Duke of Edinburgh expeditions.

And so, another year in the life of boarding at King’s came to a close. We sadly say goodbye to Mr Bailey, who, though, is staying on at King’s. We are deeply appreciative all the passion and commitment he put into the house. As we bounce back after the pandemic, the boarding community became stronger and there was a greater appreciation for everything that may have been taken for granted before the pandemic hit. Here’s to growing our boarding family even more in 2023.

C. C.

Boarding

Chapel W

e probably all remember where we were on the afternoon of Thursday 8th September as we started to see news alerts about the health of her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. The Royal Family began to arrive at her bedside, and news presenters started to change their attire. We braced ourselves for news that many of us wished would never come. At 3.10 in the afternoon, her Majesty the Queen died peacefully at Balmoral, with the announcement reaching us at 6.30 that evening. I happened to be gathered with the Principal and the Dean at the time, and we toasted her Majesty as the news was released. Thus started the year that was supposed to be our first normal year coming out of Covid. It meant that we had to cancel the Commemoration service, as operation London Bridge was enacted and the Cathedral went into a period of mourning. It was a sad and reflective start to the academic year, as we remembered with thanksgiving all that her late Majesty had done for us and her lifelong sense of duty that will continue to inspire. As a whole school, we gathered on The Paddock to commemorate the Queen in a service of thanksgiving. Our mourning of course then gave way to celebration, as we honoured King Charles III and watched his coronation in Westminster Abbey.

These events certainly shaped our academic year, which was the first that felt like we were back to full speed ahead. We also saw the installation of the new Bishop of Rochester in September, as Bishop Jonathan took his place as the 108th bishop of our diocese. Bishop Jonathan is the official visitor to our

school, and we enjoyed showing him and his wife around the campus.

We made good use again of Mr Medhurst as our resident expert on the holocaust and reasons why the season of remembrance is so important, and there was a good turnout for our Remembrance Day service in the Cathedral. Canon Ralph Godsall joined us for our All Soul’s and Saints’ service, and we celebrated Andrewtide as a joint Prep and Senior Eucharist.

The Toy service was very well supported, and we again provided for local families in the Strood area. This year the hampers made up for Christmas by the Church of St Francis were especially welcome, with the cost of living crisis. It was good to see so many gifts donated, which along with the harvest donations to the Open House project, made for a good term of remembering the needs of others. It was good to have a full set of carol services, and for Covid restrictions to finally be behind us.

The serving team needed reminders this year on how to serve for each of our big services, as we brought incense back into the Cathedral and celebrated the high days and holidays.

Our Lent series this year was on the four Gospels, as four visiting preachers took each of the gospel writers and told us something of their character. Lent was well

Watmough doing a fantastic job as Chapel Prefect and Head Server. Prefects did various ‘Thought for the Day’ addresses, and in the final term, we switched to the theme of ‘Why I am a….?’ which yielded a number of meaningful and well-crafted addresses – including ‘Why I am a headmaster?'

This year Mrs Emma Parren joined the chaplaincy team officially as an ‘unofficial’ assistant Chaplain, and I was pleased to have her input in services. She was especially helpful with our less formal services, where houses engaged with prayer stations and sang more contemporary worship songs.

The Fenland Black Oak Table has been with us, and that has provided an interesting focal point during the year, with the Peace Doves hanging from the ceiling adding a certain meaning and feel to our services. We did have to rather adjust our Holy Week service this year, as the table takes up quite a lot of room, leading one poor server to get up off the floor and noisily bash his head just as we were venerating the Cross and thinking about Jesus.

observed, and we heard more about Ramadan this year, as a prayer room was set up for those doing their fast.

Bishop Simon celebrated Candlemas with us, and we once again welcomed back my predecessor in the form of Father John Thackray.

Rev’d Justin White visited us as the Senior Provost of the Woodard Corporation, and challenged pupils to consider that they are more than the sum of their parts.

Pupils continued to take an active role in Cathedral and Chapel services, with Marina Kromina and Joseph

The serving team are a delight to work with, and do provide some humour and fun to our yearly round of serious and often intricate services, where many moving parts need to work together. Services include readers, sound technicians, servers, stewards – as well as staff and visiting clergy. I am immensely grateful for all their input into our services and for making our cathedral gatherings so meaningful and important, as we come together each week to celebrate our faith, our history, and our traditions. Long may we do so.

Combined Cadet Force

Combined Cadet Force

022/23 has been a very productive year for all 3 sections of the contingent, receiving a glowing report from the Biennial Inspection and participating in 60 plus activities including afloat training, adventure activities, range work, field exercises, leadership training, NCO training, first aid, navigation, field craft, camps and many life skills to build resilience. Staff and NCO’s have carried on the ethos of the CCF to develop the pupils of King’s for future life whatever that might be, and I would like to thank them for their efforts, commitment and hard work. I’m pleased to report a steady state for the CCF at King’s and a bright future.

S. M. Short Major Contingent Commander

Navy Section

King’s School Rochester CCF Navy Section have had a fantastic year enjoying all the opportunities on offer to them.

The section this year has had Scott Weir heading it up, yet again but now as the Warrant Officer supported by PO Rupert Bown and PO Rebecca Toher.

William Lister, Chrystie Tolhurst and Zack Hussain, Lower 5th pupils attended the CCF run NCO Course in January. They all embarrassed the course with great enthusiasm resulting in all of them passing out with top marks. They have all been promoted to Leading Hand and have continued to improve their leadership skills for the remainder of the year. We all look forward to them improving and extending their leadership responsibilities next year.

Remove pupils were able to experience sailing for the first time this academic year. They have well and

truly embraced the session, enthusiastically attending sessions on a Sunday as well. Both Erin Heddershaw and Francesca Edler-Maidment have enthused the group further with their prior knowledge and skills in sailing. Francesca has continued outside of the CCF to extend her knowledge further by training to be an instructor. We look forward to her contributions to sailing increasing.

The Fire Fighting and Damage Control is a fantastic experience for the cadets, one we haven’t been able to do for some years. Cadets get the opportunity to dress in the fire fighting rig and go into the main training facility on Whale Island Portsmouth and fight the fire in a replica ship's cabin, use thermal imaging technology and understand the theory for search and rescue. The second part of the day is to go into a damage and control simulator. Cadets are kitted out in dry suits as the ships cabin is flooded with water. Cadets work hard to repair the damage to stop the flooding. It was excellent work from all involved.

In the summer term we spent our Field Day travelling from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight. Some cadets had the opportunity to sail over on Amaryllis while others used engines and travelled far more comfortably.

A. Waite SLt

Navy Section Commander

Army Section

The last academic year for the CCF Army Section has been immensely successful with significant progress being made in our training as we overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 restrictions. As such, the cadets are reaping the benefits of returning to normal training.

The year got off to a grand start in September with our initial exercise, First Stride.

Normally this would be at Saint Martin's Plain Training Camp, near Folkestone. However, due to overriding operational requirements the Ministry of Defence closed the camp to cadets. Undeterred, we exploited the School’s resources and successfully carried out the training at King’s over a packed-full weekend in which the cadets augmented their skills and knowledge regarding military knowledge and uniform upkeep.

The October Field Day, at Mereworth Military Training Area was an opportunity to add a degree of realism to the skills learnt during Friday afternoon activities, with a round robin of field craft training. It was a great day, enjoyed by all, in which the cadets developed their military tactics in a bona fide military training exercise.

Our next event, March Madness, consisted of two days in the field to help cadets master skills with particular regard to movement in the field, section attacks, ambushes, patrolling and harbour drills. Realism was further notched up with the use of live blank round firing. The cadets were impressive displaying fortitude, engagement and good cheer.

This training served as a sound preparation for Battle Camp. Battle Camp is the most involved and important of our major part of the cadet's training. The exercise included a day on Hythe ranges where cadets honed their skills in live round target firing and three days in the field at Reinden Woods Training Area where they further develop their military skills but with the greater independence of working in fire teams and a focus on ambushes. Ambushes are an ideal aspect of

military training as it draws together many field craft elements into a concerted exercise. In doing this the cadets worked as a team to patrol a suitable area for the ambush and then to plan, set-up and execute the ambush against other combatants. It is one of the most exciting exercises that cadets will experience during their cadet training. Leadership, teamwork and communication are needed for the ambush to be successful. This year the senior cadet, Sergeant Robert Gainsford was the lead NCO. Congratulations must be awarded to him and his fellow NCOs for carrying out this tactical task

For the Midsummer Field Day cadets went on a trip to the Royal Engineer’s Boat School at Upnor where they were tasked to build a raft to navigate across one of their ponds and to look at, and clamber upon, the various boats and equipment used by the Royal Engineers. Cadets also had a chance to use some of the JCB equipment and carry out a number of tasks, including placing a metal rod, attached by a rope to the boom of a JCB tractor, into the hole on top of a traffic cone; it was as difficult as it sounds. The visit presented a great opportunity for the cadets to chat to staff at the boatyard about the equipment, but also about their individual careers and experiences in the army. Needless to say, staff at the boatyard were immensely obliging.

Throughout the year the cadets have done themselves proud. I am particularly impressed with the Remove year whose enthusiasm and rigour have impressed us all. In addition, the Lower Fifth junior NCOs have been a stalwart with their dedication and professionalism, many of whom have planned and

Combined Cadet Force

delivered lessons with great aplomb. Indeed, there have been some exceptional cadets who have received awards.

Sergeant Gainsford has been a long serving and immensely loyal cadet who has demonstrated a great deal of perseverance and ambition throughout his cadet career, as such he is a perfect role model and, as such, receives Full Colours. Robert is planning a career in the Army, we wish him success in this pursuit, he certainly has what it takes. Following in his wake are Corporal Oliver Lumley and Lance Corporal Tom Hall, who have been awarded Colt Colours for their teamwork and dedication. In addition, Pippa Lawrence was promoted to Lance Corporal early in her cadet career due to her quite evident leadership qualities and ardent resolve. As such she received the Nigel Day Award for the most improved cadet. Well done, Pippa!

Thanks go to Major Short, Captain Capper, Captain Unthank, Lieutenant Keep, Second Lieutenant Coop, Warrant Officer 2 Beavan, Sergeant Rai of the Cadet Training Team for their unstinting support and professionalism.

Finally, we say goodbye to Second Lieutenant Coop as she leaves King’s for Weald of Kent Grammar School. Her loss will be sorely felt. She brought vigour and vitality to the section with her good humour, proactive approach and can-do attitude, not to mention her broad and in-depth military acumen derived from her days as a reservist. However, all is not lost, she intends to keep her commission and as such will be able to join us for weekend exercises and Battle Camp.

To summarise, I am pleased to report that cadets have continued to engage with interest and zeal in all that is on offer from the Army section. Furthermore, the Cadet NCOs have gone from strength-to-strength as a pivotal element of the management team, actively contributing to the smooth running of the section.

A. J. Robson Capt Army Section Commander

RAF Section

What a fantastic year, coming out the back of Covid with the section being the largest it has been for many years, at one point with 54 cadets and NCOs.

Our new officer, Acting Pilot Officer Hanson, has been making her mark on the section and playing an active role in teaching subjects and finding new and exciting ways to get information across to new cadets. It is great to see such enthusiasm.

Pilot Officer Caithness has been promoted to Flying Officer and is becoming a lot more confident in teaching subjects and in the running of the section.

We have had nine promotions this year and have made a well deserved promotion to Flt Sgt for Alfred Osbourne. He is a young man to watch in the future, hopefully in the forces but almost certainly as an Olympic athlete.

All cadets this year have been trained in first aid, radio communication and fieldcraft, amongst a plethora of other subjects.

Our field day was at Duxford, with all having an amazing day in beautiful weather. Everyone completed a quiz about different aircraft and artefacts on site, all made by our Acting Pilot Officer Hanson.

Lots of the section have taken part in the one or more of the week/weekends away in the field.

It was a great year enjoyed by all and we look forward to welcoming the new Removes in September.

K Powell

Flt Lt

RAF Section Commander

Duke of Edinburgh

This last academic year we enrolled 37 Bronze, 22 Silver and 7 Golds. This year we have run Bronze expeditions in Medway / Ashdown Forest, Silver in the Forest of Dean and on Exmoor and Gold on Exmoor and the Lake District. While the skill, volunteering and physical sections have been carried on with the pupils cooking, helping the elderly, walking pets, shopping, running, cycling, knitting, gardening and much, much more. We have had 27 Bronze, 9 Silver and 3 Golds complete including some of the stragglers from the previous years. During the year ahead, we will have a new intake with the new Removes starting Bronze, the Lower Fifth starting Silver, Upper Fifth to Upper Sixth form enrolling on Gold for the Expedition in 2023-2025 and all will continue to work toward completion.

S. M. Short Major Contingent Commander

Drama Drama

Moon Landing

The production of Stephen Edwards’ Moon Landing was a sensational one, involving a cast and crew of thousands, so ably led by Karen Hebden and John Mountford. Many of us will never forget the performances of Alexander HebdenEdwards, Sam Davies, Rebecca MacDonald, Amy West, Ciaomhe Mallon and Elizabeth Caithness amongst others. It is no coincidence that the opening lines of the performance, echoing President John F Kennedy’s speech of 1962, ‘We choose to go to the Moon, not because it is easy but because it is hard…’ reflect directly the complexity of the music, theatre production and storytelling of Moon Landing and it was a stunning piece of drama.

Four years ago, School Hall became the Titanic, steaming across the Atlantic; in March 2022 we were transported to Anatevka in Ukraine with our production of Fiddler on the Roof; this year we continued the globetrotting to Houston, Texas. Throughout the process of preparing Moon Landing for the stage, the cast warmed up for rehearsal by singing the American National Anthem. Taking the cast there at the start of each rehearsal became a really important part of

THE ROFFENSIAN

the process, with our cheerful American greetings and singing the anthem with as much gusto as could be mustered.

This production went where no King’s production had ever gone before. President Kennedy gave the NASA team eight years to get to the moon; we had eight months to take a talented cast all the way to the moon - and back. NASA’s hugely ambitious project took reams of scientists and engineers to reach their destination, but it’s important to remember that even more people were: wives and families supporting their husbands as they risked their lives; seamstresses sewing the uniforms; cleaners tidying Mission Control and keeping it safe; someone making the coffee.

In much the same way, it took a small army of people to get this show off the ground. So much of the experience of theatre is visual. Therefore, our team who have made our actors look and sound fantastic are

a hugely important cog in the machine. We needed a large cast, so ensuring that each of them moved around the stage with confidence and purpose has been no small task, as many of this show’s musical numbers are fast-paced and involve a lot of movement.

John Mountford (our talented Musical Director) and his gifted band provided West End quality musical accompaniment to the performances. To bring this show back to life, we re-orchestrated some pieces, and this is due to the fantastic talent of Sam Hall OR. Early in the process, we had Sam making tweaks to the music and sending the orchestration directly to John’s iPad to play for the soloists in real time. It felt so exciting to see the music really start to come together before our eyes.

The production was also fully supported by the Theatre Production Society, a team from throughout the Senior School who spend their Friday afternoons learning new skills and taking on huge responsibilities for the show, and their efforts, supplemented by ORs Geoff Tremain, Will Carter, Nick Mann, Oliver Davis and Thomas McCarthy, were enormously appreciated.

And, lastly, a large thank you to the parents, families, friends and supporters of our cast. The rehearsal process and then production has involved a lot of long hours, and your unwavering support of the cast has made this show possible. Thank you to everyone who has taken a small step towards the giant leap that is this production. Between us, we’ve been on an enormous journey.

K. L. H. (OR)

Music Review

Music Review

Senior School House Music

It was a unique privilege to welcome back Sam Hall OR to judge our annual competition. With nine years’ distance between his time as a Whistonite, it was decided that Sam was impartial enough - and certainly very well qualified - to judge the acts. 2022 was our first evening of competitive music since 2019, and the atmosphere was beyond electric.

The solos were varied and captivating in equal measure. Caoimhe Mallon began for Storrs with Schumann’s Widmung, followed by Isla Morgan for Parker with Goltermann’s Alla Pollacca on the cello. Ife Akinrujomu took to the stage for Crick next, with Elton John’s I’m Still Standing. To finish the solos, Nathaniel Rushton brought us Fnugg by Øystein Baadsvik, an extended techniques pieces for tuba. It must have been unimaginably hard to judge an effortless soprano against a virtuosic cello, a rip-roaring vocalist and a crazily inventive tuba, but Isla came out as the winner of that category.

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Next, the ensembles came forward. Firstly, Whiston with Skyfall by Adele Adkins. This was a smoothly choreographed and impressively balanced performance, needing no external amplification.

Parker came next with an original song by John Fadare (L5P) Our Love is Broken, which showed some impressive teamwork across a variety of instruments.

Next up, Crick took to the stage with Another Day of Sun by Justin Hurwitz, which had some exciting

choreography and stagecraft. Finally, Storrs performed Master of the House by Schönberg, which featured dozens of costumed characters in a fully-staged musical scene. The winner of this category was judged by Sam Hall to be Crick.

After the interval, pupils returned in full costume, with plenty of skeletons, frogs and ginger wigs, ready for the house song. The theme chosen by the music and drama team was 'Modern Disney': Crick gave us Dig a Little Deeper from Princess and the Frog; Storrs performed Touch the Sky from Brave; Parker gave us Remember Me from Coco; and Whiston brought us How Far I’ll Go from Moana. Aside from the result, it was clear that each house had really bought into the evening and had given it their all. After more silly songs than anyone could cope with, Sam Hall returned his verdict. The winners of the house song, and also overall were Crick, their third win in a row.

Senior School Scholars’ Concerts

We enjoyed a scholars’ concert in the Michaelmas and Lent terms, with the Midsummer term’s offering converted to a Baroque concert.

Both concerts involved performances from the Drama Scholars, with some really scintillating pieces. For the Lent term’s concert, we were joined by Jamil LutzHerman, our German work-experience placement pupil, who had been helping out in the music department for two weeks, who dazzled us with his piano playing.

As always, it was a real pleasure to hear our Music Scholars improve across the year and to see them supporting and encouraging each other more than ever.

Music Review

Music Review

Open Mic Nights

We were delighted to run two highly successful open mic nights during the year, one at Christmas and the second in July.

This year, we were again blessed with Alexander and Sam, who did the most marvellous job of cajoling and encouraging pupils to get involved, giving up their weekend to run rehearsals in the hall. There was a wide array of talent from all year groups, with notable debuts from Ruby, Violet and Dotty. The evening was ably compered by Chester and Ludo, whose dead-pan style gave an amusing slant to the evening. There were some stunning and moving solos from Melissa, John, Destiny, Priya, Chrystie, Yasmin, Sam, Ife and Alexander, with a cameo appearance from Mr. Charles and Mr. Smith and their 'four chord song'. Selena and Joseph brought us a poignant self-composed duet and Bonnie & Chris shared a moment from Aladdin with us, before Caoimhe and Toni gave us a vocal 'goodbye' with a number from Secret Garden.

The second half began with Sam's 'congo' style warmup and singing practice getting ready for the audience's part in the final number.

Nicolas, Xand, Sam, Zak and Nik formed the basis of the house band for the night, supporting numerous acts with style and flair. Becca & Izaac joined forces with the house band to bring us a sensitive duet. Alexander

showed us his newly doubled vocal range with an impressive Sam Ryder song. The whole evening built to a climax with Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, complete with head-banging guitar solo from Nik.

The organisers were sad to turn away a few lastminute acts, but at 23 items, the programme and rehearsal schedule had already taken on mammoth proportions. With lot of new talent coming into the School next year, there will definitely be some great evenings in the pipeline…

Remembrance Evensong, Carol Service

This year’s Remembrance evensong featured the beautiful Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in G by Stanford, with solos from Rebecca MacDonald and Toni Lasekan. The service continues to be a striking and poignant way for the pupils to mark a moment of remembrance for those Roffensians who gave their lives in the World Wars of last century.

Undoubtedly, the biggest event of the musical year for the Senior Choir is the carol service, which fills the Cathedral nave and also attracts a number of ORs back to sing each year. 2022 was no exception, and the tradition of performing the music of living composers was honoured, not least with a composition from our very own music scholar Hugh Davies (L6P). The piece O Oriens, incorporated the ‘O’ antiphon plainsong which is traditionally sung during Advent in monastic worship. The piece was premiered in near-darkness from the Lady Chapel as the congregation stood in expectant silence. The service continued with various other choral offerings, including OR Ben Emberley’s Love Came Down at Christmas, building to a musical and liturgical climax following the 9th Lesson, with Will Todd’s My Lord Has Come.

Senior School Cathedral Concerts

On Wednesday 7th December, we were delighted to hold our Senior School Christmas Concert in Rochester Cathedral. The evening was a huge success, with some polished solos from Toby (U5), William (L5) and Alex (R), alongside some uplifting and Christmassy numbers from our ensembles.

On Wednesday 28th June, the Cathedral filled with eager concert-goers as a wonderful crop of Upper Sixth prepared to say their musical farewells to the School they've grown so fond of. With a rousing orchestral opening, followed by incredible solos from Cian,

Araoluwa, Mei Mae, Rebecca, Caoimhe, Toni, Nathaniel and Oliver, we set the bar very high in the first half. The choir took to the stage after the interval, with a nauticalthemed piece which included lots of reeling to and fro. Ife provided the change of mood into lighter music, followed by the Sam and King's Brass, Wind Band and Jazz Band.

Mr. Mountford made his valedictory speeches and we all tried to hold back the tears as we bid farewell to a truly 'vintage' year. Alexander and Claire brought the evening near to a close, before 12 members of the Moonlanding Cast performed the evocative number 'I Promise', accompanied by strings and piano.

Huge congratulations to the brilliant, talented, versatile and confident pupils who brought this concert together. The standard and the conviction with which you performed made the evening truly memorable.

Ukrainian Celebration

On Friday 24th February, members of the Senior Choir gathered to perform in the Cathedral’s Ukrainian Celebration. The evening drew on eclectic material from various groups and soloists. To begin the evening, Anastasiia Smilianets (L6C) performed a spellbinding solo: Child by Boombox, a beautiful song in Ukrainian which makes the analogy of the country of Ukraine being a lover that the singer will never desert. The evening served to raise awareness of Ukrainian culture and to raise money for the Medway Help for Ukrainians charity.

Later in the proceedings, the Senior Choir performed Shchedryk (The Carol of the Bells) written by the Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych After the prayers, Isla Morgan gave a stirring performance of Elegy by Mykola Lissenko on the cello, which certainly resonated with the emotion in the cathedral.

Medway Rotary Competition Win

It was a night of celebration on Friday 24th March as Medway witnessed a variety of musical talent at the final of the Medway Rotary Young Musician of the Year. Isla Morgan (RP), won the competition with her rendition of Autumn by Lisznyay S Gabor and Tzig-Tzig by W H Squire on the cello. The other pupils who reached the finals were Caoimhe Mallon, Hugh Davies, Toby Sell and Alex Scott.

Senior Choir and Cathedral joint Evensong

On Friday 16th June, the Senior Choir joined forces with the Cathedral Choir for an earth-shaking Evensong, including Dyson in D and Sumsion’s They that go down to the sea in ships. Both choirs enjoyed the poetic forecasting of the anthem’s text and hoped that no ORs would ‘stagger like a drunken man’ later on that evening. Following the reception in the Cloister Garth, the dinner was punctuated by Sophie McCormack’s marimba playing, which delighted the assembled company and provided a really inspiring interlude.

THE ROFFENSIAN

Music Examination Results

Music Review

Upper 6th Leavers

ELISE ABATAN UEA Geography with International Development with a Foundation year

JAYDAN ADIGUN Keele Economics and Finance

ARALOUWA AJAJI Warwick Cyber Security

IFE AKINRUJOMU Dundee Finance

THOMAS ALLSWORTH Loughborough Mathematics with placement year

MIRREN BLOW Northampton Sports Rehabilitation and Coaching

SAM DAVIES Winchester Ancient, Classical and Medieval Studies

MEI MAE DODD Liverpool Chinese Studies and International Relations

EVIE FRASER Liverpool Business Economics with a year in industry

ANNA HALASOVA Kent Psychology

ALEXANDER HEBDEN-EDWARDS Loughborough Sports Management with placement year

HARRISON HERRING Engineering & Design Institute Global Design Engineering

CAROLINE HOFF Employment Gap year

AIDON HOOK Durham Law

LOUIS JOHNSON Newcastle Economics

MARINA KROMINA Queen Mary Economics and Politics with a year in industry

VICTORIA KUZMINA Istituto Marangoni London Fashion Design

TONI LASEKAN Lancaster Law

OLIVER LISTER Durham Theology & Religion (Deferred)

MAX LYONS Southampton Economics and Politics

REBECCA MACDONALD UEA Law

EDWARDS MCGOWAN Oxford Brookes Mechanical Engineering

CAOIMHE MALLON Leeds Classical Music

LUKE KESTON-MASON RIC Re-take

IZAAC MOSES Liverpool John Moores Sports Business

GYPSY NASH Kent English Literature and Creative Writing

DAVID OBI De Montford Business and Marketing

JUSTIN OMOTAYO Essex Law Foundation

MATTHEW OSAGIE-OBOH TBC

NATHANIEL RUSHTON Queen Mary Mathematics with Finance and Accounting

KAIRI SAYWELL Northampton Fine Art and Drawing

VICKY SHEN Durham Accounting and Finance

DEACON STANLEY Surrey Business Management (Marketing) with Foundation

CALUM TAYLOR Leeds Beckett Sports Business Management

JOSEPH P TERRY Football Coaching

JOSEPH E TERRY Southampton Marketing (Deferred)

JUSLEEN VIRDEE Warwick Health & Medical Sciences

SCOTT WEIR UEA History & Politics

MATTHEW WON Loughborough Foundation Art & Design

SERAJ WORSLEY UEA Economics

JOE WATMOUGH Birmingham Foundation Year in Computer Science

LEO YANG Royal Holloway Computer Science

Upper 6th Leavers

THE ROFFENSIAN

Prize Winners Prize Winners

ART

Remove Franklyn Rogers Prize Dorothy Darbyshire

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Bryer Lowe

GCSE 2022

Sixth Form

Mayor’s Prize Siman Deng, K.S.

Timothy Ward Memorial Trophy & Prize Alexander Hebden Edwards

Painting Richard Dadd Memorial Prize (donated by Brian Nolan) Jusleen Virdee, K.S.

Improvement Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Anna Halasova

BIOLOGY

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Divine Obi

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Chester Crozer, K.S.

GCSE 2022 Howlett Prize Enzo Jagielo Marques

Sixth Form Howlett Prize Jusleen Virdee, K.S.

BUSINESS ECONOMICS

Sixth Form Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Deacon Stanley

CHEMISTRY

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Daya Sanghera, K.S.

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Charles Barnard, K.S.

GCSE 2021 Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Ruben Gordon

Sixth Form Dr Woodard Chemistry Prize Aidon Hook

CLASSICAL CIVILISATION

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Aryan Bedi

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Tom Hall

GCSE 2022 Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Fraser Shimmins, K.S.

COMPUTING SCIENCE

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize James Greason

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Alexander Taylor

GCSE 2022 Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Fraser Shimmins, K.S.

Sixth Form Thomas Prize Thomas Allsworth, K.S.

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Daisy Kidd

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Oliver Dencker

GCSE 2022

Andrew Bligh Prize Siman Deng, K.S.

Sixth Form Andrew Bligh Prize Mirren Blow

Sixth Form CAD Prize Victoria Kuzmina

DRAMA

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Ruby Page-Howard

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Ludo Temple

GCSE 2022 Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Elizabeth Caithness

Sixth Form Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Gypsy Nash

Junior Nash Prize for Drama Alexander Hebden Edwards

Senior Nash Prize for Drama Nathan Dickin

ECONOMICS

Sixth Form Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Max Lyon

EXTENDED PROJECT QUALIFICATION

Sixth Form

Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Gypsy Nash

THE ROFFENSIAN

ENGLISH

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Azzurra Mitchell

Lower Fifth Dean Storrs Prize Charles Barnard, K.S.

GCSE 2022

Claude Toke Dooner Prize Amy West

Sixth Form Professor Murray Biggs Prize Gypsy Nash

FRENCH

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Divine Obi

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Charles Barnard, K.S.

GCSE 2022

Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Annabelle Omotayo

Sixth Form Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Araoluwa Ajayi

GEOGRAPHY

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Anita Obaweki

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Oliver Dencker

GCSE 2022

Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Benjamin Donald

Sixth Form Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Jayden Adigun

GERMAN

Remove

Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Daya Sanghera, K.S.

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Ralf Jungling

GCSE 2022 Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Amy West

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

Sixth Form Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Scott Weir

HISTORY

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Oscar Chattaway

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Jack Pearson

GCSE 2022 Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Christopher Nutt

Sixth Form Albert Dews Memorial Prize Araoluwa Ajayi

LATIN

Remove

GCSE 2022

Dean Scott Prize Daya Sanghera, K.S.

Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Annabelle Omotayo

Sixth Form Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Nathaniel Rushton, K.S.

MATHEMATICS

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Isla Morgan, K.S.

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Chester Crozer, K.S.

GCSE 2022

Sixth Form

Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Sebastian Lawrence, K.S.

George Dixon Tripp Prize Nathaniel Rushton, K.S.

Further Maths Reid Memorial Prize Thomas Allsworth, K.S.

Endeavour Darwin Cup and Prize Luis Fernando Höcht

Commitment Andrew Jennings Cup James Greason

MUSIC

Remove Hylton Stewart Prize Alex Scott

Lower Fifth Hylton Stewart Prize Tiffany Sylvester

GCSE 2022 Hylton Stewart Prize Sarah Watmough

Sixth Form Hylton Stewart Prize Oluwakorede Lasekan

Commitment Hylton Stewart Prize Mei Mae Dodd

Strings Hylton Stewart Prize Isla Morgan, K.S.

Woodwind Hylton Stewart Prize Olasupo Fadare

Brass Hylton Stewart Prize Sam Davis

Choral Barton Wills Memorial Prize Rebecca MacDonald

Progress Marion Legg Cup & Prize Hugh Davies

Organ Dr. Crofe Memorial Prize Oliver Lister, K.S.

Extraordinary Commitment and all round Excellence Hylton Stewart Prize Elizabeth Caithness

Commitment to Choir and Orchestra Chambers Cup Araoluwa Ajayi

Peter Rogers Music Prize Sam Davis, Oluwatoni Lasekan

Prize Winners

THE ROFFENSIAN

Prize Winners

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Jack Pearson

GCSE 2022 Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize

Harry Snoswell

Sixth Form Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Joseph E Terry

PHYSICS

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Isla Morgan, K.S.

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Ralf Jungling

GCSE 2022 Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Fraser Shimmins, K.S.

Sixth Form

PSYCHOLOGY

Archdeacon Cheetham Memorial Prize Nathaniel Rushton, K.S.

Sixth Form Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Anna Halasova

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Oliver Batson

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Kimran Sahota

GCSE 2022 Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Elizabeth Caithness

Sixth Form The Dean's Prize Izaac Moses

SPANISH

Remove Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Nirvair Dhariwal

Lower Fifth Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Cara Jackson

GCSE 2022 Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize Bold Akpolagha Dickson

WHISTON PRIZES FOR ENDEAVOUR

Removes

Lower Fifth

Upper Fifth

Oscar Hooper Crick

Ruby Page-Howard Parker

Jack Seager Storrs

Erin Heddershaw, K.S. Whiston

Melek Konuralp Crick

Tom Hall Parker

Chester Crozer, K.S. Storrs

Oliver Dencker Whiston

Samrajan Chahar Crick

Samuel Hunt Parker

Emma Bennett Storrs

Samuel Hunt Whiston

Melissa Cagan House

6TH FORM

Debating & Public Speaking John Collier Prize James Gillespie

Links with Industry

D.G. Croxon Industry

Community or Charitable Service Old Roffensian Masonic Lodge

Consideration & Cheerfulness

Kindness & Charisma

Notable Contribution to the Christian

Ethos of the School

Outstanding Conduct

Richard Turner Memorial

Augustine Carnell Trophy

Woodard Board Prize

Northover Cup & Prize

Endeavour Collacott Prize

Leadership Martin Shaw Memorial Prize

Service by Stealth

The Jack White Prize

Unrewarded Service Justus Prize

Service Old Roffensian Prize

Heart of King’s Award

Senior Peer Mentor

Ajayi Family Cup & Prize

Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize

Chapel Prefect Prize Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize

Head Server Prize

Lead Scholar Prize

Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize

Sir Malcolm Stewart Prize

Deputy Heads of School Cooper Prize

Heads of School The Bishop’s Prize

OR Bursary

Exemplary All-Round Contribution

Old Roffensian Bursary Fund

The Lord Chadlington Prize

Alfred Osborne

Chloe Schick, K.S.

Summer Neseyif

Inigo Bottomley

Sam Davis

Thomas Allsworth, K.S.

Elise Abatan

Scott Weir

Ifeoluwa Akinrujomu

Izaac Moses, Oliver Lister

Marina Kromina, K.S.

Caroline Hoff

Evie Fraser

Marina Kromina, K.S.

Joe Watmough

Nathaniel Rushton, K.S.

Jusleen Virdee, K.S., Alexander Hebden Edwards

Rebecca MacDonald, Aidon Hook

Kairi Saywell, Alexander Hebden Edwards

Jusleen Virdee, K.S., Harrison Herring

Salvete,Valete, Officials and Scholars

Salvete

I. Akerele, K. Akinkunle, T. Andonova, E. Assaee, A. Bedi, G. Casey, P. Chahar, G. Cooper, S. Dhaliwal, M. Faseru, M. Fatuga, B. Fautley, J. Gillespie, H. Goodwin, J. Greason, N. Hebden, L. Helsdon-Barry, D. James, S. Kapesa, S. Kapilasena, T. Kapilasena, J. Katolik, T. Kelley, B. Lowe, P. Lukasik, A. Madir, J. McCabe, S. Neseyif, A. Olabanji, A. Petter, M. Pryianchuk, A. Reeve, A. Scott, A. Shoker, H. Siddiqui, A. Smilianets, S. Sorour, T. Sylvester, T. SylvesterChidzvondo, R. Ward, V. Wilkinson.

Valete

D. Berlinck-Gaya, S. Brisker, E. Buluba, J. Cela Lopez, S. Chahar, J. De Vincente Gil, T. Fehmi, V. GageteGuallart, M. Galushko, C. Gunther, L. Hocht, D. Jack, J. Jackson-Lister, H. Jiang, C. Joseph, T. Jungling, Y. Korzun, N. Lamin, H. Lorin Duzova, M. Martin Alvarez, F. Matarazzo, J. Middleton, M. Mollowitz, S. Moravec, P. Natale Iannicelli, C. Okoro, J. Osborne, A. Pawar, C. Puyol Rodriguez, A. Rapajic, P. Sekamanya, D. Solano, N. Stringer, R. Tooher, J. Usanza, K. Vassa, J. Yi Lee, E. Zema

Officials and Scholars

Heads of School

A. Hook

R. MacDonald.

School Prefects

Deputy Heads of School

A. Hebden-Edwards

J. Virdee.

A. Halasova, A. Ajayi, C. Mallon, C. Hoff, E. Fraser, G. Nash, J. Watmough, L. Yang, M. Mei Dodd, M. Kromina, M. Blow, N. Rushton, S. Davis, S. Weir, T. Allsworth.

Chapel Prefect

M. Kromina.

Lead Scholar

N. Rushton.

Boarding Head

M. Blow.

Crick Head

I. Moses.

Parker Head

C. Hoff.

Head Server

J. Watmough

Senior Peer Mentor

E. Fraser.

Boarding Deputy

L. Yang.

Crick Deputy

I. Akinrujomu.

Parker Deputy

E. Abatan.

Storrs Head

C. Mallon. Storrs Deputy S. Weir.

Whiston Head

S. Davis. Whiston Deputy K. Cumming.

King's Scholars

E. Heddershaw, I. Morgan, D. Sanghera, C. Barnard, C. Crozer, E. Jeavons, S. Lawrence, A. Rapajic, B. Rebeque De Brito, N. Rogers, P. Chahar, C. Schick, F. Shimmins.

Major King's Scholars

A. Hunter, M. Sanghera, R. Jungling.

Minor King's Scholar

T. Allen, E. Bellringer, B. Elrin, L. Marshall, J. Mitchell, C. Jackson, I. Bottomley, A. Omotayo.

Chesterfield Organ Scholarhsip W. Lister.

Chadlington Scholar

L. Carter, B. Langfield, T. Andonova, B. Fautley.

Major Music

C. Binney, A. Mathie, S. McCormack, A. Millar, A. Scott, I. Williams, J. Fadare, C. Joseph, E. Knowles, L. Millar, T .Sell, E. Caithness, H. Davies.

Choral Scholars

C. Mallon, T. Lasekan, S. Davis, C. Nutt.

Minor Music

Z. Aggarwal, R. Drewell, N. Dicken.

Major Drama

A. Vowls, L. Temple, M. Cagan, Y. Holland, K. Akinkunle.

Minor Drama

L-M. Stride, A. Madir, I. Gould.

Major Sport

Organ Scholars

O. Lister, H. Davies.

Major Art

F. Robson, S. Deng.

Minor Art

R. Gray, E. Landsborough, D. Darbyshire.

Chorister

R. Gandhi.

L. Dada, J. Wormald, D. Kidd, E. Russell, S. Dhaliwal, J. Ford, A. Osborne, S. Watmough.

Minor Sport

H. Oboh, D. Adesioye, L. Darby, F. Edler-Maidment, S. Kapilasena, T. Kapilasena, Z. Leigh, T. Milgate, W-T. Prevot De Loudiere, N. Matarutse, Y. Pye, V-P. Roberts, H. Snoswell, F. Taylor, F. Titmuss.

School Report School Report

2022/23 was as busy as ever for the pupils in the Senior School at King’s School Rochester. Once more, pupils stood by the mantra “Work Hard, Play Hard, Look after each other”.

Work Hard

Pupils continued to commit to their studies, working hard across the board. Our GCSE and A-Level results were testament to the efforts of both pupils and teachers. Our GCSE results this year were the highest results for a while with 95% of all grades achieved at 9-4 (equivalent to A*-C). These results marked a substantial leap in performance compared to 2019 –the benchmark being quoted by the Government and in the media. Over a third of all grades were awarded the highest grades 8/9 (A*), with over half of grades at 7 (A) or above – 30% higher than the national average. Quite rightly, we continue to pride ourselves on bringing out the best in each pupil and we were delighted that our pupils showed real endeavour and aspiration to achieve the results they deserve with the excellent support of their teachers.

Our A-Level results received similar applause, with almost a quarter of all grades achieved at A*/A and over three quarters of grades being at A*-C, an improvement on 2019. Considering the return to tougher pre-pandemic gradings nationwide and the fact that these are the first set of public exams taken by the Class of 2023, we were immensely proud to see that once again our King’s leavers head off to study an impressive breadth of subjects at some of the top universities in the country. From Pure Mathematics with placement year, Sports Management and Art at Loughborough, English Literature and Creative Writing at Kent, Economics at Queen Mary, and a number of Law students heading to Lancaster, East Anglia and Durham. This year-group dealt with the pressure of sitting their first set of public exams admirably, and we are confident that our pupils left not only with a fantastic set of grades but also a skill set of practical competencies that will prepare them for life beyond school.

2023 was also the year that saw the publication of our Curriculum Review. This was the first review of its kind in living memory, the final report sets out a pathway to ensure that King’s continues to deliver a curriculum that equips its pupils to be competitive in a 21st Century climate. Emphasis on outdoor learning, digital literacy and environmental education will impact what’s taught at King’s as we begin to implement the research-based recommendations of the review.

Play Hard

King’s continues to champion learning beyond the classroom, recognising that education must be more than 9s and A*s. Whether it be on the pitch, playing cricket, rugby, netball, hockey or badminton, out on the river rowing, singing in the choir, playing in the wind band or jazz band, or taking to the stage as part of the open mic nights or productions, our pupils have once more shown that they are a truly talented bunch.

Our Senior School production of Moon Landing really was ‘out of this world’ With a cast of pupils from Remove to Upper Sixth, our talented pupils acted, sang and danced their hearts out to bring to life one of the most compelling scientific stories of the 20th Century.

Pupils from the Senior School also took part in the whole-school Alps Walkathon. The event started with Mr. Charles, Mr. Morgan and Mrs. Crozier, the Principal and Heads of the Prep and Pre-Prep School, being “gunged” by various pupils, who were willing volunteers. Then over the next hour or so a crocodile of pupils and teachers, in their various colours, was seen stretching across the Alps. Crick were the winners, just beating Whiston with 671 laps.

This year, King’s School Rochester was delighted to welcome Brigadier Salzano for the biennial inspection of the Combined Cadet Force contingent. On top of meeting all inspection requirements, Brigadier Salzano commented, “My overall impression was that cadet turnout and training was of a very high standard. The broad learning and adventure activities on offer provide pupils with the best possible experience to have fun and to develop character and independence in a safe and controlled environment.” This report is credit to the staff who put in so much effort to ensuring that our CCF offers pupils such a range of opportunities.

Special mention goes to Lower 6th pupil, Alfie Osborne, who broke the school record for the House Cross-Country run earlier in the year, at the age of just 17, and was then selected for the Great Britain U20 triathlon squad. This is a brilliant achievement and Alfie will be competing in the World and European championships over the next few months.

Daisy Kidd (Remove) also signed terms with Brighton and Hove Albion FC on a two-year contract and is now firmly established in the women’s football set-up at U16 level.

Lastly, it was a night of celebration as Medway witnessed Isla Morgan, a Remove pupil and music scholar at King’s, winning the Medway Rotary Young Musician of the Year with her rendition of Autumn by Lisznyay S Gabor and Tzig-Tzig by W H Squire on the cello. Isla was one of four other King’s pupils who reached the final.

Look after each other

Pastoral care continued to be at the heart of what we do at King’s.

During the year we launched “the HEART of King’s". Based on a line from the School Song, these values recognise that at the centre of everything we do is the HEART of King’s. By being part of our School community, each one of us aspires to the attributes and qualities of:

Happiness - We want individuals to flourish and to be happy. We encourage each other to be themselves and we believe that positive personal connections are powerful. By keeping kindness at the centre of our community we nurture a strong sense of personal and communal wellbeing and care.

Endeavour - We strive to be the best we can be and we are determined to make the most of the breadth of opportunities available to us. We care about things that matter and we are committed to making an active contribution.

Aspiration - We seek to foster a sense of aspiration in all that we do, built on an inner confidence and self-belief. We aim to ignite our curiosity and encourage ourselves to develop lifelong passions that set us on a path to a fulfilled future in a fastpaced modern world.

Roundedness - We seek a balanced approach to life at King’s, ensuring that we educate the whole person. We celebrate everyone’s achievements and appreciate that every one of us is unique and different. We recognise that as a global community it is better when everyone succeeds, not just a privileged few.

Teamwork - We believe we achieve more when we collaborate together and we seek to make a positive contribution to the communities within King’s and beyond. We acknowledge that we must work together for a sustainable future ensuring that King’s remains a school for life.

O. S.

Housemasters, House Tutors and House Officials

CRICK HOUSE

Housemaster Dom Taylor

House Tutors Callum White

Jason Jones

Lisa Rogers

Callum Carroll

Cecile O’Kelly

PARKER HOUSE

Housemaster Rachel Oliver

House Tutors Kirsten Thomson

Christie Ransom

Sam Fish

Nadege Wiltshire

Emma Parren

STORRS HOUSE

Housemaster Emily McCarthy

House Tutors Yvonne Jackson

Ingrid Coetzee

Josh Johnson

Vic Burgess

Yvonne Jackson

WHISTON HOUSE

Housemaster Steve Owen

House Tutors Alice McKeever

Tony Robson

Paul Stevens Morag McIntyre

Amelia Pine

Boarding - SCHOOL HOUSE

Housemaster Chris Coetzee

House Tutors Caroline Keep

Mikey Grice

Julia Daniels

Boarding - ST MARGARET’S

Housemaster Lizzy Hanson

House Tutors Cecile O’Kelly

Jackie Buckley

School Report

Sport & Games Review

Rugby

The Senior School boys kicked off their sporting year with a promising Michaelmas term, primarily focusing on rugby. The 1st XV rugby team played six games, demonstrating their determination and skill on the field.

Unfortunately games against St Lawrence College, Cranbrook, and Gravesend were cancelled due to the opposition having cup commitments; however, the team managed to secure victories in four of their matches.

Two convincing wins came against Bethany and Ashford, providing an excellent start to the season. More competitive games were to follow including a 35-10 loss to Duke of York’s Royal Military School, and Sutton Valence.

One of the highlights of the 1st XV season was a trip to the Isle of Man, where the 1st XV had the opportunity to play against King William's College. This two-day tour

not only showcased the team's rugby prowess but also allowed for the building of strong social bonds among the players. The match against King William's College was a tight contest, with challenging weather conditions characterised by a strong wind. However, our determined boys prevailed with a final score of 10-3, showcasing their resilience and teamwork.

The U15 and U14 teams played 12 games between them and although the win:loss ratio didn’t look favourable on paper, the focus of development and enjoyment were achieved both on and off the pitch. The primary goal as ever with the U15 squad was to further their individual and team development whilst gradually preparing them for senior rugby. This was certainly achieved and many of the boys will make significant contributions to the 1st XV and 2nd XV during the 2023 season.

2nd XI Team

U15A Team

U15B Team

1st XI Team

Michaelmas

Girls Hockey

The Girls 1st XI were unfortunate to have three games cancelled at various stages of the season, although entries into the Mel Clewlow Cup and the National Plate provided additional competition against schools outside of our normal circuit. The strongest team performances came against Duke of York’s, Claremont School and Radnor House. A narrow 4-3 win in a thrilling game against Claremont was definitely the highlight. Participation in senior girls hockey was high, with 2 large squads at 1st and 2nd XI. The 2nd XI played 5 games and although the win:loss ratio may not have looked favourable on paper, they team were competitive in all games.

The U15A and B teams played 11 games between them with 30 girls representing the Remove and Lower 5th year groups on a regular basis. Both squads worked relentlessly hard during their games lessons, as such, the coaching staff saw real development in their tactical understanding of the game. The U15A’s had a challenging season, often playing against schools with a number of high level club and county players. However, the season was book-ended with two strong performances, beating Duke of York’s 3-0 in the opening

game and securing another convincing 3-0 win against Ashford School at the end of the season. The U15B side made great progress throughout the season, evidenced by an excellent 6-0 win over Ashford in their final game.

Cross Country

The 95th House Cross Country event took place across the Nashenden Down. Participation was high across the Senior School with 92 runners in the field. There were some excellent individual performances from Erin Heddershaw, Maggie Deng, Ludo Temple and Alfred Osborne, all of whom contributed to some competitive races.

The winning houses in each category were:

Junior Girls - Whiston Junior Boys - Whiston

Senior Girls - Crick Senior Boys - Storrs

2nd XI Team

U15A Team

U15B Team

1st XI Team

Sport & Games Review

Boys' Hockey

Moving into the Lent term, the focus sport for boys shifted to hockey. At times we were able to field a 1st, 2nd and 3rd XI at senior level. The season was marked by hard work, dedication, and commitment, all of which were evident in lessons, fixtures, and during the Friday evening academy sessions.

The 1st XI played 7 games. Although they only managed to win 1, they battled hard and competed with all the opposition, often losing out narrowly. The 2nd XI results were similar, with their strongest performance coming against Ashford and a 4-2 win, away from home.

The U15 A + B teams played 8 games between them, winning 3 and drawing 1. Competition across both teams was strong, which led to some high intensity training sessions and a mutual willingness between the pupils to push each other. As a result, both teams made great progress throughout the season. The U15A were an energetic and encouraging age group who drove high standards during lessons and fixtures,

2nd XI Team

U15B Team

3rd XII Team

U14A Team

U15A Team

U14B Team

1st XI Team

Netball

The netball season was busy, packed full of mid-week and Saturday morning fixtures. Opportunities to play in competitive games were offered to all the girls and we regularly fielded three teams at senior level and A,B, and C teams at the U15 age group. The 1st VII showcased their prowess with triumphant wins against St Edmund’s and Claremont. However, their encounter with St Lawrence proved to be a nail-biter, resulting in a close defeat. The 2nd team demonstrated resilience, securing a draw against Bethany Schools 1st VII and they narrowly lost to St Lawrence. The 3rd VII’s strongest performance of the season came against Claremont which resulted in a well deserved win.

The U15As displayed dominance with wins against Ashford, St Lawrence, and St Edmund’s. The U15Bs clinched victories against Claremont and St Edmund’s

but faced narrow losses to St Lawrence and Bethany U15A. The U15Cs worked hard all season, they made significant progress and impressed, securing three out of four wins.

A major highlight of the season was the senior netball tour to Bath where the 1st and 2nd VII’s played against Monkton Combe and Wells Cathedral School. The squad travelled on Friday, went out for a meal and watched a super league match: Bath against Celtic Dragons. On Saturday we had an exploration of Bath before heading off to take on Monkton Combe and Wells Cathedral School. All matches were well contested and challenging with both home teams taking the win. The tour concluded with a meal out at a restaurant before heading to bed and getting on the road back to school the next morning.

2nd VII Team

U15A Team

U15B Team

3rd VII Team

U15C Team

1st VII Team

Sport & Games Review

Rowing

Michaelmas

During the Michaelmas term, our rowing teams showcased impressive performances in various regattas. At the Maidstone Autumn Head in September, 4 crews competed. Our OpJ17 4x+ secured the 39th position out of 147 in the coxed boat category. The OpJ16 4x+, the OpJ15 4x+ and the WJ16 4x+ all rowed well considering it was their first outing of the new academic year. Subsequently, at the Kingston Small Boats Head in November our OpJ17 4x-, OpJ16 4x-, and OpJ15 4x+ crews enjoyed competition against a wide range of opposition from schools and clubs across the South East.

Lent

Our rowing crews continued to make huge progress on the water. At Molesey Junior Head, OpJ15 4x+ claimed 1st, OpJ16 4x- secured 4th, and OpJ17 4x- attained 3rd in their respective categories. Despite challenges at Thames South East JIRR trials, our teams persevered.

The highlight of our success came at Maidstone Spring Head, where OpJ15 and OpJ16 crews demonstrated excellence, securing 2nd and 3rd places in their age groups. Commitment to the boat club had never been higher with attendance at Saturday morning rowing academies, emphasising the pupils dedication to improving technique, fitness, and race tactics.

Midsummer:

The summer term marked the KSR Boat Club's busiest and most successful period. Notable achievements included the Ball Cup Regatta South, where OpJ15 4x+ secured 2nd place in a very good race, OpJ17 1x took 3rd in another quality race, and OpJ14 2x claimed 6th place. The Barnes and Mortlake Regatta witnessed triumphs with OpJ15 4x+ and OpJ17 1x securing 1st place each, while Thames Valley Regatta saw OpJ15 4x+ and OpJ17 1x triumphed once again. Under Mr. Piticariu's guidance, significant progress was achieved in the 2022-2023 academic year, and the KSR rowing programme eagerly anticipates continued development in the coming years.

Boat Club

Cricket

As the sporting year progressed into the Midsummer term, the attention turned to cricket. The Senior School boys embraced the challenges and joys of the cricket season with enthusiasm and dedication. The 1st XI was much changed from the previous 3 seasons, many new players were representing the school for the first time at this level. Whilst this presented some obvious challenges, it also provided some fantastic

opportunities. The squad had trained hard during the winter and the progress made in these coaching sessions certainly showed during the summer months.

The 1st XI played 8 games, winning 3, drawing 1 and losing 4. Strong performances against Claremont, St Edmund’s and the Old Roffensian XI lead to convincing wins, with all three games being dominated by KSR batting performances.

2nd XI Team

U15B Team

U15C Team

U15A Team

1st XI Team

THE ROFFENSIAN

Sport & Games Review

Towards the end of the season, the School had the honour of hosting the 4th Annual Cathedral Schools T20 Tournament. Despite Hereford Cathedral School pulling out late, both King’s Gloucester and Cathedral School Llandaff made the trip to Kent to play some excellent cricket and enjoy a level of hospitality that has now become customary with this competition. As well as some outstanding on-field performances with record numbers of runs scored, players, staff and officials enjoyed a tournament dinner with guest speaker Jack Green, an Olympian. The Remove year group were both enthusiastic and very able. When combined with the Lower 5th, we often fielded U15 A, B and C teams at a very competitive level. The U15A’s had two high scoring wins against Claremont and Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. Although the result ended in a 34 run loss, the most entertaining and challenging game of the season came against Radnor House, played at Holmesdale CC. The U15B team continued the winning theme. The balance between bat and ball was even, demonstrating their strength in all areas of the game. A 17 run win against Claremont, 100 run win vs St Edmund’s and a 10 wicket win against Ashford capped off a great season for this group.

Girls cricket at KSR continues to grow especially in the softball format. There’s no doubt that the next stage of development is to play a greater number of hardball games, however, engagement, enjoyment and building confidence were the key drivers during the summer.

The Girls U15A side went unbeaten in the softball format and demonstrated their ability to close out tight games by relatively small margins. Close wins (all within 25 runs), against Radnor House, St Edmund’s and Bethany were great examples of this. The U14A season was disappointingly short due to a cancellation and the challenge of finding appropriate opposition, however, many of the girls were given opportunities to play in the U15, with 3 playing alongside the boys on numerous occasions. A loss against St Edmund’s at the start of the season and a win against Bethany towards the end demonstrated the progress the team made, especially in their bowling and fielding skills.

Badminton

The senior badminton team wrapped up the year with a spirited season, engaging in closely contested matches and fostering a friendly atmosphere filled with laughter. The team showcased improved technical and tactical prowess, making significant strides. With a mix of Upper Sixth players, their impactful contributions will be missed next season. The season concluded with enjoyable 'club' style badminton sessions, adding a light-hearted touch to the competitive fixtures.

Sports Day Summary

Senior School Sports Day, the Battle Of The Houses, was yet again an excellent display of mass participation, sporting endeavour, and fierce house pride. On Thursday 6th July, Crick, Parker, Storrs and Whiston descended on The Alps to compete in a wide range of traditional races on the track and in the field. In addition, pupils were able to participate in alternative field events such as the assault course, hungry hippos, netball shootout, the 20m sprint and a rowing ergo challenge.

U15A Girls Cricket

'Friends'

After a long summer the new school year was upon us. Thoughts turned to organising the fireworks event for the first Monday back after October half term. Tickets went on sale via Eventbrite and it was a sell out success. The amazing ‘Ghengis Fireworks’ gave us a fantastic display and, thank goodness, the rain held off. All who attended had a lovely time. It was great to see the children and their families having fun fuelled by Krispy Kreme donuts, burgers and hot chocolate.

After all the Christmas festivities were done and dusted and the New Year had set in we hosted a Valentines disco for the Prep School. The children were excited, filling the dance-floor, playing games and having fun with their friends. Drinks and snacks went down a treat and the disco was a huge success.

Pre-pandemic, the Friends of King's always hosted on a sunny day in May an event called ‘The Ladies Lunch’. There were welcome drinks and canapés in Oriel House gardens with the headmaster, followed by a lunch in the School Hall with a guest speaker or music from our talented Music Scholars. This year we decided to make it an afternoon tea and invite, not just the ladies, but our King's friends, families and carers.

Sadly, due to lack of ticket sales this event had to be cancelled, hopefully we can gather interest and host this event again next year. We are in talks to perhaps make this a joint event with the Friends of King's and the Pre-Prep Supporters.

The second hand uniform shop was set up in its new premises in the College. It is a lovely spacious room

where we could hang our donations and we even had a changing room. We would like to thank the facilities team who did a great job of moving the shop and setting it up for us. The sales have gone well and we are grateful for all the donations of uniform and for the support of the shop. We hope to open on a regular basis in future.

Our final event of the year was the Summer Ball. The marquee being put up on The Paddock always creates a buzz of excitement. It is lovely for the younger members of the School see the marquee go up and know that one day they will be attending as U6 leavers themselves.

The ball is not only to say goodbye to our U6 before they head off on their next adventure but to bring our King's community together to celebrate another wonderful year at King's. The weather was stunning, the food catered by ‘The Brothers Supper Club’ was superb, Neptune Bars didn't disappoint and the fantastic band, ‘The Redfords’, had the dance floor packed all night. We hope everyone who came had a wonderful night.

On a final note, I personally would like to thank all the volunteers. Giving up their time and helping to create these memories is much appreciated. It is a real team effort and without them these events wouldn’t happen. We would also like to thank everyone at school for their continued support. The behind the scenes work involved isn't easy and our thanks to the facilities, ground staff, office staff, teachers and everyone who helps us put on our events. We are proud to be part of such an amazing community.

Friends of King's

OR Society

OR Society

During the 2022/23 academic year the Old Roffensian Society has been able to progress forward thanks to the installation of our “spy in the camp" with Mark Snoswell taking over as Development Director. His role has enabled the Society to have even better engagement and liaison with the School, thanks to his location now inside Satis House.

As a result, the Society has been more proactive with its communication through its new website based on ToucanTech and has been able to arrange additional sporting and social events.

It is encouraging to report that we now have active teams representing the ORS in rugby, netball, mixed hockey, and cricket, in addition to the traditional matches we run on Commemoration Day; it is positive that we have so many ORs taking part in these matches.

We have also been able to arrange additional social events for ORs with pub nights, two of which have been in London and one in Rochester. These are informal events allowing ORs to get together for a beer, and chat. We wanted to arrange such events as members indicated that allowing them informal opportunities for a relaxing trip down “memory lane”, would appeal.

The Society continues to support the School and our work with the Sixth formers around careers is expanding thanks to the knowledge and the time that ORs are willingly able to provide.

We were disappointed that we couldn’t welcome our members back at the start of the academic year at Commemoration Day, due to the sad death of Queen Elizabeth the Second. However, we made up for this with our wonderful OR dinner this year in the nave of the Cathedral, around the magnificent Fenland oak table. Over 85 ORS and guests were able to enjoy a fantastic evening and meet with members of the current Sixth form and Aidan and Rebecca, the Heads of School, in this unique venue.

Our president, Tom Gurney, is a former head chorister of the Cathedral, and the fact that we started the evening with a wonderful Evensong and later enjoyed the playing of the marimba by Sophie McCormack allowed the magnificence of King’s current musicians to be celebrated.

During the year the Society has also been able to support projects in the Pre-Prep School and we continue to look at opportunities to provide support across the School in the fundraising and the provision of additional facilities; enabling the pupils of today to benefit from the support from the members of today.

Floreat Schola Regalis.

Staff News

Dr Caroline Green

Dr Caroline Green completed her doctorate and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the University of Greenwich in recognition of a programme of work entitled “Getting the colours to ‘sing’: Exploring pupils’ creative engagement with contemporary textmaking in a literacy classroom.”

Katja Neubauer

Katja Neubauer has been employed at King’s since 1997, when the Pre-Preparatory School was still in Rookwood and St. Ronan’s. Over her time, she, with the help of Kaspar, has successfully taught German to all pupils from Nursery to Year 3 and has inspired many pupils to love languages. As well as her ability to inspire the pupils of King’s Rochester, she has also talked at many conferences in the UK and abroad developing many language materials for other teachers to use. She has won several awards in her time too: German Teacher Award in 2005 and ‘Primary Languages Classroom’ Award in 2009. Impressively, Katja also found time to write her own books and is a published author. This even led her to being invited to other schools as part of their World Book day celebrations. A well-respected member of the Common Room, she was the staff representative for many years and more recently has championed sustainability across the School. She helped to establish the Eco-Council in the PrePreparatory School.

Katja is a warm and bubbly personality in the Pre-Preparatory School, and indeed in all areas of the School; always keen to take an active part in all areas of School life. For many years she has supported school events including open mic nights, quiz nights, open air cinema, plays and concerts. As well as her class teaching, she contributed to the co-curricular life at King’s. Magic club was always popular.

Katja finished her time in the Pre-Preparatory School supporting the University of Oxford with a language research project. Katja will be a much missed colleague and friend and we wish her well for all future endeavours.

K.X. C.

Liz Johns

Liz has been a valued employee of the School for 17 years. Throughout the years, Liz’s dedication and passion for teaching early years children have been unwavering. Her kind and gentle nature has created a nurturing environment where the youngest children in our school have flourished. Her commitment to their growth and well-being has been remarkable. Her patience and understanding have helped many children navigate challenges, become confident and resilient.

Liz has been a valuable member of the PrePreparatory School team, always ready to lend a hand and share her expertise of the early years. However, it is now time for Liz to spend a little less time at work and more time at home. We wish her well in all future endeavours.

K.X. C.

Alexander Glashan

Mr Alexander Glashan, Director of Rugby and teacher of Games and PE, has left the Preparatory School and the United Kingdom, and moved to the United Arab Emirates to take up a new teaching post. We wish him all the best in his new school and venture.

Georgia Snook

Miss Georgia Snook, Graduate Sports Assistant, has left the Preparatory School and will be taking a well-earned break to complete her travel plans which were waylaid during the COVID pandemic. We wish her safe travelling and look forward to hearing her news.

Staff News

Glyn Mitchell

On a number of levels, I am disappointed that Mr Mitchell is retiring. Foremost amongst these is the fact that he is the only member of the Common Room whose one-figured percussion on a computer keyboard makes my two-fingered typing look the model of dexterity.

He is, of course, a legend, at King’s, across the county, and from Ashford to Warrington.

Glyn joined King’s from Rochester Mathematical School in 1999 to teach Games, PE and sums. Combining his knowledge of mathematics and betting odds, he was in forefront of cross-curricular teaching and the author of the first Curriculum Review. Pupils in his Year 5 Maths classes showed a keen knowledge of algebra and geometry, while the “gifted and talented” could calculate starting prices and achieve mastery of each-way-bets. Indeed, remember fondly the year that all his graduates entered “good to soft” in their Key Stage 2 test on independent variables.

On this theme we have had some interesting debates as to whether the Cheltenham Gold Cup should go in the school calendar, given that the birthday of the former Choir Master, Percy Whitlock, was entered in bold and italics.

GJM’s organisational skills are outstanding. On a Wednesday afternoon mini-buses are sent across the county on carefully plotted schedules which makes Operation Barbarossa look like a CCF camp. Glyn has been called many things, usually by staff sent to Chatham House and St Lawrence College on consecutive Saturdays, but I prefer to see him as our own “On the Buses’” Blakey, standing in the Preparatory School Yard directing the flow of buses with “Get that bus out” and the occasional “I’ll have you Butler”. Each bus has been loaded with kit and packed-lunches reflecting dietary needs according to medical and religious requirements or simply a preference for or against Lobster Thermidor, with the keys either in pigeon-holes or on his desk like some middle-class dinner party

Sports Day is, of course, the pinnacle of his military planning, and, although the javelin competition sometimes threatened to sabotage the 12.02 pm finish, and in the days before we became a Jewish school and Sports Day was on a Saturday, one could guarantee that the last trophy was presented before “Saturday Morning Kitchen” was finished. Recently Glyn has been inducted as a Fellow the UK Guild of Orthodontists with the citation “For services to

Gum-Shields” in recognition of his work with OPRO, a further tribute to his astute awareness of logistics.

An accomplished sportsman himself, as a schoolboy represented the county at rugby and cricket. He was a stylish fly-half until he tweaked a fetlock, which left several vets talking about the need to put him down and, if you look carefully, this injury has left him with a permanent limp or that may be simply the result of years wearing tight shorts. A tidy batsman, he was also an economical slow-bowler, until Joe Denley, Kent and England batsmen, ruined his career figures, along with several local greenhouse windows, in one afternoon.

Moreover, “Stumpy”, as I believe he was called at the Math School, has a fine array of tennis shots, having recently beaten a pupil in three sets on a Tuesday morning Games session, although he struggled with the overhead lob and, as a result of his opponent’s cross-court game, Novak Mitchell could not walk until the Monday of the following week.

His is a talented pool-player, a skill probably honed with his distant cousins, Phil and Grant at the Queen Vic, while I have heard that he was seen in B & Q this week buying a broom as he flirts with taking up curling in retirement. The Mitchells clearly have a genetic predisposition for sport with Mrs Mitchell Senior, a bowls-player of note, and Glyn’s sons showing some aptitude for throwing a ball around.

As a coach he has a distinguished record in a range of sports, winning the Under-11 National Cup for Rugby, and achieving unbeaten records with a number of teams. But it is not the “win-loss” ratio that sets GJM apart. He is without ego and he works behind the scenes to allow others to take the glory or work with the best players, instead, often coaching the less able to love sport and be the best that they can be. He is deservedly, although never boastfully, proud of his son’s sporting successes, following their careers from Sale RFC to Harvel CC, from Jersey to Georgia, but possibly his greatest pride is reserved for the many hundreds of children who have represented the school in the last twenty-seven years at “E” and “F” team level.

During his time at King’s School, we have seen many changes, but reassuringly, some things remain the same. If it is a Thursday afternoon, Glyn is on the M20 Ashford-bound, Holmewood House continue to thrash us at cricket, Mike Hebden continues to mislay whistles, salt and vinegar remains the own crisp variety known to the Catering Department, Drill 72 remains the Hockey go-to routine (or 71 if there is precipitation in the air) and Mr Mitchell gets out his tanned legs on the first Monday in February.

.I have been on innumerable Sports Tours with Mitch. We have combined rugby with a study of Baroque architecture in Venice, where Glyn’s diplomacy forestalled an international incident as I looked to send off the opposition’s hirsute 13-year old openside for repeated offences at the breakdown inviting a pitch-invasion from the man-child’s bearded mother.

We have visited muddy Minehead where our Samoan centre nearly drowned, gone to windswept Isle of Man where every other person knew Hebdog and the pilot of the “Maybe” aircraft flying us to Ronaldsway Airport was also the steward, baggagehandler and passport controller, and, continuing the international flavour, taken teams to Brussels for a pre-Christmas rugby tour when Belgian beer, not sprouts, was on the menu.

These trips have, of course, provided many memories, and what goes on tour, stays on tour, but I confess that one of the highlights of an U10 combined football-rugby tour to the North West was sharing a hotel in Warrington with a convention of Funeral Directors. After-dinner conversation switched between embalming fluid and the merits of 4-4-2, while we really to see that the display of coffins in the breakfast bar was tidied away before cornflakes and a full English were served the next morning.

We have roomed together on a number of Sports Tour to Barbados and, while there are very many stories to tell from sharing time on the boundary with Glyn and tethered goats (sorry, that should say “with Glyn comma and tethered goats”), above all I will miss his turndown service and early morning cups of tea to allow me to continue wrestling with the timetable in bed. Mrs Mitchell is a lucky, lucky lady

Aside from tours, we have often shared the rugby touchline, me loudly encouraging the team, Glyn prowling silently, panther-like behind the goalposts. We have enjoyed minor triumphs together, as well as debates about the virtues of playing up or down the Paddock slope first-half, substitutions (including the famous time at the Rosslyn Park sevens when we nearly surrendered a 30-0 lead by making sure that everyone had a game) and many consoling moments, usually after a block fixture at Holmewood House.

We share a love of history. His research on the origins of various athletic events comes to the fore each year before Sports Day, although I question the role of the Cornish pasty in the decathlon as there is no archaeological evidence of trade between Kernow and Attica.

This week I have fielded numerous telephone calls from people learning of Glyn’s retirement.

Herr Wiesner telephoned from Germany sending his regards, confirming that javelin is a “der” word and talking of world football tours and penalty shoot-outs.

Eddie Jones called to ask “Do any of your boys have Australian heritage?” (Too soon?)

Walkers’ Crisp Factory texted, fearful that their shares in salt and vinegar were about to take a hit.

Joe Denley asked if Glyn was available for “throwdowns” as his form was suffering.

Someone with a Yorkshire accent asked also left me a voicemail which my translator app interpreted as, “Where can thee buy a whistle?”

Kent Traffic Police telephoned to register a “missing person”, as a mini-bus was conspicuously absent from the M20 this week.

An undertaker called and, in his lugubrious voice, spoke to the qualities of the latest biodegradable coffin. I cut short the call, to say that there had been a miscommunication and Glyn was only retiring.

Staff News

With his departure a whole lexicon will disappear. “Chocolate teapot“ will resound no more around the Paddock; “washing my nan’s cat” will never be used as an excuse for non-attendance at an Assessment Meeting and “huffing, chuffing, chuff, chuff” will not be heard in the Sports Office that is St Nicholas House as Glyn’s digit misses the “Return” square of the keyboard.

I know that he is held in high regard by everyone in the Common Room. I confess that I have missed Glyn’s presence this year following my move to Mackean House, particularly our early morning chats about whether I was needed for Hockey this Wednesday. It has been fun, most of the time, and I wish you and Julie well in your retirement. I value your friendship and look forward to seeing you in Marseilles later this year.

PS. It always best downhill first half.

Maria Waizenegger

AM (2011-2023)

Having trained at the Universities of Würzburg and Augsburg (2002-2007) and the Universities of Portsmouth (April 2008-August 2008) and Canterbury Christ Church (2008-2009), Maria taught at Archers Court Maths and Computing College in Dover before starting work at King’s, initially as temporary cover within the German Department, a rôle she later combined with a part-time position at St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate. From the moment I met her I was sure that she was the person we had been looking for to replace departed colleagues, and so I was delighted when, in 2012, she was appointed as full-time Head of German in the Preparatory School. In her lessons, she is committed to upholding high standards of teaching excellence and her track record for preparing pupils for public examinations is second to none, attributes which later saw her become Head of German in the Senior School as well. Throughout her time at King’s, Maria has successfully organised and led various Senior School visits to Germany and Austria, as well as co-ordinating the Preparatory School’s popular school exchange with the Nymphenburger Schulen in Munich and accompanying school skiing trips to Sölden and Nassfeld, Europe-wide trips within the Erasmus programme and classics trips to Italy. Furthermore, within the pastoral system of the School, Maria has, at various times, been a valued

tutor in Parker and Storrs and a much-loved residential tutor to the girl boarders in St. Margaret’s House. In all her endeavours as a member of staff, it was always clear that she put the interests of her pupils first and that, in my view, makes her an excellent teacher.

B. W. R.

Chris Page

OR (1982-1992), AM (1999-2023)

I first came across Chris (though his parents always called him Christopher) in September 1986, when he was a Fourth Form pupil. He had just come up from the Junior School (the former name of the Preparatory School, and the Fourth Form, now called Year 8, was in the Senior School in those days) and he continued German through to the Upper Sixth, when he was Head of School. It was at this time, ahead of his A-Levels, that he was rushed to hospital with a burst appendix. When I heard the news, I thought the right thing to do was to take a taxi to the hospital. Upon arrival, I was asked by the matron who I was; I simply stated that I was his German teacher, which earned me an odd look, but, nonetheless, gained me access. At his bedside, I met his parents, and a lifelong friendship began (his dad even learnt German with me and successfully took his GCSE).

P. N. M.

THE ROFFENSIAN

At university, Chris spent a year in Austria, in fact in the school where I had taught some twenty years before, and, after graduating from Royal Holloway and doing a PGCE at Exeter, he taught for a few years in Munich at the Cambridge Institut (19971999). Meanwhile, there was a vacancy arising here in the German Department and so, with the Headmaster’s agreement, Chris was approached; I even jumped on a plane to go and get him.

Thus, Chris started working at King’s in September 1999 in the German and Games Departments, teaching from the Lower Ones (Year 4)right up to the Upper Sixth. Thereafter, and known by all, staff, pupils and parents, as Pagey, he rose through the pastoral ranks and became Parker Housemaster (2005-2013), having been a Storrs House Tutor (1999-2005) and, simultaneously, Assistant Housemaster of St. Margaret’s House (2001-2002), which was then the junior boys’ boarding house. In 2010, he became Senior Master under Dr Ian Walker, before becoming Deputy Head Pastoral in 2013. In fact, the rôles he has had reads like a shopping list, from Whole School Designated Safeguarding Lead (2021-2022) through Acting Housemaster of Storrs (2016-2017) to Whole School Covid Coordinator (2020-2021) and Acting Estates Bursar (2021). He was also a member of the School’s Executive Board (2021-2023). In short, he has been part and parcel of the School for the last 24 years.

School life beyond the classroom was hugely important to Pagey - he did all he could to support music, drama and the CCF, whilst Chapel and the big Cathedral services he organised in collaboration with FJ and Padders held a very special place in his heart. On the sports fields, he coached rugby, hockey and cricket throughout the Preparatory and Senior Schools, football to Years 4, 5 and 6, was briefly Master i/c Cross Country and, until recently, continued to organise the annual cross country races at Nashenden. He organised rugby trips to the British School of Brussels (and hosted that school here) and a 2nd XI cricket tour to Holland and he accompanied further sports tours to Antigua, Sri Lanka and South Africa. On two occasions, he was involved with the coaching of King’s U14 rugby sides which reached the Kent Cup final, winning the cup in 1999 and being runners-up in 2000, and he coached the only U15 King’s hockey team to reach the final of the prestigious Peter Firminger Tournament. Of course, cricket is his great love, and he was, ultimately, Master i/c Cricket (20152022), working closely with his colleagues and good friends Mr Waite, Mr Hebden and Mr Saunders,

and overseeing a particularly successful period which was crowned by the School 1st XI winning the Cathedral Schools’ T20 Tournament in Gloucester in 2022.

Pagey so much enjoyed taking groups of pupils to the pavilion on The Paddock where he would talk about the photographs there, of who was who, and not just of their tremendous feats with bat and ball whilst representing the School, but of who went off to fight in wartime, and of those who did not return. He also greatly enjoyed accompanying pupils on Mr Medhurst’s trips to the battlefields in Belgium and to the Menin Gate where he would proudly show them the names of Old Roffensians listed there.

Given his affinity with the School’s history, his continuous care of its contemporary community and his desire to see it prosper long into the future, it is hardly surprising that he was the recipient of repeated praise from ISI inspectors with regard to the School’s pastoral provision for its pupils and staff. Pagey was also responsible for various projects, among them brand new language laboratory facilities within the modern languages department financed by the Wolfson Foundation, two refurbishments of the pavilion and the procurement of cricket equipment with the generous support of the Old Roffensian Society, the organisation of four charity cricket matches on The Paddock all featuring famous international or former international players, and the refurbishment of the public areas within Satis House.

All this, and I haven’t even mentioned his work within the MFL Department, where he was a diligent, caring and enthusiastic German teacher, who helped pupils in the Senior School secure excellent GCSE and A-Level grades and who instilled a love of language learning and of Germany and Austria in Preparatory and, just in this last year, even Pre-Preparatory pupils. Oh, and he even taught French for a while, too.

But, what of the man himself, someone whom I have known for nearly 40 years? It will be blindingly obvious from what I have written that Pagey has been an outstanding member of staff and a colossal asset to our School. His people and management skills are excellent, and for me the most important thing of all is this - if I were to find myself in a tricky position, Pagey is the person I’d want with me, as he has been for so many people over the years.

B. W. R.

Governors and Staff

List of Governors and Staff

As at September 2022

Patron

The Lord Bishop of Rochester

THE GOVERNING BODY

Chairman of Governors

Air Commodore J Maas, CBE, MSc, RAF (Ret’d)

Vice-Chair of Governors

The Revd Canon Dr P Hesketh, PhD, BD, AKC

Governors

Mr B. Bell, BSc (Hons), CIMDIP, FCIM

The Revd Canon S. Brewer

Mr M. J. Chesterfield

Mr P. Coen, MBA, FCCA, FPFS

The Reverend Canon C. Dench

The Reverend Canon Dr G. Giles, PhD (Middx), MLitt (Cantab), BA Hons (Lancaster), CTM, ARSM

Dr A. C. Gower, PhD, MPhil, Med, PGCE, FHEA

Mr A. Marlow, BSc (Hons), MArch, MSt, RIBA, SCA AABC

Mrs R. A. Olley, CEd

Mrs G. Opara MSc IS

Mrs J. E. Shilling, BA (Hons)

Mr W. E. Smith, BA, DipEd

Mrs P. Stewart MSc, BSc

Ms E. Whitlam, MSc

SENIOR MANAGEMENT TEAM

Principal of King’s Rochester and Headmaster of the Senior School

Mr B. P. H. Charles, BA (Hons), PGCE, Universities of Exeter and Durham

Headmaster of the Preparatory School

Mr T. H. Morgan, BMus (Hons), The Royal College of Music

Headmistress of the Pre-Preparatory School

Mrs K. Crozer, BEd (Hons), QTS, University of Greenwich

Senior Deputy Head, Senior School

Mr O. M. Smith, MA (Hons), BA (Hons), Robinson College, University of Cambridge

Deputy Head (Academic), Senior School

Miss N. J. Steel, BSc, PGCE, University of Sheffield

Deputy Head (Co-Curriculum), Senior School

Miss H. L. Catlett, MA, BA (Hons), QTS, Universities of Canterbury and Chichester

Second Deputy

Mrs C. Green, BA, PGCE, University of Sheffield

Deputy Head (Pastoral), Preparatory School

Mrs L. A. George, BA (Hons), PGCE, Canterbury Christchurch University

Deputy Head, Pre-Preparatory School

Mrs L. J. Green, BA (Hons), PGCE, Universities of Sheffield and Oxford

Whole School Director of Teaching and Learning

Mr P. N. Medhurst, BA, MA, Universities of Warwick and Greenwich

Director of Digital Strategy and Housemaster (School House)

Mr C. Coetzee, BA, University of South Africa

Assistant Head (Head of Sixth Form)

Mrs S. L. Miles, MA, BA (Hons), PGCE, University of Kent

Development Director

Mr M. G. Snoswell

Bursar

Ms D. J. Godwin, BA (Hons), CIMA, University of Central England

Director of Operations

Mrs K. J. Simmons

Senior School

Principal of King’s Rochester and Headmaster of the Senior School

Mr B. P. H. Charles, BA (Hons), PGCE, Universities of Exeter and Durham

Senior Deputy Head, Senior School

Mr O. M. Smith, MA (Hons), BA (Hons), Robinson College, University of Cambridge

Deputy Head (Academic)

Miss N. J. Steel, BSc, PGCE, University of Sheffield

Deputy Head (Co-Curriculum)

Miss H. L. Catlett, MA, BA (Hons), Universities of Canterbury and Chichester

Chaplain

The Rev’d S. J. Padfield, MA (Hons), Bristol University

Academic Staff

Mr B. W. Richter, BA, University of Newcastle

Mr M. E. Drury, BSc, MA, University College, London, University of Greenwich

Mr A. J. Robson, BA, Central St Martin's College, University of Liverpool

Mr C. J. White MSc, BSc, University of York

Mrs A. J. Richter, BSc, University of Loughborough

Mrs L. A. Rogers, BA (Hons), FCCT, University of Brighton

Miss N. J. Steel, BSc, University of Sheffield

Mr B. C. Rivers, BA (Hons), Brunel University

Ms M. McIntyre, BA, MPhil, The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

Mr S. Owen, BEd, University of Wales Caerleon

Mrs E. A. Hanson, BSc, University of St Andrews

Miss L. E. Costelloe, BA, Royal Holloway College, University of London

Miss H. L. Catlett, BA (Hons), University College Chichester

Mr S. J. Johnson, BEd (Hons), Nottingham Trent University

Mrs E. L. Parren, BSc (Hons), University of Birmingham

Mr P. G. Stevens, BSc (Hons), University of Southampton

Mr D. G. Taylor, BA (Hons), University of Chichester

Mrs A. J. Warne, MA (Hons), University of St Andrews

Miss C. O’Kelly, Licence Langues, Université Aix-Marseille1

Mrs N. Gould, MSc, BSc, University of East Anglia

Miss K. L. Hebden, BA (Hons) University of Newcastle, Hons Dip, Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

Mrs E. M. McCarthy, BA (Hons), PGCE, University of Reading

Mr M. J. Hebden, BA (Hons), Lancaster University

Mr S. Fish, BA (Hons), University of Westminster, London

Mrs Y. Jackson, BEng (Hons), Heriot Watt University

Miss V. Burgess, BSc (Hons), University of Greenwich

Miss S. Pembroke, BSc (Hons), HND, QTS, Nottingham Trent & University of Wales

Mrs N. Wiltshire, BA (Hons), PGCE, University of Pau and The Adour Region and University of Lancaster

Mrs S. L. Miles, MA, BA (Hons), PGCE, University of Kent

Miss F. Lowe, BA (Hons), University of Exeter

Mr J. Mountford, BA (Hons), University of Bristol

Dr K. Thomson, PhD, MA (Hons), Universities of St Andrews and Edinburgh

Mr C. J. E. Carroll, MA, PGCE, Universities of Swansea and Cambridge

Miss L. J. Williams, BA (Hons), The Open University

Mrs R. J. Oliver, BA (Hons), PGCE, University of Kent (KIAD), West Surrey College of Art and Design and Greenwich University

Mr C. Coetzee, BA, University of South Africa

Mr O. Bailey, BA (Hons), Anglia Ruskin University

Mrs C. Ransom, MA (Hons), Magdalene College, University of Cambridge

Miss A. McKeever, BA (Hons), Royal Holloway, University of London

Mr J. Jones, BEd, Mico University College

Mrs I. Coetzee, BA, University of Port Elizabeth

Mr C. M. White, BSc, University of East Anglia

Librarian

Mrs X. Guo, MA, Northwest Normal University, China

Combined Cadet Force Contingent Commander

Major S. M. Short, RE

Preparatory School

Headmaster

Mr T. H. Morgan, BMus (Hons), The Royal College of Music

Second Deputy

Mrs C. T. A. Green, BA (Hons), PGCE, Universities of Sheffield and Canterbury Christchurch

Deputy Head (Pastoral), Preparatory School

Mrs L. A. George, BA (Hons), PGCE, Canterbury Christchurch University

Academic Staff

Mr M. Caithness, BSc (Hons), Bangor, University College of North Wales

Mrs L. A. George, BA (Hons), PGCE, Canterbury Christchurch University

Mrs N. J. Heddershaw, BEd, West Sussex Institute of Higher Education

Mr O. Mahenga, AIEMA, BSc Ed, MSc, University of Derby

Mrs M. Marshall, BSc (Hons), University of Southampton

Mr G. J. Mitchell, BA, University of Liverpool

Mr C. H. Page, BA, Royal Holloway College, University of London

Mr J. Waite, BSc, University of Greenwich

Frau M. Waizenegger, Erste Staatsprufung fur das Lehramt an bayerischen Realschulen, University of Augsburg

Mrs S. Walsh, BA, Canterbury Christ Church University

Mrs L. Whittles, BA (Hons), University of London

Mr B. Wilton, BSc (Hons), PGCE, University of Greenwich and The Open University

Mrs E. Cross, BA (Hons), University of Southampton

Mrs C. Wright, BSc, University of Greenwich

Classroom Assistant

Miss S. A. Farris, City & Guilds Level 3, OCR2

Wellbeing and Mental Health Coordinator

Mrs J. Bolton, BA, Bath College

Head of Education Support/TEFL Co-ordinator

Mrs Y. Z. Harkin, MA, BA(Hons), DipSpLD, PGCE, Universities of Glamorgan, York and Cambridge

Assistant Head of Learning Support – Primary

Mrs M. Gower, BA(Ed), Canterbury Christ Church University

Education Support Staff/TEFL Staff

Mrs A. Boyle, BEd, Cert Ed, OCR CertSpLD, CELTA, University of Rhodesia

Mrs C. Keep, DipSpLD, DTLLS, Hornsby College and Canterbury Christ Church University

Mrs O. Fratczak, Dip., University of Poznan

Governors and Staff

Governors and Staff

Pre-Preparatory School

Headmistress of the Pre-Preparatory School

Mrs K. Crozer, BEd (Hons), QTS, University of Greenwich

Senior Class Teacher

Mrs L. J. Green, BA (Hons), PGCE, Universities of Sheffield and Oxford.

Academic Staff

Mrs E. Baker, BA (Hons), Canterbury Christ Church University

Mrs F. Cross, BA (Hons), PGCE, Universities of Bristol and Surrey, LTCL, DipSpLD

Mrs S. Desforges, BA (Hons), University of East Anglia

Miss L. Govey, BA (Hons) QTS, Canterbury Christ Church University

Mrs E. Johns, BA (Hons) QTS, Canterbury Christ Church University

Mr J. M. P. Killoran, BA (Hons), PGCE, Birmingham and Canterbury Christ Church Universities

Mrs H. Mountford, BA (Hons), University of York

Mr A. J. Parker-Bruce, BEd (Hons), University of Wolverhampton

Mrs R. Recardo, BA (Hons), Canterbury Christ Church University

Miss J. Whalin, BA (Hons) University of Chichester

Teaching Assistants

Mrs N. Bhat,

Mrs W. S. Black, NVQ2

Mrs L. Burrows, City & Guilds Level 3

Miss L. M. Donnelly, City & Guilds Level 2

Mrs C. Halmkan, NVQ2 and NVQ3

Mrs C. Hummel

Mrs J. Pilkington, NVQ2 and NVQ3

Mrs S. Whalin, OCR2 and NVQ3

Abendschule Supervisor

Mrs H. Kaur, CACHE Level 3

Abendschule Assistants

Mrs C. Hummel

Junior Director of the European Initiative

Frau K. M. Neubauer, Lehramt an Grundschulen, Didaktik des Deutschen als Zweitsprache, Nuremberg University

Music Department

Director of Music

Mr J. Mountford, BA (Hons), University of Bristol

Preparatory School Director of Music & Head of Strings

Mrs G. Nathan, MA, Dip. HE, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

Head of Woodwind

Mr G. Vinall, BA, LRAM, Colchester Institute

Assistant Music Staff

Mr C. Barrett, BA (Hons), The Royal College of Music

Mr T. Bettley (Brass)

Mrs N. Dutton, MMus, BA (Hons) (Singing)

Mrs B. Hanson, LTCL (Oboe)

Mrs J. M. Hines (Piano)

Mrs R. Jackson LRAM (Flute)

Mr M. Jamieson Smith ARCM DipRCM (Singing)

Mr J. Milone, (Violin/Piano), RCM

Miss B. Tin, BA (Hons, MMus (Piano)

Mrs J. Walland (Violin)

Music Department

Director of Sport (Senior School)

Mr M. J. Hebden, BA (Hons), Lancaster University

Director of Sport (Preparatory School)

Mr G. J. Mitchell, BA, University of Liverpool

Swimming Instructor and CCF

Mrs A. C. Waite, BSc, Canterbury Christ Church University

Head of Rowing (Rowing Coach)

Mr V. Piticariu, BA. The University AL.I.Cuza lasi

Head of Athletic Development

Mr M. Grice, Graduate Sports Assistant

Miss G. Snook, BSc, Loughborough University

Acknowledgements

My thanks to Mrs L. Green, Mr T. Morgan and Mr M. Snoswell for all their efforts with regard to this publication.

I am particularly indebted to my dear friend Dr. Colin Woodard (AM 1978-2006) for his help and guidance, and to the irrepressible duo of Zoe and Andy from Heronswood Press for their professionalism and unwavering patience.

W. E. S.