Kingswood In Focus - December 2007

focus Kingswood in

December 2007

Contents

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Letters Staff News Kingswood Sixth Form Chapel & Community Prize Giving Exam Results Performing Arts Eco-Schools KPS Sport Summer Sport Friends of Kingswood and KPS Art Kingswood Association House Events Out & About

Features 2 Looking to the Future The appointment of a new Headmaster for 2008

25 Elite Performers

Celebrating the sporting achievements of 20 of our pupils at National level

50

28 Sports Tour

Our Rugby and Hockey teams visit South America

38 Foundation Update

Exciting progress is being made on the Upper development

50 Charles Wesley Kingswood's Other Founder

focus Kingswood in

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Letter from the Headmaster

Dear Parents and Friends, At the start of a new academic year you focus on all the things which are going to happen – the new initiatives as well as the repeat of successful activities from last year – and that always makes September a very exciting time. At the senior school one of the very first events is the House Music Competition which occurs within a week of the start of term – and this year it was a specially fantastic event. I can think of very few schools which could in the space of a couple of days produce an evening of such splendid entertainment entirely organised and led by its sixth-formers and involving virtually all pupils in five year groups – solos, ensembles, dance groups, and three musical numbers, each involving between 60 and 80 pupils. It will be one of my abiding memories of the year but I know more will follow! Looking back in its own way is as important as looking forward and that is why KIF always gives me such pleasure.

This issue is no exception – it shows yet again why Kingswood really is a special place.

I find it rather dispiriting that at times the government seem so intent on assuming that it will produce better academic results and better citizens by focusing all its efforts on prescribing what is taught (and endlessly assessing that).

This summer Kingswood had its best ever academic results at A level (over 43% of the passes were the top grade A in an examination graded A to E) and at GCSE (29% of the passes were A* and over 60% A*/A in an examination graded A to G). Of course these results are substantially the product of what happens in the classroom and in prep but they are also partly because the boys and girls at Kingswood are happy in being in an environment which stimulates their imagination and talents outside the classroom. Moreover, there are many qualities which are vital to success in life which are developed primarily by the extra-curricular activities in which we engage at school. An all-round education is therefore not a second-rate experience to an academic education – it is an academic education plus. And it’s a mighty big plus in a school like Kingswood.

is the media’s coverage of independent schools and the international baccalaureate. Read some of the papers and you would be forgiven for thinking that the independent sector is moving en masse away from the A level system. The reality is that the overwhelming majority of independent schools have looked at the baccalaureate and decided that philosophically and educationally it is not the best option for their sixth-formers. A few have decided otherwise but, of those, a significant number are in the category of independent schools struggling to maintain their sixth-form numbers and therefore seeking a marketing niche.

Here at Kingswood Mrs Dawson, our Deputy-Head (Academic) reflected in a recent KIF on why we at Kingswood think A levels remain the superior choice. It is no surprise to us or many other independent schools that some of the press this month are belatedly waking up to the fact that some of the latest educational research is backing A levels over the baccalaureate.

"This summer Kingswood had its best ever academic results at A level and at GCSE..."

Similarly, I never think you can teach someone to be a ‘good citizen’: you learn that by engaging with the school community and the wider world.

That is why the opportunities we provide for leadership, the worship in which we share, the fund-raising and other activities associated with helping others, and special events like KPS’s International Day or the senior school’s MUN, all play such an important role in preparing Kingswood boys and girls to play a really responsible role as adults in our society.

Nationally education suffers from being too often a political and media band-wagon. It is interesting that Chris Woodhead, ex-Chief Inspector of Schools from 1994 to 2000, has commented that the reason faith schools are so often excellent schools is that they do not just follow the latest initiative and what he calls ‘government twaddle’. They have a strong view about what fundamentally makes for a good education and they will do all in their power to uphold their vision, despite the pressures to go for quick-fix options that may help government statistics but do little else.

In searching for headline stories, the media often do parents and pupils a disservice by distorting what is actually happening. A classic example

It is interesting how society tends to see certain ‘ages’ as special transition times and often this is linked to decades. So, for example, some people who are quite happy being 39 hate the idea of becoming 40 or those who are 59 dread being 60. Even the young are not always immune to this. I can remember that when my daughter was about to cease being a teenager she initially commented to me that maybe she would become ‘twenteen’ rather than ‘twenty’, although she subsequently decided there were distinct pluses in moving on to a new decade. I suppose I am in a special transition time of my own now as this twenty-first year will be my final year at Kingswood. All I can say is that I intend to make the most of it! Given the enthusiasm of the staff and the vitality and dynamism of the boys and girls at Kingswood I have no hesitation in saying that I am sure it will be as enjoyable and fulfilling as the previous twenty. What makes me particularly happy is that as I enter my final year, I have every confidence my successor, Simon Morris, shows the same determination that I have had to embrace the best of the new while holding firm to the best of the past.

With every good wish,

Mr Gary Best (Headmaster and Principal of the Kingswood Foundation)

Kingswood in Focus 1

Looking to the Future Replacing a long-serving and highly respected head is not an easy task but the Governors were very determined to make sure they appointed a worthy successor to Mr Best.

We wanted a head whose personality, experience and skills would guarantee that the school continues to go from strength to strength, changing and developing whilst remaining true to its central Christian ethos. After a very extensive selection process which began in January and ended in May, we were delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Simon Morris. The first person to know about the appointment was, of course, our current Head. His response was very gratifying because he was so delighted at the news. His immediate comment was that he felt we had chosen a man of real integrity and immense experience whom the staff, the pupils and the parents would all like very much.

Mr Morris has an M.A. in Modern and Medieval Languages from St John’s College, Cambridge. From 1988 to 1995 he taught at Warwick School, becoming Head of German. From 1995 to 2001 he was a very successful Head of Modern Languages and Senior Housemaster at the Leys School in Cambridge which like Kingswood, is a highly regarded and internationally known Methodist co-educational boarding and day school. It prides itself on being a caring and very supportive community and places a high emphasis on nurturing each individual’s talents. Since 2001 Mr Morris has been the Deputy Headmaster at St John’s School, Leatherhead. This is an HMC co-educational boarding and day school with a strong Christian foundation and many of its core objectives are similar to those of Kingswood.

Mr Morris is well-placed to maintain Kingswood’s Christian ethos. He is a member of the Church of England and currently attends Leatherhead Parish Church. He is a passionate believer in offering – as Kingswood does – a wide range of extra-curricular activities. He enjoys a wide range of literature and film, as well as art and music, and is a very keen sportsman. He has coached school teams in a number of sports throughout his teaching career, though he confesses his main passion is cricket.

As well as being Headmaster of Kingswood, Mr Morris will be Principal of the Kingswood Foundation and so will play a very important role with Kingswood Prep School. In this he is also well-placed in terms of his experience because he has been the governor of a preparatory school in Banstead. Mr Morris is married to Caroline who is a teacher and former Head of Modern Languages. They have three children.

Mr Morris takes over from Mr Best with effect from September 2008 and so we have plenty of time to ensure a smooth handover. Already he has spent a couple of days at the school and more visits are planned.

It is great to know that we have got the talented successor we wanted - one who understands and values Kingswood’s ethos and who will ensure, like Mr Best, that there is both continuity and change. No good school ever rests on its laurels! With every good wish,

Rev. Ray Lansley (Chairman of Governors)

Letter from the KPS Headmaster

Left to right: Mr Philip Dixon (Deputy Head), Rebecca Nicholson (Head Girl), Mr Marcus Cornah (Headmaster), Sean Ingham (Head Boy), Rev. Mike Wilkinson (Deputy Head Pastoral & Chaplain)

Dear Parents and Friends, I usually tell parents that one of the best features of life at KPS for our children, is the opportunity to play on the lawn in front of Summerhill during lunch breaks, when the weather permits. Last term, as you can all imagine, ‘permission’ was not granted with regular rapidity.

The glorious weather that greeted us all back to school in September, meant that play has resumed on the lawn, and after the weather we had over the summer break, it has been especially welcome. Year 6 have been granted exclusive use of the lower lawn and exciting games of football have taken place. I have also enjoyed watching that traditional KPS pastime which involves small boys digging little holes in the path, and sometimes the lawn itself alas, and then (hopefully) replacing the debris they have collected, before it is time to return to class.

The freedom that such lunchtime play brings, like anything else in life, brings its responsibilities. Hopefully the children will learn more about playing together happily. None of us can get what we want all of the time and light hearted play in which an undue degree of selfishness by any individual or group, quickly affects other people. We have four lunchtime staff on duty who are there for advice (among other things) and so the children always have an adult perspective nearby. This is as it should be, but the quicker they learn to rationalise and indeed compromise when necessary, the more enjoyable these moments of play (and life itself) becomes.

The most interesting feature of our lawns is the large tree at the eastern side of the upper lawn. In truth it gives the appearance of a very large bush rather than a separate tree. It is ideal for climbing, and although when the main body of school are out playing, it has to be placed ‘out of bounds’, we usually find that when numbers are much more manageable, such as after school on Fridays from 4.15 onwards, requests to ‘go into the tree’, are usually granted. It is a beguiling place to be with a series of enticing low level branches. There are risks in life and falling out of trees can be prevented by not allowing children to climb them. However, many of you reading these words will know what a pleasure it can be to climb. So with my usual warning to take care, and not go to the very top, I position myself at the entrance, and allow the children to have their fun. To date this permission has not been abused. Accidents do happen, and indeed only last term a young boy broke his arm when falling out of a tree in the adventure playground,

whilst under adult supervision. We try, of course, to do everything we possibly can to prevent such mishaps, but to a certain extent, life is a risk, and, in my opinion it is unreasonable to think that risk can be completely removed. On occasion and with adult supervision we shall continue to allow a certain amount of tree climbing when the numbers of pupils involved make it possible.

Fund raising events for the Upper development Fund continue to take place at KPS. They range from small scale events such as coffee mornings to the donation of the proceeds of big KPS occasions such as the Summer Party last term, and any profits from our forthcoming Christmas Fayre. The latter is probably the biggest event we hold at the school this year, and the FoKPS with a new Chairman, Bill Harris and Secretary, Lisa Hawtin, have taken on the responsibility and we wish them well. My thanks to Mrs Carruthers and her team for agreeing to organise this huge event again.

Those of you with children in the senior school will I know have been told about the exciting launch of a new style Friends of Kingswood.

It is no secret that this organisation has been modelled on FoKPS, and I was gratified to see in a recent KS newsletter that all seven years reps of the FoK are, without exception, current, or former parents of KPS. We wish you well in all that you do, with perhaps, especial success in the raising of funds for our development project.

The fund has two objectives, extensive upgrading and enlargement of the Pavilion on the Upper and the creation of a new floodlit astroturf pitch. While funds are still needed for the former, the astroturf is nearing completion and it is a truly magnificent structure. A full pitch with an additional practice area, all fenced and floodlit. It should be ready for use by the whole school after half term. No news as yet of the opening match, but regular readers of this column will know that I have offered to make a ten minute (max) appearance on the field of play, before hanging up my hockey stick for good. If I do get asked to play, let me assure you all that I shall take it easy!

Mr Marcus Cornah (Headmaster of the Kingswood Prep School) Kingswood in Focus 3

Staff News

Goodbyes & Hellos at KS This has been an exceptionally unusual year in that we have had far more staff changes than is our norm, largely because a number of staff retired. When I said goodbye to some of them at the end of year final assembly I pointed out that seven of those leaving us had collectively served the school for 189 years!

One of those retiring was Mr David Sims. Initially he just came on an exchange visit back in 1989 from Canada but he liked KS so much that his short temporary visit led later to him joining the staff in 1991 as Kingswood's first Head of Theatre Studies and he subsequently became our Head of English in 2001. It is said the mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates, and the great teacher inspires. Mr Sims was definitely in the latter category. He will be remembered not only for the many superb plays he directed, but also as a very gifted teacher, challenging, exciting and dramatic. His classes have been described as dynamic learning experiences and he led the English Department with an enviable warmth and lightness of touch. He was also, of course, a wonderful resident assistant housemaster in Westwood.

We shall all miss his innate modesty and his wonderful wit and we wish him all the very best in his return to Canada. We are fortunate to have appointed a highly experienced successor as Head of English in Mr David Hughes.

He was educated at Llanidloes High School and obtained a BA in English at UCW, Aberystwyth, before completing his PGCE and further professional studies in Education at the University of Bristol. He has taught at various schools and for many years was Head of English at Hayesfield School, Bath, before becoming a Secondary English Consultant with the Local Education Authority. He also has a particular enthusiasm for music so we look forward to him contributing to the performing arts here.

The English Department also saw retire Mrs Stephanie Lockhart, who first joined the staff here initially as a part-timer in 1985 and from 4 Kingswood in Focus

1993 full-time. As someone who grew up in Kenya and who obtained first a degree in modem languages and then a B Phil in Language with Linguistics, she was the ideal choice to set up and run an EFL resource centre. She had a passionate commitment to ensuring that pupils settled in well if they joined us from overseas and their first language was not English. She transformed the way in which we help students whose first language is not English and championed the celebration of different cultures. No overseas Sixth Former under her care has ever left KS without a university entrance qualification in English. Just as importantly, all have known just how genuinely interested she has been in their welfare. That pastoral concern also explains why she was also such a dedicated assistant Housemistress in Summerhill, as well as a great ambassador for ecology and the environment. We are lucky to have as her successor Mr Simon Forrester, who will also teach sport.

Mr Forrester was educated at Porthcawl Comprehensive School and did a degree in Historical Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University.

He then worked from 1999 to 2002 as an English Language teacher in Japan. He then did his PGCE at Cardiff University and for the last three years has been an English Language and IT teacher with the Royal Air force in Oman. He also has an MA in Applied Linguistics & TESOL from the University of Leicester.

For thirty years pupils have discovered what geography is really about from Mr Peter Essam. He initially came to Kingswood as Head of Geology in 1976 and he became Head of Geography in 1987. As such he was responsible for creating the current Geography area in the Ferens in 1994. One of his particular focuses was the importance of fieldwork and over the years he led many to Isle of Arran, the Isle of Purbeck, and various places in mid and North Wales. Everyone had a really great time and I suspect only a very censored version of events ever reached the ears of the headmaster! Like all good teachers, his role extended beyond his subject and over the years he has contributed hugely to rugby, hockey, cricket and Ten Tors as well as most notably to athletics. They say that to run races you must have good legs but to win races you must have a good heart.

Mr Essam is very much a good-hearted family man and this has underpinned his genuine interest in successive generations of pupils at the school. He was an assistant housemaster with Middle House for many years but he has also been involved in both Westwood and the Dixon. We wish him every happiness in his retirement. In his stead Mrs Debbie Jenner becomes our new Head of Geography – a role she abandoned fifteen years ago in order to be a Senior Housemistress. We are delighted to have someone of her calibre and experience. The new person to the department is Mrs Alex Matthews. She was educated at Taunton School and played hockey to County standard there. She did her Geography degree at Durham University and her PGCE in Cambridge. She has taught at King Edward VI School in Chelmsford, QEH in Bristol, and King Edward's Bath.

We already know she is a brilliant addition to the staff because she arrived a term early so that Mrs Jenner could have a sabbatical last summer term.

An exact contemporary of Mr Essam also retiring is Dr Phil Dossor, who joined us as a Chemistry teacher in 1976 from another Methodist school, Ashville. From 1983 to 2000 he was a very enthusiastic Head of

The New Staff Left to right, front row: Mrs Fountain, Mrs Murchison, Mrs Brennan and Miss Conway Back row: Miss Appleyard, Mrs Gibson, Mr Hughes, Mr Forrester and Mr Prior

Chemistry who not only engendered a very positive team spirit within the department but encouraged a strong emphasis on the importance of practical work. It is fitting that one of his legacies will be the way he redesigned the chemistry labs here. He was also an assistant housemaster in Upper, School, Westwood and Middle House and in 1990 he became our Higher Education Adviser. Since then over 1,500 Sixth Formers have passed through Dr Dossor's hands on the way to the course of their choice. Giving people advice about their university choices has been compared to teaching a child to ride a bike. You have to know when to support and when to let the individual go his or her own way.

Dr Dossor has encouraged or dissuaded, cajoled or commanded as he has guided Sixth Formers to make some of the most important choices they will ever make in shaping their future lives. We are also very grateful for his immense contribution to so many aspects of school life, ranging from his contribution to the school's academic development to his participation in activities, notably for many years in tennis. To replace him within Chemistry we have appointed Miss Alison Conway.

She was educated at King's School, Winchester. She obtained a BSc (joint honours) in Chemistry and Law and a PGCE, both from the University of Bristol. She has taught very successfully at Badminton School and Nailsea School. Whilst at Nailsea she was the link teacher with two teams which undertook World Challenge Expeditions to Peru and Mongolia.

History teacher. She was educated at Doncaster High School for Girls, she undertook a BSocSc in History with Economics at the University of Birmingham and a PGCE at the University of Oxford.

Mrs Bland's departure created a vacancy in both the Maths and Religious Studies Departments. Both those departments were also affected by other departures: the retirement of our part-time Maths teacher Mrs Gill Choulerton and the promotion of Mr Sam Cooke to be Head of RS and Assistant Chaplain at Cranleigh School. Mr Cooke only joined us two years ago fresh from having taken his degree in Theology at Wycliffe Hall, which is part of Oxford University. It says much for the huge contribution he has made to not only R.S. but also Westwood and a wide range of activities that he has won such rapid promotion. His Christian witness has been a particularly strong feature of his time here. As a consequence of the above and the requirement for some additional staffing, four appointments have been made.

Two part-time teachers join our Maths department. They are Mrs Rebecca Murchison and Mrs Maria Brennan.

Mrs Murchison was educated at St Catherine's Bramley, Guildford and Wellington College. She took a BA in Education (in PE and Maths) at St Luke's School of Education, University of Exeter. She joins us from Seedling’s School, Plymouth.

Previously she taught maths and was assistant to the Director of Sport at Taunton Prep School, and teacher of maths and girls' games at Port Regis School. Mrs Maria Brennan was educated at Yorkshire Martyrs’ Collegiate School, Bradford, West Yorkshire and undertook a BEd at La Sante-Union College in Southampton. She has taught at Pates Grammar School, Cheltenham, St Gregory's Primary School, Cheltenham and has worked as a supply teacher.

"...seven of those leaving us had collectively served the school for 189 years!"

The role of Higher Education Adviser has been subsumed into a new management position and therefore we have appointed Mr Craig Woodgate, who has been at Kingswood since 2001, as our first 'Head of Sixth Form'. Ably supported by Mrs Dawson, the Deputy Head (Academic) and Mr Burgon, who is the member of staff in charge of the Dixon Sixth Form Centre, Mr Woodgate is already making his mark in shaping the academic thinking of the Sixth Form as they focus on their studies and their higher education options. In order to take on this demanding new role Mr Woodgate has ceased being a Head of Department but I am delighted that Mr Peter MacDonald, who has been at Kingswood since 2003 and who is Head of General Studies, is taking on the role of Head of History and Politics. I have no doubt he will build on the success of Mr Woodgate. In addition, many of you will remember Mrs Valerie Gibson who returns to Kingswood as a part-time

We have been fortunate to appoint Mr lan Prior as a new full-time teacher of RE. Mr Prior is an ordained minister and was educated at Steward's School, Harlow. He obtained a BA (Hons) in Religious Studies from the University of Lancaster, a PGCE at University of London and an MTh from the University of Aberdeen. Mr Prior has taught RS at the Royal Grammar School, Worcester, St Benedict's, Warwickshire, King Edward's VI Fiveways, Birmingham, where he was Head of RS and Philosophy, Portsmouth Grammar and Robert Gordon College Aberdeen.

Kingswood in Focus 5

In addition we are delighted to be joined by Mrs Samantha Fountain as teacher of History, RS, Geography, Classical Civilisation and PSHE. She was educated at Ricards Lodge School and obtained a BA in History from the University of Durham, a PGCE from University of London and an MA in Educational Management from the University of Bath. She has previously taught at King Edward's School in Bath, St Mary's School, Calne, Munich International School and Howard Effingham School, Surrey.

We were all delighted when she had her twins but sad that the demands of motherhood meant that she had to give up her full-time career here.

We have been fortunate to have the talents of Miss Kelly Vigliucci to cover our Spanish teaching until we can make a permanent replacement for Mrs Leach. She was educated at Colston's Girls' School and did her degree in French and Spanish at Southampton University. Before joining us she taught in Ecuador and at schools in Southampton and Bristol.

"A warm welcome to all our new staff."

Last academic year also saw the departure of Mrs Esther Leach who joined KS in 2005 and became the teacher in charge of Spanish. Her impressive array of teaching styles and her excellent, imaginative use of ICT, her genuine interest in her pupils, and her sheer enthusiasm meant that the introduction of Spanish at Kingswood continued to flourish.

In addition to the above we said goodbye to Mrs Mary Jane Evans our outstanding Artist-in-Residence over the past two years and welcomed Miss Kimberley Appleyard as our new Artist in Residence. We are delighted that our Musician-in-Residence, Mr Jamie Knight, is staying with us for another year. We are also pleased that Mr Valerian Bayo has joined us as a French Assistant for the year.

Goodbyes & Hellos at KPS Miss Jessica Rexe has replaced Miss Glenday as one of our two Year 3 teachers. Miss Rexe hails from Canada but has worked as a teacher in this country since 2002.

She attended the University of Guelph in Ontario obtaining her B.ASc (Bachelor of Applied Science).

Then she moved to the University of Ottawa where she trained as a teacher and gained her B.Ed. On moving to England in 2002 she worked as a supply teacher in London, and then as a classroom teacher at Godolphin Junior School in Slough, where she had responsibility for a Year 4 and a Year 5 class. More supply work followed in London before she undertook maternity cover and boarding responsibilities at Rose Hill Prep School in Wotton Under Edge. At Rose Hill Jessica was at different times the form teacher of a Year 4 and a Year 3 class.

Since the end of her contract there she has worked at our senior school as the resident House Assistant in Westwood where her work was highly appreciated.

Miss Sophie Glenday left KPS in July 2007 to get married and to take up her new position at All Hallows School in September. Sophie has done sterling work as a form teacher initially in Reception and latterly in Year 3.

Kind and approachable, she has been a good friend to many, and she will be much missed. We wish her every success in her new job and a happy and fulfilling marriage. She won’t be far away and of course as All Hallows are regular opponents of ours in Sports Fixtures, so we shall hope to see her from time to time. Her final swansong at the school was the organisation of the enjoyable End of Year Talent Show: a fitting tribute. Thank you Sophie for the last four years and every blessing to you in the years to come.

Mr James Kellock left us as well to continue his hockey coaching at Bath University, his sporting club and to take up a new role as hockey coach at the RHS, in preparation for the arrival of boys in the 6th form of that school in a year from now. James, one of the best sportsman Kingswood has produced in recent vintage, has done very well with his coaching at the school. He has also supported various residential trips in his time with us. Another who has made a good contribution. All the best for your forthcoming marriage and the future James and thanks for what you have done for KPS these last two years.

6 Kingswood in Focus

As Miss Elliott’s replacement for next year we have chosen Miss Marie Towers. Miss Towers is from New Zealand where she was educated at Sacred Heart College, Wanganui, and then via a scholarship to Massey University. At Massey she obtained her B.Ed degree and followed that up with her Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching. She and her partner have been working in the UK since 2005. Marie has taught in two junior schools in Essex: firstly Holt Farm School in Rochford and also Great Wakering School where she worked as a class teacher to a mixed Year 5/6 class.

Miss Sarah Gaskin has been appointed as a Year 1 teacher. She was educated at The Robert Smyth School in Market Harborough, the University of Durham where she obtained her BSc and she gained her PGCE in July 2005 at York St John University. Since August of that same year she has taught as a Year 1 teacher at Ridgeway primary School in Market Harborough.

Joining us for the year as maternity cover for Mrs Gilmore is Mrs Helen Stanfield a very experienced teacher who in addition to her Cert. Ed (from the Margaret McMillan College of Education) gained a BSc from the Open University. Helen has lived abroad for much of her married life due to her husband’s work in the oil industry. She has taught in a number of Primary and Prep Schools over the years including three years at Walthamstow Hall Junior School where she was the Maths Co-ordinator in addition to her role as Form Teacher. Recently since returning to live in Bath Mrs Stanfield has also provided Maternity Cover at King Edward’s Junior School and at the Royal High Junior School.

Over Sixty Years of Service at KS We said goodbye to some very long-serving staff at the end of the summer term among the non-teaching staff, including three matrons, Mrs Eileen Singleton, Mrs Sue Fumell and Mrs Sylvia Gay, who between them have served the school for seventy-five years. Two staff in particular will be especially missed by the pupils. One is our assistant secretary, Mrs Morag Lemmy who joined Kingswood back in 1985. She has undertaken many different roles from helping with audio-visual resources to keeping school registers and from organising parent evenings to dealing with the phone and the post. But her particular interest has become assisting with the organisation of our Model United Nations. In that capacity she has become very well known to many pupils, especially in the sixth-form. I am pleased to say that, although she is retiring, she has agreed to continue her work with MUN. As I said to her at the end of term, MUN does not only stand for Model United Nations because M is the way she Makes things happen, U is the Unassuming approach she always adopts and N is how she is always so Nice to everyone.

The other and even longer serving member of staff is Sister Sue Smith, who first came to Kingswood in 1964 and who has been running the Medical

Centre or (as it used to be called) "the San" since 1972. Over the 36 years Sister Smith has seen and dealt with more pupils than any other person at the school. And I suspect she knows more about most of us than anyone else - not that she would ever divulge what she knows. Her integrity and professionalism has been combined with a personal warmth and compassion that few could match. The rationale for sanatoriums was in part that they were places where people went not only for medical help but for rest and a bit of peace, a place set apart from the hurly-burly of life, a place where people could regroup as it were and get themselves ready to face the world again. That's not a bad description of the service Sister Smith has offered Kingswood. She has always offered in addition to medical treatment plenty of tender loving care and we have all come to rely so much on her judgement. The school doctor commented to me on one occasion that he had never met any nurse so able to get it right in terms of assessing a situation and what medical assistance was required. Many of us would like to end our working career feeling both that we have had a good time and that we have left the world a little better than we found it. I know Sister Smith has had a good time for 43 years at Kingswood but I also know she has made the lives of many boys and girls far better and happier because of her presence.

Everyone is delighted that she is handing over control of the Medical Centre to one of her assistants, Mrs Helen Skinner,, who has been a nurse with us since 2002 and is highly experienced, having worked in the Childrens' Unit at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, the Bristol Royal Infirmary, and Bristol Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Mrs Morag Lemmy pictured with Headmaster's Secretary, Mrs Sally Johnston

Sue Smith

Change & Continuity at Westwood It was with particular sadness that we said our goodbyes to the versatile Mrs Nikki Bland. Having been a Maths Co-ordinator in her first school and a Religious Studies Co-ordinator in her second, in 1985 she became Head of Drama and a Special Needs/PSHE teacher at Priors Court, which was then Kingswood’s prep school in Newbury. In 1998 she and her husband John decided to transfer to Kingswood and to take on the challenge of creating Westwood as we know it today. The scale of the task was enormous – it meant literally helping redesign and expand buildings, drawing up an entirely new set of rules for Kingswood’s first co-educational house, and heading a team of fourteen staff so they could create the best possible environment for 160 pupils, including around 30 as boarders. To this task she brought her immense talents with unassuming modesty and she was, of course, very ably assisted by her husband. Her intelligence, pragmatism, and firm but fair approach, combined with her wonderful good humour and sense of fun, have ensured that Westwood has been a very happy and successful house. Mrs Bland has been a Licensed Anglican Reader since 1996 and she has long considered undertaking some kind of chaplaincy role, so we understand why she has taken the opportunity to become a Lay Chaplain at Kimbolton School.

We wish her and her husband every happiness there.

In Westwood Mr Phil Hollywell has taken over as the new Senior Housemaster. He has worked very closely with Mrs Bland since the house’s creation in 1998 and so is ideally placed to ensure Westwood continues to flourish. Already he is making improvements to the house, working with the new Housemistress of Westwood, Mrs Juliette Mainwaring, who has been an excellent teacher in the English Department and tutor in Westwood since she came to Kingswood in 2003. Mr Sim’s successor as the assistant housemaster also living in Westwood is Mr Darrell Harding,

our Head of Drama since 2002. We are very fortunate to have such an experienced and dedicated group of very caring teachers all resident in Westwood. In addition Mrs Ceri Hollywell takes on the important role of Resident Assistant because Miss Jessica Rexe has moved from Westwood to undertake a teaching post at KPS. I would like to say a thank you on behalf of Westwood for all the work that Miss Rexe did last year as a Resident Assistant. She made a great difference to the house and showed a huge interest in the well-being of all the boys and girls in it, not just the boarders. I know that Mrs Hollywell will be equally dedicated.

The New Team Kingswood in Focus 7

Sixth Form News

A New Leader The Sixth Form is a special time in the life of any pupil.

Mr Craig Woodgate

There is a sense of having reached the top of the tree, with all that brings in terms of achievement and the acceptance of new responsibilities. There is academic fulfilment, as at last students can specialise in those subjects where they have the greatest aptitude and interest, whilst at the same time exploring new intellectual horizons through discussion and independent learning. Extra-curricular enrichment is at its greatest, with new opportunities existing alongside the development of old interests. And of course there is the excitement of looking forward to the next stage, of preparing for the academic and personal challenges of Higher Education and the adult world. Not for nothing do many look back at their time in the Sixth Form with particular fondness, and the Kingswood Sixth Form is no exception; we have a fine tradition of allowing our students to achieve their full potential across the full range of personal, academic and extra-curricular experience.

I feel immensely fortunate to be taking on the role of Head of Sixth Form at Kingswood, not least because I am taking on an area of the School which is already in great shape. Academically our Sixth Formers are performing better and better in public examinations, and the opportunities for intellectual development and stimulation continue to grow. General Studies provides a fine programme of outside speakers and workshops to open up minds to the world beyond the examination specification, and this now exists alongside Critical Thinking, the work of the English and History societies, the Sixth Form led newspaper “The Wyvern”, the Model United Nations programme…. the list goes on. We look to our Sixth Form to exercise leadership within the community, and those who take on prefect roles invariably impress with their sense of dedication and loyalty to the ethos of the School. One only has to read elsewhere in this magazine to see how our sixth formers continue to make this School a beacon for extracurricular excellence in the fields of sport, drama and music. The Kingswood Sixth Form is a vibrant place, and I’m looking forward to making my contribution to its success.

So what are the challenges that lie ahead? One of my key priorities is advising students on the UCAS process, enabling them to secure places at the universities of their choice. Working alongside the Houses and the Head of Careers, I hope that we can continue to offer a first-class service to every individual sixth former as they 8 Kingswood in Focus

move towards the next stage of their lives. A second challenge has to be working to maintain the atmosphere of support and mutual respect that permeates the Sixth Form Centre, a challenge which will be made immeasurably easier by the support of students and the advice of Mr Burgon, whose experience in the ways of the Dixon is immense.

Thirdly we need to look at our facilities, working with students to make the outstanding resource that is the Dixon fit for the needs of the next generation of students.

At the beginning of the autumn term I gave my first speech as Head of Sixth Form to the incoming Lower Sixth. I thought long and hard about what to say, how to advise this new group of students of what to make of the Sixth Form. Eventually I distilled my essential message down to two words: Get Involved.

There are so many opportunities at Kingswood for students to develop and take on new challenges, but time is short and it is easy for chances to pass by. I hope that in the coming years we can ensure that all sixth formers continue to make the most of what this school is able to offer. Long may the Leavers’ Ball be infused with a sense of opportunities taken, friendships forged, potential realised and memories made.

Mr Craig Woodgate (Head of Sixth Form)

Prefects' Training Day Looking the part in their black, open-collar suits, a team of RAF personnel gave the Lower Sixth a unique day-long training session.

On 28th and 29th June they provided leadership and ‘followership’ guidance, usually only received by those in the armed forces, to both halves of the year group respectively. The default attitude of apathy and cynicism usually found in post-exam 17-year olds stood little chance against the skill and no-nonsense energy of the instructors. It must be admitted that the news of a ‘leadership training day’ conjured images of parachute games and the urge to find a suitable way out of the activity.

However, the tasks of building a Trebuchet, a bridge out of newspaper; fitting 15 people through a tyre (as fast as possible); and designing a mechanism to transport an egg safely via a set of balloons, all proved oddly gripping. Having given it some thought, I think I have worked out why.

At first we were innocently split into teams, looking back I see that we were all skillfully manipulated into a highly competitive state.

The maxim: DO, REVIEW, APPLY was hammered at us as we attempted the first task – to fit 15 people through a tyre faster than the other team.

There was no pandering to the lazy or bored, and this suited us all, as well as ensuring that there were soon none that could be so described.

So started the process which was followed in every task. First it is tried, second the attempt is critically reviewed in terms of how we could have worked better as a team, and finally the task is then attempted again with the critique in mind. This system quickly helped us develop into a more effective team. The surprising thing was, and the instructors were the first to point this out, that we were already well aware of all the skills, techniques and qualities required. We needed only to be shown that which we already knew, and to be pushed into using all of these qualities effectively.

difficult greatly helped with the enjoyment of the day. They were demanding in terms of planning, execution and working as a team, and the noticeable improvement of each team within almost the first half an hour resulted in a feeling of satisfaction not often gleaned from artificial tasks.

Therefore this article shall be finished on a triumphal note. The team ‘Prosthetic Limbs’ (my own) clearly came out on top in many tasks.

We were able to pass ten juggling balls round a circle in complicated patterns without dropping one in a hundred throws, built a working trebuchet out of oversized mechano and tie a reef knot. Therefore we earned our certificates, as did, I hasten to add, everyone else, too.

Our thanks go to Mr Quinn, father of OB Alex Quinn, and his team for two excellent days, and to Mr Lloyd for organising this great opportunity before we entered our final year at Kingswood.

Nick Burns (Deputy Head Boy)

"That the tasks were interesting, inventive and most of all difficult, greatly helped with the enjoyment of the day."

That the tasks were interesting, inventive and most of all

Kingswood in Focus 9

Chapel and the Community

After the Summer It has been an odd summer, weather wise.

As I sit down to write in September, we are running through a period in which the forecasters are stuck for something different to say, high pressure, no wind, sunny days. Yet, not so many weeks ago, the world outside looked as if it were working through the planet’s shopping list of how to bite back. The ‘bite’ was severe, with no shortage of the worst kind of pain. It was elemental – water in the UK, China, Bangladesh and the mid USA: wind in the Caribbean: fire in Greece and the movement of the earth in Peru. We discovered, yet again, just how little we are: how frail we can look when our legs won’t go round fast enough to keep us ahead of the deluge.

With the exception of fire starters in Greece, these life threatening events seemed to come from nowhere. At home the so-called ‘once-in-a-hundred-year’ floods picked 2007 and frightened us so much that they were quickly re-defined as potentially ‘once-in-every-ten-year’ floods. What sparks such pessimism and, occasionally, despair, is that when we look at the devastation around us, we simply do not have the answers and solutions. This causes us to become fretful. Of course, being humans, it doesn’t stop the media at home seeking out every ‘who’s to blame?’ angle it could muster but, as experts were allowed to tell, when it rains that hard, somebody is going to get wet – and so will their house and their possessions.

As grim as it has been, there will be some who will simply put these events behind them. That, they will conclude, is the best that they can do. Answers that satisfy from politicians and maybe even God, are not going to be forthcoming. The ‘chalking up’ to experience without the desire to metaphorically beat either ourselves or anyone else up is very often the only route to closure and peace. ‘The flood is come, the flood is gone, let’s get on with our lives until the next flood,’ is a normal coping strategy.

When nature behaves uncharacteristically, it can hurt. When our loved ones do the same, it can hurt even more. Once in that blue moon our children start to ad-lib their lives a long way from the script that they have grown up with and which is rehearsed in their school. ‘Where did we go wrong?’ is a tempting question, but probably not the most pressing or effective one.

Accepting the freedom of human beings, especially young ones, to make mistakes is much like accepting a natural world that is able to bite us when we least expect it. We pick up whatever lessons we can, we make the corrections that fit and then put these things behind us. Prolonged recriminations, soul searching and breast beating are not as healthy as letting tomorrow take care of itself.

"Prolonged recriminations, soul searching and breast beating are not as healthy as letting tomorrow take care of itself."

Yes, logistically, there could have been more bowsers to use; historically, fewer houses could have been built on flood plains, utility services could have been better sited but, when nature is let loose like that, sometimes all we can do is stand on a bit of high ground, watch its power and store the images as tales for our grandchildren.

Of course, as the waters receded and people looked at death tolls from drowning in Asia, their sense of perspective did start to come back into shape. The potential for restoration was talked about and, so it seemed to me, some of our more senior citizens, with the gifts of déjà vu and living through a war, led the comments like ‘it’ll all get fixed in time’.

The new term and academic year always feels like a fresh start.

The buildings have been fixed and upgraded; the teaching staff have had some body and soul make-over time. The students, many of them returning in celebratory mood, are up-beat and eager to dance in House Music. When I ask them ‘what is the best bit of the new term?’ they say ‘being back with our friends’. With that as their first response, I can feel OK about the tomorrows, even the ones that may ‘bite’.

Rev. Mike Wilkinson (Deputy Head (Pastoral) & Chaplain)

Visitors from Bethlehem Late in the summer term we were approached by Nina Bevan, founder of the Charity ‘Bethlehem Link’, to see if we could help avert a minor crisis. Nina had booked a trip for a number of Palestinian children to visit the UK, but one of her hosting schools had pulled out at late notice. Was it possible for 16 children and 3 staff to be accommodated at Kingswood or at the homes of Kingswood pupils? With enormous help from Westwood Staff, Nikki Bland in particular, our visitors stayed in Westwood or the Chaplain’s house on their first of two nights in the school. The second of these, originally scheduled as a benefit concert in the Guildhall in Bath, saw up to 80 people descend upon Westwood as the impromptu alternative venue for a very successful fund-raiser. There was music and dance, food and drink aplenty for all who came. The highlight of the evening

Children from the ‘Saplings’ Cultural Centre in Bethlehem

was the performance of the traditional dabkha dance by the children from the ‘Saplings’ Cultural Centre in Bethlehem.

The following two days saw external cultural visits to Bath and beyond and the placement of children with Kingswood families. The favourite day for all came when junior boarders, pupil hosts and visitors boarded a coach to London for tourist engagement with the London Eye, Parliament Square, The Mall and Trafalgar Square. Our visitors stayed on in London as their trip progressed to a new venue, more dancing and still greater promotion of the idea that children from very different backgrounds have much to share.

Wheely Different Kingswood has always had a few hard core cyclists – you need a slightly masochistic gene in order to ride up Lansdown Road – but has not, in recent years, promoted cycling as a group activity. It took a grainy black and white film from 1962, found in the archive and transferred to DVD, to re-ignite the notion that boarders and anyone else for that matter, might benefit from a few pedal revolutions. The film unearthed the once flourishing club known as the ‘Kingswood Wheelers’, a group of boys who made regular and sometimes lengthy excursions into the local countryside. Their lightweight frames and devotion to polished chrome were very much in evidence in an era when the UK was producing cyclists of world standing like Tommy Simpson.

Resident mechanic and a group of Lower Sixth girls making ready for a Thursday afternoon voyage of discovery on the Upper playing fields.

Today’s aspirations are not going to match those of our forebears, but ten good standard mountain bikes and opportunities to ride them as weekend activities or during games sessions on a Thursday afternoon may just inspire one or two towards a steed of their own. In addition – a school that makes all this eco noise ought to have a place for a few green machines.

Soup and Roll It was evening time and the new Chaplain designate was about to stay overnight with The Revd Henry Keys (Chaplain 1983 - 1991). Entry to the house via the kitchen took everyone past Henry’s pot. Henry always had a pot on the stove, and his soup, so I was later told, was the stuff of legend. So connected was my predecessor to the regular intake of soup that it seems safe to assume that one of the school’s institutions owes its birth to Henry’s era.

It is likely that students have been signing up for Soup & Roll for more than twenty years – I can vouch for fifteen of them myself.

These students have caught the notion that a little self denial is no bad thing – a statement that occasional ‘going without’ assists others to ‘go with’. The mechanism is simple – students sign up to miss their main meal on one day of the week. Together, (108 of us at present), we eat a cup of soup and a roll in the Creed Room. The ‘canny’ hang around to polish off any surplus morsels at the end of the meal. The money deal is that the caterers donate about 45p for every participant to the Soup & Roll Fund and the Chaplain disburses this money to those charities which are more literally on the bread line.

In the course of the year around £1500 is sent overseas in support of organisations which, generally speaking, are connected to the nurture of children. We are talking mostly about basic sustenance in orphanages and charity schools.

Occasionally, world events will prompt a change of pattern and the Tsunami of 2004 brought a request from the students to empty the fund for the sake of emergency relief.

A sum of £1100 was sent via the Methodist Relief and Development Fund.

As of old, some of those who attend may sustain themselves until tea and cake at 4.20pm through vending machine operations or crisps and fruit from home. Others will just carry the hunger pangs until supper. Whatever the discomfort, it has not brought an end to the practice and even if we seem to offer tomato soup seven times out of ten, the faithful keep coming back.

Kingswood in Focus 11

Academic Achievements

Prizegiving 2007 “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” So proclaimed the American president, Theodore Roosevelt, over one hundred years ago, and these words still ring true.

Nevertheless, it is also appropriate to have exceptional efforts and high academic standards recognised formally by the School community and we always look forward to our annual prize giving ceremonies on the penultimate day of the Summer term.

As the whole school gathers once more after examination leave and rehearsals for our Commemoration service, it is a pleasure to be entertained by some excellent musical and dramatic performances, and applaud those whose names are read out as commendation of their academic efforts and achievements, together with those who are singled out to receive prizes. Kingswood pays tribute to the outstanding effort made by those who do not always find academic work easy as well as to those who have reached exceptional standards.

In the Westwood Prizes 31 prizes for attainment and 31 prizes for effort were awarded. Particular congratulations on attainment go to Tamsin Ireland in Year 7 who won prizes in six subjects (Maths, Science, RS, History, Geography and Music) and, in Year 8, Timothy Woodhead who won them in four subjects (Science, French, German and Geography) and Olivia Dellow who won them in two (RS and DT), alongside two effort prizes (ICT and Girls Games). Equally to be congratulated are Gabriel Penn in Year 7 who won five effort prizes (Maths, Science, Drama, RS and History) as well as two attainment prizes (German and ICT) and, in Year 8, Charles Price who won six effort prizes (Maths, Science, Drama, History, Geography and Music). The Chaplain’s Award for Charity went to Kimberley Chivers and the much sought-after Heart of Westwood to Natasha Brand and Sam Harman.

In Years 9 to 11 we awarded 47 prizes for attainment and 42 for effort.

Again, particular congratulations go to Katherine Olley in Year 9 12 Kingswood in Focus

who won six attainment prizes (Biology, History, Music, English, German and Latin) and to the ten students in Years 10 and 11 who achieved two or more prizes. The new Friends of Kingswood Prize for Education for Sustainable Development was given to Jasmine Ahn, James Dabell and Laura Stockley, while the Friends of Kingswood Silver Salver went to Eleanor Batterham and Harry Russell. At Sixth Form level 26 attainment and 24 effort prizes were awarded. Particular congratulations go to the two Sixth Formers who managed, despite very tough competition, to win a remarkable three A level prizes: David Dowling (Latin, RS and German) and Milan Terlunen (Latin, English and Critical Thinking), as well as to those eight who won two: Jasmine Ahn, James Bruce, Kim Cran, Dipo Faloyin, Emma Philp, Tom Pritchard, Emily Rawlins and Alice Wang. Frances Butcher won the President’s Prize for contribution to Science, Euan Bassett the E.P. Thompson History Award for Passionate and Independent study, and Caspar Eliot the Juba Prize for Endeavour. The extra-curricular side of school life was also recognised with Georgia Sawyer winning the Sulivan Drama Prize, Jake Warren the Golden Mask, Tom Pritchard the Jean Pratten Music Prize, Cara Prettejohn the Grove Shield, and Amon Warmann the Richard Neal Memorial Prize.

As usual the ceremony ended with thanking all those students who have contributed to the running of the school with particular recognition being given to our Head Boy, Dipo Faloyin, and Head Girl, Georgia Sawyer, both of whom have been outstanding ambassadors for the school.

The full list of all the prize-winners has been published in the School Newsletter. Very well done to them all!

Sarah Dawson (Deputy Head Academic)

Best Ever Examination Results The exam results this summer were the best in the school’s history.

At GCSE there was a 100% pass rate with over 97% A* to C Grades (i.e. the grades recognised for university purposes), 86% A* to B Grades and 60% A* or A Grades. 29% of the passes were A*.

We had 49 students with more than 5 A grades and 32 of these had between 9 and 12 A grades.

Particular congratulations go to Aimee Wang who had 12 A grades with 10 at A*, to Laura Stockley and Marianne Teoh who had 11 A* grades, to Anneliese West who had 11 A grades with 7 at A*, to Rebecca Bottle and James Dabell who had 10 A* grades, to Eleanor Batterham and Helen Olley who had 10 A grades with 9 at A* grades, to Hannah Kraus and Sam Parsons who had 10 A grades with 8 at A*, and to Amelia Tuckett who had 10 A grades with 7 at A*. We can also specially congratulate two of those who have joined us from other schools for the sixth-form: Romily McNulty who has 10 A* grades and Sophie Rowlands who has 11 A grades with 4 at A*.

At AS level 97% of our students obtained A to E Grades, 82% had A to C Grades, over 60% had A and B Grades and 39% A grades. Most Sixth Formers tackle four A/S levels but we had seven students who tackled five and obtained 5 Grade As: Rachel Bell, Antonia Bevan, Nick Burns, Grace Carrington, Georgia Clark, Ross Evans and Camille Wratten. Twenty one students obtained 3 or 4 Grade As: Megan Adams, Jessica Blong, Natasha Bloor, Jeff Carpenter, Freddie Dean, Dan Feeny, Sophie Hadfield, Hannah James, Sarah McMeekin, Marc Morgan, Alex Olley, Michael Riley, Travis Riley, Isabelle Shayegan, Hannah Short, Alice Sumner Melton, Philip Wang, Alice Wang, Isabella Watson, Florence Wratten and Victoria Yates.

At A2 level 100% of our students obtained A to E Grades. 91% with A to C Grades, over 73% with A and B Grades and over 43% with A Grades. This was one of the best results of any of the boarding schools in the South West. The top achievers in the year were Milan Terlunen with 5 Grade As and Will Clark and Kim Cran with 4 Grade As. The following students had 3 Grade As within their results: Jasmine Ahn, Frances Butcher, David Dowling, Caspar Eliot, Michael French, Jenny Gibson, Richard Hall, James House, Aaron Leech, Harriet Morrell, Emily Rawlins, Georgia Sawyer, Edward Socha, Jade Tan and Bryan Yan. In addition to these nineteen, eleven other students had 2As and a B as their result.

In praising so many who have achieved the highest results, I also need to praise those less academic pupils who really did extremely well by dint of their efforts, in many instances their achievement is just as great. I also would like to record my appreciation to all the staff who encouraged our boys and girls to do so well.

Mr Gary Best (Headmaster & Principal of the Kingswood Foundation)

Kingswood in Focus 13

Performing Arts

Twelfth Night / Much Ado About Nothing “The sun was out (sporadically) The sky was blue (if you looked carefully) Westwood - ‘Twelfth Night’ (in the Theatre – no problem) An open - air ‘Much ado’ (Oh dear!)

But it was raining Raining in my heart…” …and at the Prep School on Summerhill Lawn and just about everywhere else in the UK for the majority of the summer. In principle it seemed a good idea to produce another open-air production as ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in 2005 had been hugely successful despite being a bit on the cold side. I wrote in KIF that year about how pleased I was with the show and how I intended to make the open-air production a biannual event. The cast was assembled just before the Easter holidays, the venue chosen even before that, we just had to hope for good weather.

As with 2005 the cast went and saw a professional production (this time at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol Stratford upon rather than the RSC in inspiring.

Avon) which proved to be As seems to be the norm these days, April was glorious and the initial rehearsals were progressing nicely. Oscar Batterham as Benedick, proved to everyone why he is a Drama Scholar and had been cast in one of the lead roles with his mature approach to the rehearsal process.

He knew his lines and even more impressively understood all of Shakespeare’s words which enabled him to really develop his character appropriately. Hester Welch, as the witty Beatrice, also clearly put a lot of time and effort into understanding every line that she was to speak.

The first rehearsal at the venue was on a Sunday and we made excellent progress. The venue seemed idyllic and it did not take the cast long to get used to setting off early enough from below the balustrade to arrive in the performance area in perfect time to deliver a line.

As the performance dates approached the weather started to turn, not to a light inconvenient drizzle but to heavy rain accompanied by strong wind and the occasional thunder and lightening storm. However, 14 Kingswood in Focus

being the eternal optimist I decided to wait right until the last possible moment before switching venues to indoors. Somewhat inevitably the decision to move into the Kingswood Theatre took place on Monday 2nd July – the opening night. The students adapted magnificently and as with all great performances they proved that they were never reliant on the set/venue but were good enough actors to keep the audience entertained wherever they performed. A projection of the original outdoor venue was on display throughout the whole show just to remind those who were watching what might have been. However, judging by the audience reaction the venue was not a problem. The cast, to a person, performed excellently. Who can forget the comic roles of Dogberry and Verges played superbly by Charlie O’Connor (“1-3-5-7-9-600!”) and Georgia Stone ably supported by the Watch: Sam Chivers, Katy Proctor and Katie Phillips. The evil Don John (Nick Grant) with his equally evil sidekicks Boracchio and Conrade played by Jack Widdowson and Sam Elliot provided us with lots of laughs. The older man: Alex Bevan, Kingston Wilkins, Elliot Haines and Jamie Rakoczi as Leonato, Antonio, the Sexton and Friar Francis and maids Margaret (Alice Basson) and Ursula (Hannah Bishay) all contributed magnificently to the piece. The hours spent turning the two Alexs (Grieg and Clark) from 21st century teenagers into 1930’s soldiers paid off; at times I even believed that Claudio (Alex Clark’s role) did really love Hero (performed with great aplomb by Thea Lavis). However, a special mention must go once again to Oscar and Hester. Many actors aspire to play the roles of Benedick and Beatrice – they are great fun. Inevitably the actors cast in these roles will be compared to Emma Thompson and Kenneth Brannagh. I really do believe that our two lead actors belied their years (they were 14 and 15 respectively) and performed magnificently. They made us laugh and also moved us to tears of sympathy. We forgot we were watching Kingswood students.

They are two very talented students about whom I am sure we shall read about in future editions of KIF. As with all of our productions ‘Much ado about nothing’ was a huge team effort. Celia Batterham and Tanya Hardman in particular spent many hours sourcing the costumes and then collecting and altering them. A bottle of wine from the director never seems enough of a token of gratitude, as everyone knows without this help the show would simply not be as good. Thank you, ladies.

You can see from the photographs on this page what it would have looked like outdoors but if you were lucky enough to see the production I really do believe that it was up there with some of the best shows that the school has produced. Open-air in 2009?? We’ll see. Over to you Ms Keen…

Aguecheek and Toby Belch. They were ably supported by Philippa Wilson as Maria, Emma Davey as Fabian and Myfanwy Hollywell as Feste the Clown. The grumpy and arrogant Malvolio was tackled superbly by Ryan Wallis – who spent most of the second half cooped up in a box and never complained once (at least not to me!) Other speaking roles were taken

by Sam Harman, Alex Hardman, Solomon Pullan, Bertie Bannerman, Harry Chivers, Alex Wynne Hughes and Zach Scoging (who, having emptied half a beach out of his shoes each night is still finding sand in his socks!) Essential non speaking roles (possibly harder to do well) were played by Natasha Chapman, Chelsea Morgan, Hannah Lemoine, Gabriel Penn, Henry Darch, Nick Phillips and Keaton Reynolds-Cotterill. On the last night one member of our Junior Acting Class – Lucy Russell-Bates – displayed true ‘Drama at Kingswood’ spirit by stepping into one of these silent roles with as much enthusiasm as if I had offered her the lead!

Every one of these young pupils did themselves, and me, very proud.

Mr Harding and I have a feeling that our GCSE and A Levels results will remain high in the years to come and that the reputation of drama at Kingswood is in very safe hands.

All the world may be a stage but a large proportion of society would rather it wasn’t populated by ‘act- tors’ quoting Shakespeare – particularly if the thespians in question are only 12! It was no mean feat then to take on the challenge of a Westwood production of Twelfth Night to go alongside the Years 9 and 10 version of Much Ado About Nothing.

The Drama department was also very pleased to announce that over £200 was raised from bar profits from both productions, which we were able to donate towards various charities in Malawi.

The auditions gave me some idea of the wealth of talent and ability available to me in the lower years – I honestly could have cast the play three times over. However, difficult decisions had to be made and after much deliberation the cast list of 24 pupils from Years 7 and 8 went up.

By Darrell Harding & Kate Keen (The Drama Department)

Rehearsals began well – with over half the cast ‘off script’ very early on.

The other half soon caught up and the play quickly came together. I enjoyed this time immensely as, almost without exception, the cast were reliable and enthusiastic from start to finish. I always feel that any play is a real ‘team effort’ and so please forgive me for mentioning everyone by name – however briefly. Natasha Brand as Viola demonstrated a high standard of acting that belied her years. Angus Plumbly as Sebastian, Hannah Stockley as Olivia and Tim Woodhead as Orsino also deserve mention for their mature handling of their respective roles. On all three nights the audiences appreciated the foolery of Tom Curnow and Charles Price as Andrew

Drama Students Visit the Capital The term kicked off with the ever successful annual trip to London.

Both AS and A level students boarded the 11.30 am to Paddington.

Much to Wilf Scolding’s disappointment there was no time to grab a Krispy Kreme as we were whisked straight off to Covent Garden for a back stage tour of The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

The Theatre was showing the acclaimed stage production of Lord of the Rings.

The building was visually impressive and technically ground-breaking.

The tour itself, conducted by actors, was highly entertaining if a little dramatic.

The theatre, one of the oldest in the country, is steeped in history and was remarkable - but even Mr. Harding looked a little concerned when we were led into the haunted tunnel that led beneath the stage.

It was straight back onto the tube where we alighted at the South Bank and made our way to the National Theatre, for yet another back stage tour.

Although completely different in style to Drury Lane (there were no men in tights to show us round), the tour was really interesting, as we got to

visit all three stages. There was just time for supper before the evening performance of Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones. The play was the uncompromising tale of Brutus Jones, an ex-convict with delusions of grandeur, who loses himself in the dark forest that surrounds him. Patterson Joseph in the lead was phenomenal. Then it was back to the hotel to bed.

After a hearty breakfast, we ventured to Shakespeare’s Globe for a performance of The Merchant of Venice. It was the audience who gained most of the insight, most notably us groundlings, as we were involved in the action of the play itself. This production has even been described as the ‘jolliest Merchant ever’ and proved enjoyable and comical for us all. As the play ended, sadly our time in London too had drawn to a close but we did return to Bath having very much enjoyed the theatrical experience.

Sophia Briffa (Year 13) Kingswood in Focus 15

Alice the Musical The Prep School’s annual musical production this year was ‘Alice the Musical’, a version of Alice in Wonderland written by Mark and Helen Johnson.

All the pupils from Years 3 to Year 6 were involved, with the younger classes taking a scene each, and the older pupils playing the lead roles. Alice herself was played by Lola Young, the White Rabbit was Leo Fini, the Queen of Hearts was Mollie Dent and the Cheshire Cat was Carson Lam, who performed brilliantly, despite having broken his leg only days before the opening night.

This year’s show included Year 3 getting the audience to sing in The Croquet Song, Year 4 singing in three-part harmony in The Caucus race, Year 5 forming a saucepan orchestra in More Pepper, and Year 6 wielding axes, throwing babies and painting white roses red at every opportunity! We were very grateful to Sam McGlynn, Ralph Eliot, Katy Proctor, Laura Cross and Polly Gates, all members of Years 9 and 10, who provided the music; and to Joe Davey and Quentin Cradock-Watson, also from Year 10, who assisted with lights and sound. Parents made colourful costumes and the set was designed by pupils from Year 6.

KATS 2007 Forget the BRITS, turn a blind eye to the OSCARS, ignore the BAFTAS – the only award genuinely worth winning is a KATS award.

Everyone knows that KATS stands for ‘Kingswood Artistically Talented Students’ (or at least they do now!) and every year on the first Saturday back after the May Whitsun half-term, the Kingswood Theatre becomes the venue for one of the highlights of the School calendar. This was the biggest and undoubtedly the best so far with over one hundred and fifty students from the four Expressive Arts mediums – Art, Design and Technology, Drama and Music – attending the ceremony. Fantastic food was consumed once the students had all processed up the red carpet and then the award ceremony started with two brand new hosts, the dashing Mr MacDonald and beautiful Ms Buller, messers Woodgate and Burgon having stood down after three years of service for which the organisers will be eternally grateful. Yet as all true professionals know it is better to quit while you are ahead, so one year too late is acceptable, Mr B! The students from Years 11 – 13 all looked stunning in their best 16 Kingswood in Focus

dresses and tuxedos and entered into the spirit magnificently, applauding all of the nominees and cheering the winners. As with previous years the most prodigious awards were the ones voted for by the students themselves: Artists’ Artist, Designers’ Designer, Actors’ Actor and Musicians’ Musician. These awards went to Ed Marriot, Malcolm West, Sophia Briffa and Sam Chan respectively.

Thanks must go to Steve O’Connor and his technical team of Joe Davey, Quentin Cradock-Watson and Christopher Robinson, the Music Secretary Mrs Walker, Kingswood Caterers, the Friends of Kingswood, Ms Buller and Mr MacDonald, and, of course, Mr Mainwaring, Mr Harding, Mr Main and Mr Allison.

With such a full and varied programme planned this year for the Expressive Arts faculty the choice of nominees and winners will become even more difficult and thus the cheers for the winners louder as the awards become even more prestigious. Here’s to the 2008 KATS ceremony!

An Evening of Cool Blue In May, the Friends of Kingswood were treated to one of the highlight gigs of the year.

Twenty soloists and the awesome Kingswood Jazz Orchestra were joined

by JC and the Moonlights for a fabulous evening of singing, playing and dancing to music which had some tenuous link to the word blue. From songs from the Blues Brothers to Blue Skies, from "Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" to good old heart-breaking blues numbers, the dinner-jacketed audience were served a feast of azurial delights!

The first set was a gentle affair so that the Friends could drink and dine in comfort – there were solos from Sam Mumford, Georgia Stone and Hattie Richardson, Laura Stockley, Amelia Tuckett and Rebecca Reed, and the set was completed by Julia Good with a moving rendition of "Blue" by Joni Mitchell. Even within this opening Act, the range of songs was wide, from "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" (blue in the lyrics!) to a gypsy-jazz inspired "Blue Skies".

JC and the Moonlights then came to stage to accompany the next of singers for a slightly louder set, just as dinner was drawing to a close.

Imogen Sadler and Oscar Batterham opened, Ellie Hobbs followed with the fabulous song "Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue", but the definite highlights of the set were Jeff Carpenter’s version of Elton John’s "Blue Eyes", and an absolutely outstanding rendition of "I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues" from Jo Magnay. Jo’s voice is very special, and the Music Department were delighted that Jo gained a place at the Academy of Contemporary Music in London – we wish her every success.

Cool Blue photos courtesy of Piers Cunliffe

"What a gig!"

And then the dancing began, with a rocking set from KJO, featuring seven of the school’s best singers – Philip Wang, Theo Boyce, Megan Adams, John Rawlins, Hannah Bishay, Alex Bevan and Tom Pritchard.

The numbers ranged from the rhythm and blues of "St James Infirmary Blues", to the soul-inspired "Think"! KJO also produced a couple of great numbers with the JB’s classic "Damn Right I’m Somebody" and the theme from Peter Gunn. What a gig! As the event changes through the years, from Slinky Swing to Cool Blue, who knows what’s ahead for the coming year.

There’s talk of an evening of Sixties hits, but then again there’s talk of a Strauss ball, but then again there are rumours of a 1940’s gig, but then again…

The Taste of Bath Victoria Park, July 2007 During the stormy, grey, windy days leading up to the “Taste of Bath” gig, I had an ominous feeling. I had spent many days in my youth lunging for sodden music stands decorated with clothes pegs, as a sudden gust ripped through a deserted park or bandstand, creating a lull in the music as band members fought to keep hold of their music and instruments. Playing al fresco doesn’t really have many upsides, unless it’s in Italy. And the bandstand in Victoria Park, on the day before the gig, definitely did not look like Italy to me!

But, as if in a fairytale, the clouds parted in the afternoon and the bandstand was bathed in beautiful summer sunshine. Security was very tight for the event, and my next worry was that over-zealous bouncers were not going to allow KJO members in. However, fears were allayed as the band assembled, bedecked in their black suits and shades, looking more bouncer-like than the bouncers!

The crowds gathered as we started to set up, and by the time we opened our first number, we had a large audience of curious on-lookers who now seemed more interested in us than the food!

"...we had the audience in the palm of our hands."

The programme started with the menacing "Peter Gunn Theme", with fab solos from Sam Parsons, Alex Greig, Jeff Carpenter, Caspar Eliot and Marc Morgan.

Even by the end of the first song, we had the audience in the palm of our hands.

Whether it was the relief of a bit of sunshine, food, alcohol or us did not matter, Victoria Park was already rocking, and as we found out later, so were local residents.

The atmosphere gripped everyone, and there were a number of quite special solos.

Richard Newman & Hannah Bishay sang one of the year’s favourites, the gospel tune "O Mary Don’t You Weep", Philip Wang stunned the ever-increasing crowd with "St James’ Infirmary Blues", and Megan Adams swung with "Too Darn Hot". The band then opened up with a great New Orleans stomping version of "O When the Saints" before another great set from the singers including Hannah Bishay with "Think", Alex Bevan with "Minnie the Moocher" and Theo Boyce with "Gimme Some Lovin". This was possibly one of the best sets I’ve done with KJO even considering the Cool Blue evening about a month previous. The band then showed their considerable skill with the difficult number "Damn Right I’m Somebody", and the evening was rounded off by John Rawlins with the classic "New York, New York" and Tom Pritchard’s "Everybody Needs Somebody". “More, more, encore!” they shouted, and we were just about to go out with a bang when the sound guy pulled the plug, insisting that a number of local residents had got a free gig and weren’t too happy that their windows were rattling! Royal Crescent killjoys!

Mr Richard Mainwaring (Director of Music)

Peri Profile We currently have 17 instrumental and vocal teachers who tutor around 240 pupils every week. The wealth of musical talent and experience between them is quite staggering and we are indebted to them for making the Department such a wonderfully exciting, stimulating and fun place to work in. In every KIF, we profile one of our staff.

Keith Morgan - Saxophone Keith actually started his musical career as a guitarist; he began to learn the guitar at the age of eleven. Having had an interest in jazz from an early age, he found himself listening to jazz guitar records and inadvertently, jazz saxophone. Eventually he was drawn to the gleaming prince of all instruments, the tenor saxophone.

After training as a lithographer, he worked in various companies for a few years, all the while working in the evenings as a semi-professional musician. After a bad day at work, and a job offer to work as a musician on a cruise ship travelling the world, there was no looking back!

He has since gone on to work for many cruise companies, for TV and radio and for big bands, playing alongside such greats as Alan Barnes, Bruce Adams and Tina May. He has also performed for many theatre shows and has toured with Ruby Turner and Peter Straker.

He started teaching in 1995 for Avon music service and currently teaches in two Bath schools. He is a woodwind tutor at Bristol Schools’ Senior Music Centre.

Alongside teaching, which he has found to be extremely rewarding, Keith continues to work as a performing musician including the occasional outing of his own jazz quintet.

He has also been known to play flute with the LA Symphony Orchestra.......

Long Ashton!

A Rainy Night…..

In March this year, Mr Mainwaring suggested that KFC should make its second album.

He said that we would take the whole of the Summer Term to record it, which I thought seemed like a long time for four songs! But at the start of the Summer Term, the rhythm section of Sam Mumford and Rosie Snowden on piano, Alex Dewell, Harry Rouse and Josh Kilford on drums and percussion, and Alex Hardman on guitar took three weeks of recording to get their parts down on computer. Because everything is recorded separately just like a professional studio, it was starting to become obvious why it was going to take the whole of the Summer Term to record.

It was then the turn of the saxes, and Abbie Winton, Angus Plumbly, Naysan Foroudi, Natasha Chapman and myself put our headphones on, and slowly worked our way through the songs we had spent the Easter Term learning – "A Rainy Night in Rouse’s House", "Charlie Price", and "Evil Circus". What was especially great though, was that we had started learning a new song called "Mexicoco", and although we hadn’t finished the piece, we recorded our bit anyway, and considering we didn’t know it very well, I thought we played it excellently.

A week after this Eliot Canning and Jessica Weekes recorded their clarinet parts, and the following week Charlie Price and Zach Scoging played their trumpets in the studio. Just when we thought it was finished, some of us had to return to the studio to then record our solo parts,

and this was great fun, because we could have as many goes at it as we wanted. It really felt like being a professional musician when, after you had recorded your bit, you could go into the Control Room and listen to yourself playing.

Mr Mainwaring then spent two weeks mixing the album, and making the surprising dub chill mix of our new song "Mexicoco". We heard the final mix, and all thought it was excellent. Not only that, but we had filmed our recording, and Mr Mainwaring made a short promo video to go with the music to Evil Circus. We hope to put this on the intranet or website soon.

The album is now available from the Music Department. I am very proud of my part in it, and think the band sounds excellent. If you would like to buy a copy, it costs £5, and all of the money will go to the Music Department’s chosen charity, Hope and Homes for Children.

Along with the money we hope to raise from the Big Brass House Project, many orphans in Eastern Europe and Africa should benefit.

Myfy Hollywell (Year 9)

The album is now available from the Music Department, cost £5, with all proceeds going to charity.

The Big Brass House Project Apparently it takes years to learn a musical instrument.

So, how much of a challenge was it for 10 pupils to learn a brass instrument in 8 weeks well enough to perform in front of the whole school in assembly?! Mr Mainwaring thought this would be a good way of raising money for the Music Department’s chosen charity Hope and Homes for Children and also increasing the population of the brass community at Kingswood.

All volunteers’ names were put in a hat, and the lucky ten were drawn – Jonathan Pert, Anna Nicholson, Daisy Bendrey, Chris Rovery (trumpets), Katy Yates, Peter Evans (French horns), Charlie Caddick, Emily Rowlands, Amber James and Michael Kenny (trombones).

Week 1 was a nightmare! All ten had to learn how to spit into the mouthpiece, and then try and make a sound with their instruments. The result sounded more like an abattoir than a Music School! The second week was better, and with intensive practice by the pupils in between each lesson, the third week heralded results which started to sound like brass instruments. Progress was starting to happen rapidly, and the pupils quickly got through songs such as Moolley Monkey’s Visit to the Dentist and the theme from Batman.

With only 3 weeks until the performance in front of the school, the players embarked on the set piece, Frère Jacques. The challenge was simple, to play as many right notes in the performance as possible, and to get pupils and staff to sponsor them per note.

The pupils got better and better, growing in confidence, tone and technical ability, and by the day before, could play the tune in a round.

On the morning of the assembly, all ten were very nervous, and after a quick rehearsal, pupils began to file into the Theatre to listen to the big test. To make matters worse, the best brass players of Kingswood sat in the front row and acted as judges, counting how many correct notes were being played. After a few staff volunteers tried to play the trumpet, hence showing just how difficult it really was, the ten intrepid volunteers performed Frère Jacques. It was an absolute triumph!

Everyone concentrated so hard, and played better than they had ever done. The sponsorship money is still rolling in, and together with the money raised from sales of the new KFC CD entitled A Rainy Night, Hope and Homes for Children will hopefully receive a substantial contribution from Kingswood School.

"It was an absolute triumph!"

Kingswood in Focus 19

Carl Orff's

Carmina Burana On a chilly March evening earlier this year, the Kingswood Music Department was gearing up for the most musically challenging and physically draining concert of the year. Nevertheless the entire cast of performers showed utter professionalism and stamina throughout the evening.

The concert opened with the Kingswood Orchestra playing Ravel’s "Bolero" arranged by Mr Mainwaring, with fabulous solos from Rachel Bell on flute and piccolo, Jess Blong and Camille Wratten on clarinet and Alfred Ireland on bassoon. The audience (and professional musicians watching) were stunned at the high standard of the Senior Orchestra, but then again, when have they ever been disappointed with a Kingswood performance?

This stirring work was followed with "Palladio" by Karl Jenkins, played beautifully by the String Ensemble.

The Percussion Ensemble followed this with a combined effort from Becky Bottle’s African drumming group and Mr Brian’s Percussion Group to play Brian’s "Dream", which was his own wonderfully modern composition.

The opening movement, "O Fortuna" sent a tingle down my spine as the massive Senior Choir and Parents’ Choir made a truly awesome sound during the most famous number of the whole work. We had had a taste of how good it could be during rehearsal, but we were saving our voices until this moment, and what a moment it was. The second movement was just as exciting before we settled down into the first part of the work, Spring. Mr Mainwaring’s thought-provoking projections added to the atmosphere with a mix of film and translations for the audience.

Every movement was a highlight, and the performance just got better and better, with the orchestra responding more and more to the fantastically energetic singing.

The second part – In The Tavern – gave the boys a chance to shine and there was a superbly bawdy sound from them in In Taberna Quando Sumus, and Mr Gottlieb’s startlingly realistic drunk version of Ego Sum Abbas.

"Every movement was a highlight, and the performance just got better and better..."

The next number was Westwood Orchestra playing "Spirited Away" from the animated motion picture, again arranged by Mr Mainwaring. This was followed by the glamorous Kingswood Jazz Orchestra playing their own rendition of "Damn Right I’m Somebody" with solos from Sam Parsons, Caspar Eliot and many more.

After the interval the highlight of the evening was about to commence with Kingswood’s Senior Choir and Friends performing Carl Off’s surprisingly bawdy "Carmina Burana". Kingswood went all out for the event by hiring an entire orchestra including 2 pianos and tubular bells!

Mrs Monks returned to sing the incredibly challenging soprano solos and the solo baritone was performed admirably by one of our singing teachers, Gabriel Gottlieb who will be sadly leaving us at Christmas.

I think everyone will agree that this was definitely one of the best concerts to go down in Kingswood’s musical history and all the hard work put in by Miss Matthews, Mr Mainwaring, Mr Knights and the entire music community certainly paid off – it was a privilege to have been involved in such a special performance.

Megan Adams (U6)

Friday Music

A mon

t

ncer Lunchtime Co 20 Kingswood in Focus

The third and final section was about love, and perhaps the highlight was Mrs Monks’ top D in Dulcissime.

One of my favourite movements was Tempus Est Iocundum where every section got a chance to shine – girls, boys, soloists, the junior choir and the orchestra. And then, as quickly as it had started, the performance was ending with a return of O Fortuna.

There followed a five-minute standing ovation, something not seen at Kingswood for a very long time!

sic F riday M u

L unchtim

e Concert

Bath Abbey, 7th July 2007

Commemoration Day Service The School’s Commemoration Day Service is another chance for musicians to perform in the superb acoustic of Bath Abbey and the Choirs and Brass Ensemble certainly made a beautiful sound. Kingswood Brass began the service with a Fanfare composed and conducted by Mr Mainwaring. The brass group needed to make a lot of noise to make sure that everybody heard them… and they did!

Before the service, all choirs learnt their music in a short space of rehearsal time and the final result was spectacular. The first choral piece the Senior Choir sang was

"It was amazing to hear the high standard of singing from the Chamber Choir..."

"Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam" by Mathias, which filled every space of the Abbey with nearly 80 voices singing together.

The organ accompaniment by Mr Sealy really helped add to the joyful nature of the piece. The next choir to sing was the Chamber Choir who had been learning "Ubi Caritas" by Duruflé. This was in big contrast to the previous choral piece, much quieter and more reflective. It was amazing to hear the high standard of singing from the Chamber Choir in such a difficult piece and what made it even harder was that is was unaccompanied as well!

Miss Matthews had a well-deserved break while the congregation sang the next hymn and after the reading it was the Chamber Choir’s turn again. I really enjoy performing with the Chamber Choir. Although they are smaller compared to the Senior Choir their singing is very precise. The next piece they sang, "You Are My God", was by composed by Bob Chilcott, which rumour has it is Miss Matthews’ favourite! This again was a beautiful, reflective song with very meaningful words that begin “You are the light that guides my way.”

The next choral item was unique: it has many connections with Kingswood School. It seemed fitting that one of the musical items should have an association with Charles Wesley, the founder of the School, and indeed the words sung by Kingswood Voices were by Wesley, and in the tercentenary year, made it very special. But there was another reason why Kingswood Voices made history: this performance was a premiere of a new musical setting written by their conductor, Miss Matthews.

The piece was very unusual as it used a traditional tune as well as a new tune that was layered on top, with Kingswood Voices singing many harmonies and some excellent playing on the flute by Polly Gates and piano accompaniment by Mr Knights.

As the big doors of the Abbey opened signalling the end of the service all of the musicians were relieved that the hard work we had all put into learning the new music was worth it – and now we were all looking forward to giving our voices a rest in the summer holidays!

Wilfred Scolding Kingswood in Focus 21

Fridays’ Music On 1st July 2007 Kingswood Theatre was filled to the brim with an eager audience awaiting the start of the first ever Fridays’ Music concert.

The purpose of this concert was so that everyone had the opportunity to hear a vast amount of exceptional music which is played every Friday in our Whole School Services. Though most of the music is handed out on the day of the service, and with little, or no rehearsal (as a result of busy schedules!) the music does not suffer as the musicians are more than capable of sight-reading and convincing the audience otherwise.

First on stage was Westwood Orchestra. Although only in their first year, they sounded fantastic performing "Theme from Spirited Away", and certainly won the audience over on cutey appeal!

"What a memorable night..."

Years 7-10 Choir then sung "Dodi Lee" and they continued the high standard of music which was heard throughout the night. The massed choir of girls and boys sang with discipline and energy and showed eagerness and I expect to see most of them soon in Senior Choir.

Senior Choir, which is now an eighty-strong choir with large amounts of talent, has - like most of the ensembles in school - grown in technical ability as well as numbers. This lies, I think, in the success of their performance of Carmina Burana which I can honestly say gave me an amazing amount of pleasure to be a part of, and was one of the highlights of my time at Kingswood School. The song that the choir sang on this night was "Oremi Ndi Jesus" which was well received.

Kingswood Jazz Orchestra followed after a well-earned interval. I have played with the band since Year 7 and have seen many great musicians come and go such as Chloe Morgan, David Carruthers and James Morgan. The end of a year always gives rise to thoughts of gaps that will appear in the band at the start of the new academic year, though new members always rise to the challenge and I’m sure that pupils like Patrick Morgan, Gareth Hobbs and Ralph Eliot will become “greats” in years to come. We played a two-piece set of "St Peter’s Chapel Blues" which was sung by Philip Wang and "O When The Saints" in which no one had any music but carried the melody between them (!) with a great many solos which gave the musicians the opportunity to show off their improvising skills.

Next up was the ever growing Senior Orchestra which continues to improve in technical ability, allowing for ever more challenging pieces to be played. The orchestra played three pieces: "The Theme from Band of Brothers" (performed at our Remembrance Assembly) was the first, followed by "The Prayer" with Jo Magnay and Philip Wang. The last of the three, "Swing Low", was sung by a large number of our best singers in the Upper and Lower Sixth including Head Chorister Julia Good and Principal Musician Tom Pritchard.

Chamber Choir came next and the audience was wowed by perfect harmonies and timing throughout. They sang "O Nata Lux" followed by "If Ye Love Me" and "Be Though My Vision".

Next came "You’ve Got a Friend" sung by Hannah Clark (Year 11) and Abbi Winton (Year 7) which was accompanied by our superb string players. This was my first time to hear both girls sing and it was beautiful to the point that it brought tears to my eyes.

I expect many great things to come from these two girls in music and hope to hear them singing again soon.

To round off the night Fridays’ Band played three pieces which have been fabulous highlights at services this year: Sting’s classic "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" with Wilf Scolding singing; another Sting classic "Fragile" which was one of the most memorable performances ever at an assembly with Tom Pritchard, Richard Newman and John Rawlins giving spell-bounding solos; and "Mary Don’t Weep" with Hannah Bishay and Richard Newman who rounded off the night with gusto.

But all was not over – there was still possibly the highlight of the evening. One of the most popular pieces ever heard at assemblies over the last three years was written

by Amon Warman. Although written as a GCSE composition, "Glory to God" has become one of those special hymns that the whole school sings very loudly at services on a Friday! Amon was joined by a number of us who helped him sing the chorus, and then he rapped his way through the bridge, something that brought a smile to everyone’s face! What a great gig, a memorable night – here’s to my next and last Fridays’ Music.

Alice Jones (Year 13)

Tackling the Inconvenient Truth The ball is rolling and the clock is ticking, and contrary to many people’s belief this is not a dress rehearsal. We only get one shot at this so why not make a go at it?

Mahatma Gandhi once said, ‘We must be the change we want to see in the world’. How true this statement is! The power of a simple shift in attitude and day-to-day behaviour is limitless. We now recognise the consequences of our actions, so surely we must work to reform them, or doom future generations to catastrophe. This is our planet: planet Earth, this is all that we’ve got. Surely it’s worth protecting.

The above is the opening to a speech given at Bath University by four Y11 students on 23rd June when over a hundred Y9 and Y10 representatives of all of the state secondary schools across Bath attended the two-day Young People’s Climate Change Conference. The aims of the conference were to give young people a “voice”, and allow us to have our say on the environment. This was based on the belief that if we begin to express our view on the environment locally or indeed nationally, then perhaps this “voice” may be heard by the people whose job it is to make the world a better place for our generation.

And so we shall end as we began and leave you with some of the closing remarks from the presentation…

As Al Gore stresses, Planet Earth, the fragile, beautiful planet – our home is what is at stake. It is our lives that will be affected. We will not be dead. But whilst we are the teenagers of today, we are the leaders and teachers of tomorrow. We are all personally responsible for climate change and we all have to do our utmost to combat it. If we take up the challenge, people will stop and they will listen. If we co-operate together we can be a very powerful force for change. We believe that the small changes society is taking now will lead onto others and, gathering momentum, the result will be enough to make the necessary difference. So don’t just sit back while the thermometer and sea levels rise, be part of the change – NOW! This planet’s all we’ve got. Surely it’s worth protecting.

"This planet’s all we’ve got. Surely it’s worth protecting."

During the conference there was a wide array of speakers who came to tell us about the steps their organisation are taking to combat climate change.

These included representatives from Rolls Royce and WWF as well as Justin Rowlatt, BBC Newsnight's 'Ethical Man'.

Laura Stockley (L6), Hattie Richardson & Nick Grant (Year 11)

The talk our Y11 students gave was entitled ‘Tackling the Inconvenient Truth’ and was based on Al Gore’s film. They talked briefly of the underlying causes and effects of climate change but they then did what Al Gore only touched on, and focused on what we can positively do to combat the problem. The talk was very well received by the audience; the council and several schools have made enquiries about whether the presentation could be given to them.

The last activity of the conference was writing letters to Gordon Brown, so that when he assumed his role as Prime Minister, amongst the first things on his desk would be letters form B&NES Schools asking him to help and to respond to the challenge of climate change. We are hoping that he will respond to these, as a lot of work went into them, and we think that letters from the next generation of voters should spur him into action.

Presenters at the Climate Change Conference

Climate Change Training Programme with Al Gore In March 2007, I attended Al Gore’s Climate Training Programme. This was organised by the Cambridge Programme for Industry (CPI) working with the Climate Project in the UK. It brought together leaders from business, governments, NGO’s, media, civil society, schools and academia. The aim was “to explore how we might build on Al Gore’s brilliant communication skills, with a view to developing a better understanding of the science and the uncertainties around climate change, and investigate ways in which leaders across the UK (and beyond) could be more effective at communicating the issues and promoting action” (Polly Courtice, Director, CPI).

The event was inspirational. Clearly things are happening in many sectors of society. I spoke to participants from diverse backgrounds including Professor Chris Rapley, Director of the British Antarctic Survey who is documenting the melting of Antarctic ice, and Sir Alex Ferguson, Manager of Manchester United Football Club, who told me that he had come with his son Jason who feels strongly about climate change.

Before attending the Climate Change Training programme, I was asked to commit to communicating the issues and was given access to Al Gore’s slides. I discussed this with four Year 11 students who were keen to take up the challenge: Laura Stockley, James Dabell. Amelia Tuckett and Rob House.

The above article describes the result.

Mrs Mary Patterson (ESD Coordinator) (Photo of Al Gore, left, by George Bodnar) Kingswood in Focus 23

KPS Sport As everyone will remember, the summer weather arrived early this year with a few glorious weeks in April.

Unfortunately, as you will also recall, the summer ended at the beginning of May and – of course – this coincided with the start of our cricket and rounders fixtures.

We did manage to get some matches played, however, with some good cricket being played in some difficult conditions at times. The Under 11's proved a strong all-round unit, and were led admirably by the outstanding Tim Rouse who scored a couple of quick-fire fifties and was always a danger with the ball. Rouse and the younger George Hankins represented Somerset at U11 this summer.

The Under 10's showed plenty of promise with Hywel Jones, Theo Wortelhock, Charlie Mason and Felix Barnard-Weston demonstrating an advanced level of skill and understanding. All the boys in years 3 and 4 played plenty of Kwik cricket in 2007 and learned much about the game which they can (hopefully) transfer to the hard-ball variety of the game as they move up through the age-groups.

A further pleasing addition was a greater involvement of girls in cricket this year – both in girls teams and as part of the “regular” school sides.

For the first time in a few years we took part in some tennis festivals with our local schools this summer and all played to a surprisingly high standard. It is certainly an area of our sport which we will be aiming to expand in 2008.

Our main athletics events of the summer were washed out by the rain – the most disappointing (and difficult) being our home event which managed just a single race before the heavens opened. Our prep school sports was cancelled once because of the weather, although by the time of the scheduled start the Upper was bathed in sunshine. When it was re-scheduled, the weather was not nearly as good but all the Prep. competed in a series of events and we managed to get away just about dry.

My thanks, as ever to all those staff who continue to make such a terrific contribution to KPS through the provision of its sports programme.

Rounders Rounders suffered a similar fate to the cricket with several fixtures being cancelled due to the inclement weather.

However all the girls from the prep school were selected to play in the matches and were extremely successful in each year group. The Under 11’s reached the semi-final of the King Edwards tournament as a result of some excellent batting

by India Sanders and consistent bowling by Stanya Gardner.

The Under 10’s were our most successful team recording an unbeaten season. Particular mention must go to Olivia Lines and Katherine Humphrey who were outstanding in the field. The Under 9’s played extremely well and only lost one game.

Under 8 teams showed significant development of their skills and understanding of the game. Their awareness of the game’s rules and tactics allowed the Under 8’s to dominate the opposition. Ella Reeman and Charlotte Crowe made a huge contribution to their success.

The most important aspect of the rounders season is the enjoyment that all the girls have playing the sport and I am sure everyone would agree we had great fun this summer!

24 Kingswood in Focus

Elite Performers

Celebrating Sporting Talent at National Level To represent the school or local club in any sport requires talent, self-discipline and commitment (from the supportive parents, too!).

Danny Bates Stephanie Clutterbuck

Ben Papuca

That such qualities may then lead to county, regional and ultimately national representation is especially impressive. Thus we are particularly proud of the achievements of 20 of our sports men and women, which alone represent an exceptional number given the size of our school.

Their achievements span a variety of sports, and each student deserves special mention.

Danny Bates,, Year 7, started acro-gymnastics when he was three. By the time he was seven he was competing at South West level, and has now been the South West Champion for the last 4 years. He currently competes internationally as a “top” in a men’s pair partnership. They have recently competed in Scotland, Lithuania, Germany and Switzerland in the 11-16 age group category, each time bringing home a gold medal or trophy.

He will also compete in a men’s four as a top at the British Championships in December; the great thing about being in a men`s four is that Danny gets thrown much higher! Early next year the four have been selected to trial for Great Britain for the World Championships.

Ben Papuca, Year 7, started judo when he was 4 years old, in a club run at Meadows Primary School. Since the age of 6 he has competed for Keynsham Judo Club, in a variety of competitions that have involved clubs from all round Europe. This experience at an international level, coupled with intensive training, helped him secure a silver medal in the Kent Championships in 2005, and the gold medal at last year’s Midlands Open Competition in the Under 34K category. He is currently ranked in the top 10 for his age group in the country.

Ryan Salisbury, also in Year 7, is another martial arts expert. He started Tae Kwandow at the age of 5 when he was living in Belgium, specialising in the area of ‘Patterns.’ He moved to England when he was 8, and has competed for various clubs in an ever-increasing series of events.

These have included the South West Championships, the Welsh Open, the English Open and the British Open; in these last three events, he was only 0.1 point off winning bronze, so he is certainly hungry for success! He is currently preparing for his Black Belt examination and, like Ben, is ranked in the top 10 in the country.

Ryan Sailsbury

"...we are particularly proud of the achievements of 14 of our sports men and women"

Amber James, Year 7, qualified to represent the city of Bath at the English National cross country championships at Hampstead Heath. She was one of 376 girls to take part in this race over 3½ kilometres in the U13 category, and acquitted herself extremely well.

Stephanie Clutterbuck, also Year 9, swims for the University of Bath.

This year she was part of the relay team that swam in the Wiltshire county championships and won. Consequently, the team went to the South West of England Regional Championships, where they came second in the 4 x 100m Individual Medley and the 4 x 100m freestyle relays, came first in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay which resulted in automatic qualification for the nationals for all three of these event. On a personal basis, Stephanie just missed out qualifying for the nationals in the 200m breast-stroke.

Unfortunately, she was unable to compete at the nationals owing to her selection to represent Kingswood on the school exchange to South Africa, but looks set to qualify again next year and even go further.

Amber James

Kingswood in Focus 25

Georgie Barnes, Year 9, first got in the pool when she was three months old, and then started swimming for a club when she was four years old. She started competing at county level when she was eight, at district level when she was ten and then, at the age of eleven, she qualified for the nationals in the 200m breast-stroke, reaching the final. This year, she managed to achieve three personal best times in the nationals in both the 100m and 200m breast-stroke events.

Alex Hardman

Charlie Barnes, Georgie’s older sister in the Lower Sixth, has massed some extraordinary achievements this year alone. In March, she became County Champion in the age group and open 50m, 100m, and 200m breast-stroke and also County Champion for her age in the 200m freestyle. In April, at the Centenary Inter County Gala, she represented Wiltshire county and won the 100m breast-stroke and helped her team claim gold in the medley relay. In May, Charlie became District Champion in the age group and open 100m and 200m breast-stroke, and in June at the French Nationals, she I won Bronze medal in the open 200m breast-stroke, thus making her third in all age groups in France. At the Darmstadt Meeting in Germany in July, she won Gold in the age group for both the 100m and 200m breast-stroke events, Gold in the open 200m breast-stroke and 4th in the open 100m breast-stroke. In August at the British Nationals, she won silver in the age group 100m and 200m breast-stroke events, despite suffering from a back injury. Later that month, at the UK School Games in Coventry, she won Gold with a Games Record in the 100m and 200m breast-stroke finals, and also helped her medley relay team to a gold and another record.

Emma Oliver, also in the Lower Sixth, achieved the qualifying time for the national championships last April in the 100m backstroke while swimming with the University of Bath. She just missed out on qualification for a number of other events.

However, she could not attend the nationals as she was representing Kingswood on the South American sports tour. She is currently ranked 5th in England in her age group (16 years) in her specialist event, the 50m backstroke.

Claire Carruthers has been sailing since she the age of 7, her hard work over the years culminating last year at National level in Toppers. She is part of the National Youth Squad, and competed in the nationals and the world championships this year, as well as events throughout the summer. Her best result was when she came 9th in the girls’ competition at the worlds in the recent summer holidays. Her target is to achieve a top three position at the world championships next year.

Claire Carruthers

Annalese Sellick, now in the Upper Sixth, started to compete in athletics at the age of 11 for the City of Bath Athletics Club. It was not long before her obvious talent as an 800m runner was spotted; she was invited to join the Talent Identification Academy at the University of Bath, with whom she trains four days a week, every week. In 2006, she competed at the English Schools Games, finishing 12th in the 800m final in a time of 2 minutes 16 seconds, a personal best. Owing to illness, she has reduced her rigorous training schedule this year, but hopes to compete at he top level again after her ‘A’ levels.

Sarah LLoyd, currently in the Lower Sixth, won a team gold medal for England in the Women’s Sabre Four Nations Championships at Cardiff in February 2007, and is ranked number six in the UK in the Under-17 national rankings. In 2007 she was appointed a SportsAid elite athlete and was invited to the UK School Games. Owing to health problems Sarah is currently not fencing, but hopes to resume in 2008.

Harry Rouse

Adam McBraida

Freddie Dean, now an Upper Sixth student, has been fencing for 11 years now.

Since the age of 8, he has won the Bath Schools’ title in his weapon, the foil.

The highlight of his fencing career was making the Under-16 English team by coming second in the qualifying competition. He has now represented England for three consecutive years, and had his final match for the Under-18 side this year, against Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and which his team won. He made the Great Britain team in 2004 travelling twice to Germany for a Cadet (Under-17) international, first to Stuttgart then to Koblenz. He has now moved up to Under-20 (Juniors) for Great Britain, competing in 2006 in the Eden Cup which is known as an A grade and also travelling to Italy for another Under-20 Junior A grade, this being probably his most prestigious achievement to date. He is currently Bath Foil champion.

Rouse, cricketer in Year 9, has now been to the National Club Championship Harry Rouse Finals twice with Bath Under-13s, winning the event this year. Last year, the whole school was delighted with his achievement of becoming the fastest bowler in the country for his age group. He has played for Somerset for 3 years, and for the West of England this year, playing at the festival, where he was the Opening Bowler and leading wicket taker for the West. He started playing cricket properly at the age of 10, and would encourage anyone to give cricket a go, as he is passionate about the game and believes that everyone would love it as much as he does!

Alex Hardman, Year 9, travelled to Saas Fee, Switzerland in August 2007 to attend the British Snowboard Junior selection camp. It is at Saas Fee glacier where all the national ski teams train all-year round. During the week athletes were

26 Kingswood in Focus

coached and assessed in half-pipe, snow-park (a mix of rails, jumps and the half-pipe) and boarder-cross. The latter is a high-speed race on a course which involves humps, jumps and tight bowl corners. Contact is inevitable as all riders are so close together, and it makes for a thrilling spectators’ sport! A week ago Alex received a letter offering him a place in the British Junior Snowboard team to train and compete over the coming year, ending in the British championships (BRITS) in Switzerland, March 2008.

Germany in a 3-man team at the German Boys’ Masters, where the team tied in 13th place. Over the summer, he since represented Britain at Royal Porthcawl in the British Boys’ Amateur Championship, getting through four rounds of the tournament but being knocked out in the last 16 by the eventual runner-up. Only a week later he was playing another international against Spain; the team was victorious and Chris won both of his ‘Match play’ games, thus contributing significantly to the team’s score.

Sam Williams, Year 10, started playing tennis when he was about 7 years old, playing in a little village club called “King’s Tennis Club.” After playing there for a few weeks he was spotted by the club coach who said he would like to give Sam some private lessons. From there he developed his game, so that by the age of 9 he was playing competitive tournaments, where he developed a taste for winning! At the age of 12 he competed in the Under-14 British Junior National Championships, both singles and doubles events. He lost the singles event at the quarter-finals stage but went on to play in the doubles finals, with his partner Freddie Kalfayan, where they unfortunately lost in the third set tie-break to the No. 1 seeds. Sam has a rigorous training schedule of up to 3 hours a night, including a one-to-one fitness programme. It is for this reason that he is permitted to leave school at 4.30 pm each day.

Laurie Canter, golfer, is in our Upper Sixth. This year he was placed 12th in the English Schools’ National Championships and consequently qualified to play in the England Schools’ Home International vs. Scotland Schools. He also won the Wimborne Cup, which is an English Golf Union Sanctioned event. As a Somerset Under-18s player, he and the team have recently won the 4 and 6 counties tournaments at Enmore Park.

Adam McBraida, now in Year 10, was selected by our Head of Athletics, Miss Paver, to compete last season at Bath University, where he won his hurdles race and so proceeded to the Avon Schools’ qualifying round. There he won again which resulted in his selection for Avon to compete in Yeovil against the whole of South-West England. Again he won race, running the 80m hurdles in 11.9 seconds, the qualifying time for English Schools. Thus he was selected to compete at English Schools in Birmingham in mid-July. In the heats he finished 4th, qualifying for the final as the second out of two fastest losers. It was in the final, however, that Adam really showed his metal (if you will pardon the pun) as he came 3rd, with the bronze medal and a personal best of 11.54 seconds. Since then he has competed in the England Athletics Pentathlon where he gained a silver medal.

"We congratulate each and every one of you..."

Tobias Pigott, Year 11, started to compete in dressage at the age of 13. Dressage is one of the most important areas of competition within equestrian sport. The sport focuses on a series of set movements performed by horse and rider in an arena, with judging based on the efficiency and accuracy of the execution of these movements. Tobias has gradually become noticed by the England selection panel through a number of events, where he and his horse, New Parks Aramis – an eight-year old Appaloosa gelding, or castrated stallion – were rigorously examined.

The pair first competed for England in a major international, held in Manton, Southern Ireland, in July, where his team came fourth and Tobias came sixth overall, despite an injury to his trusted steed. Together, they are training hard over the forthcoming winter months to prepare for international events in the spring and summer.

Chris Lloyd, Year 10, started to play golf at the tender age of two and received his first handicap at the age of 4. After an apprenticeship that consisted of chipping and putting, he played his first county match at Under-14 level – at the age of 9! He then played his first full junior county match (Under-18) at the age of 12. For the next few years he played many county events until his handicap was low enough to enter the national events. At the age of 15 Chris gained his first England cap in the Nations Cup, playing against teams from all across Europe and finishing an impressive second. He backed this achievement up with a second place in the English Boys’ Amateur Championship, the Carris Trophy, which attracted many players from across Europe. He then represented England in

Simon Merrill, Upper Sixth, has amasses an extraordinary set of results this year competing in the Under 17 age category: 100m hurdles and 100m sprint BANES champion; 100m hurdles, triple jump and 200m Avon Club champion; 100m hurdles Avon Schools’ champion; South-West and Midlands 100m hurdles champion; English Schools’ national bronze medallist at 100m hurdles; England Athletics national silver medallist at 100m hurdles; and UK School Games national silver medallist at 100m hurdles. In the Under 20 age category, Simon won Celtic Cup for England in the 60m hurdles against Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and became BANES 110m hurdles champion and 100m sprint champion; Avon 110m hurdles and 100m sprint champion; South-West 110m hurdles champion; English Schools’ national bronze medallist; and National Junior League Final silver medallist in the 110m hurdles. It will hardly come as a surprise to the reader that he is also part of the World Class Talent programme, picked by UK athletics!

We congratulate each and every one of you, and wish you all the best for the future.

Gareth Lloyd (Senior Deputy Head)

© Tom Ward/EGU

Charlie Barnes

Laurie Canter Tobias Pigott Chris Lloyd Sam Williams

Kingswood in Focus 27

Sports Tour

Sports Teams Go Touring Tour started as most do with a week of pre-tour training. Although the boys complained that the girls were not working as intensively as them, everyone put in 100 % effort.

Different tactics and starting line ups were tried and by the time we gathered at school at 3am on Friday, everyone was thoroughly excited.

The journey to Buenos Aires was relatively trouble free, apart from Sam Bridgwater losing his suitcase with all his prized possessions. He was most disappointed about the loss of his special hair gel. Some of the party took time to realise that Argentina was in fact a Spanish speaking country (no names mentioned Kate!) but Grace stepped up as the resident linguist. She helped out to prevent the likes of James Coleman trying his hand out at Spanish, which could have been potentially embarrassing for all involved! Mr Opie, another culprit, had particular problems involving a pharmacist, Vaseline and some cough sweets but no more of that!

After spending a couple of days in Buenos Aires visiting the sights and spending time in its numerous shopping malls, we all headed out to our first billets. When our tour group reunited the next morning, everyone shared their experiences of the previous night where the Kingswood tourists had been particularly well behaved (bar one). The Argentineans

had very different way of ‘warming up’ for the game. If the warm up was anything like the warm down, we knew that the after match celebrations would be memorable.

After a trip down a river in the morning and a hearty lunch (McDonalds for the real athletes) the first matches of the tour took place. The girls 1st XI lost a competitive game 1-0, thanks to a ‘wonder’ goal from the opposition’s outstanding player but this was a great first outing. The 2nd XI also played some good hockey and won their fixture 6-0 with Captain Cara Prettejohn bagging a hat trick. The boys won their first game 31-29 in what was a closely fought contest but in the end we were just about worthy of our narrow victory.

"The girls’ 1st X1 had a particularly exciting game..."

It is not cool to turn up to a party before twelve o’clock in South America and so George Jolliffe obviously rocked up just before eleven!

Arriving early the next day it was clear a few were suffering from sleep deprivation, Peter Hynes even took advantage of the hospitality on hand to make use of their IT centre for an early morning nap!

We soon arrived at our next destination, St John’s School. They were our second billets and were as friendly as the first. In the morning, we took part in a debate, to stretch our minds intellectually. This was right up Izzie Watson’s street who became particularly animated thorough the whole debate. In the afternoon we played our second set of fixtures. The boys were still feeling bruised from the previous encounter and put in a weak performance and succumbed to a 12-7 defeat. The girls’ 1st X1 had a particularly exciting game, on a great grass surface, and were very unfortunate to lose in the last minute. The 2nd team carried on from their last game with an impressive 1-0 victory.

Rosario was our next destination and was the first club team we had to face. Soon after arriving on match day we found our bags had been moved by the opposition, with numerous items of clothing missing.

This galvanised our aggressive mood and we put together a memorable performance destroying a much bigger team 48-10. Both the girls’ teams had frustrating 0-0 draws even though they dominated their opponents throughout the majority of the game. The girls were now beginning to adjust to playing on grass and the standard of their performances was most impressive.

A trip to the Iguassu waterfalls was next on the tour agenda and our enthusiasm was obvious for a break. However, this was quickly spoilt by the inefficiency of Argentina Aerolineas. After overbooking our flight, thirteen of the tour party had to stay behind for the night whilst the others headed to Iguassu. The remainder of the tour party joined us the next morning and so, fortunately, they did not miss out on what was arguably one of the highlights for everybody on tour. The falls were amazing (located on the border between Brazil and Argentina) and despite our guide trying his hardest to persuade us not to return to his country everyone was in total awe of the awesome natural wonders on display.

Resident cameraman Mr. Redman was on hand for some wonderful shots but even these failed to capture the true beauty we witnessed that day.

Next on our list was Uruguay, with the British school as our hosts, and in an amazing coincidence (for the third time in a row) James Coleman found himself billeted with a ‘beast’ ironically the same somatotype as himself.

The girl’s 1st and 2nd teams were beaten by two very strong sides, containing several Chilean internationals.

The boys were slightly alarmed at the sheer bulk of the opposition and put in an extremely defiant performance only losing by seven points in a low scoring encounter. There was much to be proud of in the performance of all involved in the toughest set of fixtures on the tour.

Vina del Mar, a gorgeous coastal city in Chile, was the setting for our sixth and final matches.

In the rugby we played a very physical but ill disciplined school side and came out 48-0 victors, a good way to sign off our tour account and start looking forward to the start of the school rugby season.

The girls once again played good hockey but lacked the cutting edge upfront and couldn’t breakdown their opponents defence.

With spirits high we returned to Buenos Aires to hear the news that our flight was delayed 11 hours, this changed to overnight and we finally boarded our flight to Madrid 14 hours late. The saga continued until finally seventy two hours after we left Chile we returned to the clutches of our parent’s arms. Well nearly all of us as Mr Opie and our international group were still at Heathrow trying to get connecting flights to all parts of the world. However, our mood had picked up and we got off the bus as we had got on, chanting and smiling.

A final thank you must go to the people who made it all possible, Mr Opie, Redman, Matthews, Miss Wright and Miss Newman. And a special mention to Mr. Reeman for his ‘meticulous’ planning, rugged good looks and Hollywood smile, even when the going got tough.

This was an amazing three weeks for all of us. There were so many highlights and so much fun. It took The rugby team talk tactics! everybody, staff and pupils alike, time to adjust to life back at home. However, we all have We took a trip around Montevideo the next morning and were ready memories that will stay with us for the for our forth set of games. The boys lost to a very well drilled team rest of our lives.

15-0 which was no disgrace against the best school side in the country.

The girls’ senior side secured their first win of the tour with a really Alex Field and Sarah McMeekin determined team effort and the 2nd X1 lost their unbeaten record in spite of putting in another creditable performance.

Chile was our last port of call and we briefly set up camp in the capital city of Santiago. A day in the snow up in the Andes was a much enjoyed adventure and also allowed Mr. Reeman to model his new sunglasses (last pair lost underneath the waterfalls at Iguassu!) in beautiful surroundings.

Match number five was against a leading Chilean club and was played in the shadows of the Andes Mountains, truly stunning surroundings.

"The boys put in an extremely defiant performance..."

Summer Sport

Athletics 2007 Due to the poor weather this season has sadly been very short with the athletics team only competing in 3 matches, which was unfortunate as there was so much potential.

Unluckily for the juniors, their only one athletics match was cancelled; this was disappointing because, as shown by their results on Sports Day, they have some great talent. These encouraging performances came in Year 8 from Samuel Spence and Timothy Campbell, and in Year 7 Nicholas Mackenzie equalled the Triple Jump record and the Cusworth relay team managed to break their Year group record. In addition, in Year 7 Beckford also broke the relay record. Other great performances from the Year 7 girls came from Amber James who broke the 100m and high jump records and also won the 800m. Catherine Bolland won the hurdles, the shot and broke the long jump record and Jess Weekes broke the discus record.

I was surprised and delighted to be asked to be the Boys Athletics Captain, especially as Dipo Faloyin, Stuart Laurence and Amon Warmann are far more talented athletes. However, I welcomed the opportunity immediately as I realised that I could be in charge of Dipo Faloyin’ are famous Head Boy for at least once in my life!

I’m now going to talk about the Inter boys’ team who performed very well throughout their season. Fidel Collin was outstanding in the 100m which earned him his Colts Colours.

Tom Cammann proved himself by winning nearly every event he entered in the shot, discus and javelin.

The one time he did lose was to a guy who

was even bigger than Malcolm West; yes it is possible! Ralph Eliot was an invaluable asset to the team running the 400 and 800 and competing in the jumps. Adam McBraida, competing a year above his age group, won many of his events and was unbeaten in the hurdles. He now holds the school 80m hurdles record and is off to compete at the English Schools Championships next week and we wish him the best of luck.

Moving on to the seniors, these teams contained many talented athletes.

One of these stars was Stuart Laurence, who joined us this year from cricket and quickly became one of our most talented all-rounders.

He was supported by Dipo Faloyin, another very gifted all-rounder, who won all of his events on Sports Day. Amon Warmann was another who contributed much with his speed and dedication to the team Stuart Laurence won the Victor Ludorum for his performance on Sports Day. A special mention must also go to Simon Merrill my vice-captain who has been selected to represent the UK athletics team and English Schools in 110m hurdles. Injury prevented him from competing at the beginning of the season but when he started he started in style! In his first race in the 110m hurdles he broke the school record by 1.3 seconds and broke the track record at Marlborough by .3 of a second which had stood for 45 years. At the Avon County Championships, Simon representing the school, broke the 100m record which now stands at an incredible 10.7 seconds. Another enthusiastic team member, Caspar Eliot, was a guest from the swimming! Half colours this year were awarded to Dipo Faloyin, Stuart Laurence, Amon Warmann, Jon Henry, Caspar Eliot, Mike Parks, Simon Merrill and the two captains.

Now I’d like to speak about the girls. I was shocked when Miss Paver asked me to be the Girls Athletics Captain! It hadn’t even crossed my mind that this might be a possibility as I assumed that the position would go straight to one of the Lower Sixth girls especially, as even though I did athletics last year, I’ve never won an event! Although the girls’ team struggled with numbers this didn’t mean that we didn’t put up a good fight. A special mention must go to my fellow upper sixth, Aimi McEwan.

I was thrilled when I received a text during the Easter holidays in which she said that she had finally quit her job at Morrison’s to come and join the Athletics team! Her jumping and sprinting skills have come a long way since last season, possibly due to the fact she did not do athletics last year! The team was well supported by Sarah Ryder and Hannah James; both of these girls were willing to help me out whenever I couldn’t find a competitor for an event and their team spirit was second to none. Georgia Sharp’s sprinting and hurdling shows great potential for the future.

Abigail Stogdale’s Kenyan genes have allowed her to be an all-round athlete, meaning that she is another great asset to the team.

Sadly for Annalese Sellick she was unable to compete due to illness, however I wish her all the best for the future for she is a very talented middle distance runner. In the Inter team Pahrnia Parsons produced some very good performances, especially in the 800m, and her efforts on Sports Day earned her the Victrix Ludorum.

Georgia Stone and Sophie Wheeler have proved to be good all-rounders and have been invaluable for the team. Katy Proctor also shows much promise in the discus. The team was further helped by the Year 9 girls, who will all be welcome addition to the team next year.

I’ve had a really good time in athletics this season. It is a great way to spend your Saturdays with your mates, doing a bit of sport and of course getting a tan!

We’d both like to thank our Vice Captain Simon Merrill, for helping out with sprinting techniques and training sessions. Our thanks must also go to Mr Harding, Mrs Newman, Mr Lloyd, Mr Burgon, and Mr Matthews, for giving up their free time to help coaching and supervising matches on Wednesday, Thursdays and Saturdays. Mr Essam is leaving this year, he’s been helping the athletics club for over 20 years and he was presented with a small token of our appreciation earlier in the term. However, we would like to reiterate our thanks and wish him good luck for the future.

We’d also like to thank all the teachers who helped on Sports Day.

SPORTS DAY RESULTS: SENIORS: Open Boys: Inter Boys: Open Girls: Inter Girls:

Upper beat Middle by one point Upper won with Middle second Summerhill won with Fonthill second Fonthill won with Summerhill second

Upper won the boys and Fonthill the girls. Overall Upper and School won with Middle and Summerhill second.

WESTWOOD: Year 7 Girls: Beckford won Record Breakers: Amber James – 100m and High Jump; Catherine Bolland – Hurdles and Long Jump; Jess Weekes – Discus; and the Beckford Relay team.

Year 8 Girls: Overall Beckford won Year 7 Boys: Cusworth won Record Breakers: Will Mackenzie equalled the Triple Jump record; Cusworth broke the 4 x 100m relay Year 8 Boys: Overall Posnett won

THE AVON BOY’S TEAM: The team of Robbie Whittingham, Luke Bailey, Taylor Stevens and Adam McBraida won the junior boys’ pentathlon at the South West Schools Combined Events Championships at Exeter Arena on Saturday 23rd June. They left it until the final event of the 800m to move ahead of the team from Somerset who had led from the start and their score of 7054 means they qualify for the English Schools’ final in September.

All four boys put in some fine performances over the five events of 80m hurdles, shot put, long jump, high jump and 800m, with Adam McBraida excelling by winning the 80m hurdles and long jump to finish 2nd overall in the individual scores.

We would like to make a special thank you to someone who does not often get recognition for his commitment to Kingswood sport.

This man is vital to the success of the athletics club, and gives up a lot of his time on Saturdays to come and help us out and so sincere thanks go to Dr Sheffrin. Finally, a huge thank you must go to the head of athletics, Miss Paver, who has dedicated lots of her time to the athletics club. This includes selecting the teams, running training sessions, practices and giving up her Saturdays to come and support us when we compete.

Rob Beaven & Carmen Palamino-Marced (Athletics Captains - 2007)

Athletics Results 2007 Position of KS Open Boys’ Team

Position of KS Inter Boy’s Team

Position of KS Open Girls’ Team

Position of KS Inter Girls’ Team

Marlborough College, Downe House, Lord Wandsworth, Portsmouth Grammar, St Mary’s Calne, Wellington

NA

NA

5th

5th

Marlborough College, Lord Wandsworth

1st

3rd

2nd

2nd

Dauntsey’s, Dean Close

1st

2nd

2nd

2nd

Dauntsey’s, Blundells, King’s Bruton

2nd

2nd

NA

NA

Kingswood in Focus 31

Cricket 2007 This cricket season has been a frustrating affair with the British summer over by early May and so, as usual, the cricketers had to battle the weather along with the opposition.

However, this year has seen the building blocks established for what I believe will be an incredibly exciting season next summer – weather permitting, of course!

I shall start my summary of the teams in the school with our youngest cricketers in Year 7. The As and Bs made considerable progress over the term and one of the highlights was the A team’s comprehensive victory over Beechen Cliff. Connor O’Sullivan and Nick Mackenzie were the outstanding players and the side often benefited from the skills of Tim Rouse from the prep school.

certain that this is a side who will achieve better results in the seasons to follow. They have learnt the value of teamwork and begun to realise how to build a match-winning total when batting first. The B team were unbeaten with Lauren Shrubsole, in particular, excelling.

Year 9 were just beginning to play some good cricket and so were disappointed when the weather prevented the final matches of the season from taking place. Oliver Canning captained well and looks a good prospect for the future along with Alex Young, Will Mackenzie and Sam Elliott.

"This was the strongest 2nd XI we have had for many years..."

The Year 8's have enormous potential which hasn’t been reflected in their results. They initially found it difficult to adjust to life without ‘Harry’ …… (That is Harry Rouse, the boy in Westwood, not Harry the dog, the hairy one, glued to Mr Burgon’s side!) This required all of them to show more application when both batting and bowling. Tim Campbell, Oliver Meyer, Chris Rovery and Alex Hardman all have the talent to develop into good cricketers. I am

Year 10 lost two of their leading players to the first team in Charles Morris and Nick Prettejohn. This meant that other individuals had to step up to fill the void with Euan Gordon improving his captaincy, whilst Alex Clark and Charlie Harman contributed well.

This was the strongest 2nd XI we have had for many years and, apart from the performance against Queen’s Taunton, they were the most

Cricket Results 2007

Dauntsey’s Wycliffe King Edward’s

1st XI

2nd XI

Lost by 2 runs

Won by 7 wickets

Won by 4 wickets

Won by 186 runs

Won by 29 runs

Monkton Combe Match Abandoned Beechen Cliff

Lost by 2 wickets

Won by 5 wickets

U15 XI

U14 XI

U13A

U13B

U12A

U12B

Lost by 42 runs

Lost by 4 wickets

Lost by 8 runs

Won by 48 runs

Won by 71 runs

Won by 43 runs

Won by 1 run

Won by 52 runs

Lost by 2 wickets

Won by 5 wickets

Won by 7 wickets

Won by 8 wickets

Won by 22 runs

Won by 94 runs

Won by 32 runs

Won by 7 wickets

QEH Bristol

Won by 4 wickets Lost by 3 wickets

Bristol Grammar

Lost by 23 runs

Prior Park

Won by 159 runs

Colstons

Won by 15 runs

Won by 53 runs

Lost by 57 runs

Match Abandoned Match Abandoned

Lost by 73 runs

Lost by 118 runs

Lost by 3 wickets

Won by 6 wickets

Match Abandoned

Lost by 19 runs

Kings Gloucester Match Abandoned Match Abandoned Match Abandoned Match Abandoned Match Abandoned XL Club

Match abandoned

MCC

Match abandoned

32 Kingswood in Focus

Lost by 5 wickets

Match Abandoned

consistent team in school. There were a number of players who might have represented the 1st XI in other years and it was good to see Will Samler make the most of his call-up to the first team after a string of excellent performances. The fact that Jack Patterson, Jack Ticehurst, Jamie Campbell and Henry Heffer played for the seconds shows the strength and depth of the players available.

When Mr Opie asked me to captain the 1st XI this season I was both nervous and delighted. I know we both believed that with the number of young cricketers having to step up in standard, this year would be a huge challenge. But step up they did with Harry Rouse from Year 8 and Nick Prettejohn and Charles Morris from Year 11 proving to be key performers in the side.

They were not alone, with everyone in the squad playing their part and contributing to a great team effort. Unfortunately, we finished second in the league, after losing out to the weather and a crucial two-run defeat to Dauntsey’s on the first and hottest day of the season. We finished as runners-up in the league but all felt that we should have won the competition.

Although I could stand here for hours telling you just how good Matt Horsley is (he was the most successful batsman in the league for the second year in succession), or just how talented Harry Rouse is (West of England, etc!) I am not going to as I have been told to keep this short – like Will Heynen’s time at the crease this season. However, I will spend a little time on our two leavers, Alasdair Maspero and Tom Huws. Tom has been the leading wicket taker in the league this year and his batting is much improved. He has also persuaded a certain German lady that watching cricket on the Upper is the way to spend a Saturday afternoon! He has been a great vice-captain and his dry sense of humour and legendary appetite will be sorely missed. Alasdair has spent three seasons in the first team pretending to be a fast bowler and this year managed to bowl more slowly than any other bowler in the league. However, Alasdair has always had an uncanny knack of taking key wickets at key times and also provided some ‘entertaining’ lower order batting!

"With our talented array of youngsters, first team cricket looks to be in fantastic shape for the future."

I would like to thank Messers Matthews, Cooke, MacDonald, Hollywell, Redman, Essam, Brodie and Reeman for all their input into Kingswood cricket. On a more personal note I would like to thank Mr Fitzgerald for his time shipping the bowling machine to and from the nets! Finally, my thanks go to Mr Opie, the most passionate person you will ever meet in relation to Kingswood sport, with his moods dictated by the 1st team score the previous Saturday. So when we were bowled out for 60 before the Annual Sports Dinner, it was not the happiest evening of his life! He spends a huge amount of time and energy running the 1st XI and we all appreciate his efforts.

In conclusion I would say that first team cricket, with our talented array of youngsters, looks to be in fantastic shape for the future. I hope to see every budding cricketer in the nets, practising, pressing for a place, in whatever squad you find yourself in next year, because you can certainly see that at Kingswood, if you are good enough, you are old enough. Bring on next season, as I know this team will go from strength to strength.

Alex Field (Captain of Cricket 2007)

Boys' Tennis This season's tennis started off with a smash. Within the first week we all served up some rather pleasing results with great promise for an ace season ahead.

I am going to start my report by looking at the younger years.

At Under 13 level there is an impressive array of talent including Alasdair Stone and Harry Rouse. Harry partnered Sam Williams to the final of the BANES Under 14s schools doubles in which they lost narrowly. Talking of Sam Williams a special mention must go to him as he managed to advance through to the finals of the ‘Road to Wimbledon’ competition and will be playing at Wimbledon through August. Our hopes for British tennis lie at your feet Sam and so do not disappoint your fans like Timmy H does every year! The Under 14s saw several strong performances with Alfred Ireland and Gareth England being the most consistent doubles pairing. The Under 15s have been a breath of fresh air with up and coming stars Alex Greig, Magnus Mulvany and Ruslan Khazarchiev playing well week in and week out.

Good luck in the future to all of you.

Moving on to the senior teams I will start with the 3rds. The 3rds only had two matches due to our highly reliable British summer.

However, this did not dampen the team’s spirits. They won both matches making them unbeaten this season! I take my hat off to them as this is something our first team has always just failed to achieve over the last three years. I must give credit to Nick

Gregory and Josh Dixon who were their best players. The 2nds have had a mixed season with an array of highs and lows. Some of the highs may include the ‘guest / celebrity’ appearance of Mr Sam Cook who brought something different to the team partnering the ever so consistent Oliver Gates. Other highs include the strong 1st pair partnership of James Dabell and Ed Butler who both gained 1st team caps.

Ed I’m very impressed with the amount of racket strings you broke through the season! I feel your best bet is probably to buy an extra four rackets to add to your large collection. I am not really supposed to mention the lows; however the grumpiness of dear old Charles Hampton after playing Monkton was sheer entertainment! The solid, veteran players Aaron Leach and Jake Warren also contributed greatly this year.

Tom King

Lastly I am going to share my thoughts on our season as a 1st team. To be honest I feel we had our strongest team this year and we all had great hopes of having an unbeaten season.

Kingswood in Focus 33

However, just like last year Cheltenham wrecked it for us! The 1st team this year saw probably the most successful 1st pairing since the legendary pair of Matthew Waring and Marcus Green some seven years ago.

Laurie Canter and Tom King have been my rivals in the tennis world for a good twelve years now and I have to bow down to their quality as a pairing most notably against a strong KES 1st pair. Well done for not dropping any sets this year.

Next we have the two Sams - Sam Williams and Sam Pew Latter.

Sam Williams has been a great partner this season and I wish him all the luck in the national tournaments. Sam Pew Latter, with whom I have thoroughly enjoyed playing various singles matches, in spite of often narrowly losing! Lastly Nick Burns and Dan Feeny who might not be the most skilful of 1st team players yet your consistency contributed greatly to our successful season.

On a personal note tennis has been the highlight of my time here at Kingswood. I have enjoyed five years in the 1st team as well as playing for the county with Tom King and Laurie Canter. Although it sounds ‘cheesy’ it is true the last year has to have been the most memorable. What made it so special was my pre seasons form during my A2 PE assessment. Perhaps that story is best kept

for another time! Captaining the team has been a great experience as well, and it is safe to say I could not have done this without the help of my trusty two vice-captains Tom King and Malcolm West.

There are many people I would like to thank for giving up their time to make tennis possible and helping our teams through the years. Firstly, my thanks go to Mr Opie for those lovely early morning tennis sessions every Friday.

Mr Westcott has helped with some of our fixtures this year. Mr Davies has been a great inspiration to all of us and is a quality tennis player. He has recently developed a forehand slice to go with a more conventional backhand slice!

Unfortunately, while I was laughing about this he still managed to beat me regularly! You have been a great help through my time here at Kingswood and have helped many people to reach their potential through your great efforts with training and taking match fixtures.

I know your wife is expecting a child over the summer so …… look forward to the nappies, sleepless nights and all the toys!

Lastly and no means least to our new head of tennis Mr Duke – no more needs to be said!

Edward Marriott (Tennis Captain)

Senior Boys' Tennis Results 2007

HOUSE RESULTS/AWARDS Westwood Results: Upper & Middle both won the Y9 house tennis results.

Senior Half Colours: Malcolm West (Vice-captain this year), Jake Warren, Aaron Leach, Oliver Gates & Ed Butler.

Full Senior Colours: Tom King, Vice-captain this year, and Laurie Canter who have formed a formidable team and are the current Avon U19 Doubles Champions. They have won this accolade at various stages of their tennis career. We look forward to seeing them play more next year.

Edward Marriott who has played since Y9 for the Senior squad, captained well this season and represented the County.

Opposition

1st VI

2nd VI

3rd VI

Wycliffe College

W 8-1

W5-4

N/A

Cheltenham College

L 3 ½ -5 ½

L4-5

W

KES

W 5 ½-3 ½

W5-4

N/A

W 7-2

W6-3

N/A

Wells Cathedral School

W6-3

W5-4

W5-4

Dean Close

W5-4

W 5 ½-3 ½

N/A

Monkton Combe

W6-3

W 5-4

W 6 -3

Dauntsey’s

W 6 -3

L 4 -5

W6-3

Prior Park College

Girls' Tennis This has been a very successful season for the girls’ tennis squads on the whole.

Many girls have been training in activity time since the Autumn term in the bubble in Bath and this has really helped with maintaining and improving standards of play and getting us ready for the start of the season.

Also getting us ready for the start of the season, was a pre-season trip to a training camp called Windmill Hill in Sussex. 12 players from years 8, 9 and 10 really benefited from the tour and the match results for the season are greatly improved for the U14’s and 15B’s who only lost once and the U15A’s who are unbeaten in the school programme.

34 Kingswood in Focus

WESTWOOD TENNIS - U12 & U13’s Worked hard throughout the term and the following gained recognition.

U12 AWARDS: Player of the Season Most Improved Most Consistent Best Server

Determination in Training Potential for Future

Alice Havers Elouise Daniel Amber James Emily Rowlands Jessica Portman Catherine Bolland

YEAR 8 - U13A AWARDS: Player of the Season Most Improved Fair Play Award

Anna Nicholson Ellie Richardson Amy Greene

YEAR 8 - U13B AWARDS: Player of the Season Most Improved Determination in Training

Cara Simpson Jo Hailey Olivia Dellow

The U14’s & 15’s had extremely successful seasons as can be seen from their results’ tables below. Most can execute a topspin forehand and are increasing in confidence and strength. Particular mention goes to Olivia Hoccom from the U14’s who represented the 1st VI and to Jess Gregory who had the highest win percentage in the school – playing 23 sets and winning 22. The U15’s were unbeaten and such is their strength and depth that they still managed this feat without Naomi Stella who was out representing the 1st’s all season and Meryn Churchouse on occasion.

Emma Philp Girls' Captain

SENIOR TENNIS For those of you who are not that familiar with tennis terminology I’d like to explain something. A TRIPLE BAGEL refers to a 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 score. The unfortunate loser is said to have received ‘the triple bagel’ as the 0 resembles a bagel. In trying to add extra motivation to us already super- charged and hyped-up players Miss Wright, Miss Bleathman and Mrs Sergeant offer the incentive of an edible reward if we can inflict the triple bagel on our opponents. Several have come close, dropping only one or 2 games in their 3 sets such as Thommo and Tsang – the mighty and most consistent pairing in the 2nd’s, or Batty and Maz, Viv Dean and Robyn Churchouse, Meryn and Naomi Stella, Olivia Hoccom and Jess Gregs, Issy Mulvany and Sienna Dennis, or Anna Nicholson and

Amy Greene. So as you can see several came close but not just close enough. Imagine my surprise and frustration when my partner turned to me halfway through our match and said ‘let’s go for the donought’.

Her remarks coincided with the teas being brought out and as usual I thought Sacha was thinking about her stomach! We had already won our 1st 2 sets 6-0 and I was determined to go for the kill. With my mind distracted and annoyed that Sacha was after the food instead of keeping her mind on the game we dropped a game and my quest was thwarted.

It was only after when she equally shared my disappointment at losing and said ‘what a pity we missed getting the donought’ that I realised she was really on the same wavelength as me; Sacha – for future reference – the term is a bagel!

There is one happy note to end this story on. We do have winners of bagel inflictors. Emma Hamilton and Chloe Roberts playing first pair in the U14B’s dished out a beating to their opponents, King Edward’s.

You can see from the results just how successful the 1st & 2nd VI’s have been this season. The most successful 2nd pairing was Sophie Thomson and Jenny Tsang and in the 1st‘s Sacha Craig and Emma Philp. We say goodbye to Hilda Chak and Julia Good from the U6 who have played throughout their time at Kingswood and to Jo Hough from Year 9. If those girls will Cara Prettejohn forgive this special mention to another leaver, Emma Philp has been our current captain and has played with the 1st for 4 years.

She has been a real role model and her standard of play and sportsmanship and etiquette are something all players should aspire to. She and Sacha led the team to a fantastic season winning eight and losing just two matches. Emma rightly won the player of the season trophy.

A big thank you to all the staff and pupils who have made tennis so successful and enjoyable

Emma Philp (Girls' Captain)

Girls' Tennis Results 2007 COLOURS

1sts

2nds

3rds

4ths

15A

Colts Colours: Emily Sumner - Melton KES W 9-0 W 7-2 W 8-1 Half Colours: Cara Prettejohn and Lydia Cameron Full Colours: MC W 6-3 W 9-0 W 5-4 W 6-3 Re-awarded to Emma Philp who has played with distinction for DC W 5-4 L 4-5 L 3-6 L 2-7 the 1st team for 4 years; and also to her partner Sacha Craig who Daunsteys L 2-7 L 2-7 W 5-4 is in her 2nd year Lat0-9 first team level. They have both been the mainstay of the 1st VI and are excellent ambassadors for school BGS W 9-0 on account of their standard of play and behaviour on Court.

Wells W 5-4 W 8-1 W 8-1 W 9-0 Most Improved Player: Salver RHS L 0-6 W 6-0 There were several contenders for this trophy, namely Issy Mulvany, Emma Hamilton, Chloe Roberts, Meryn Churchouse, Wycliffe W 8-1 Charlie Kraus, Alice Yates and Sophie Thomson. However, the Prior Park W 7-2who has W 7-2 4-5 W 8-1 winner goes to a player had the Lsteepest learning curve and coped with match play at the level required Naomi Stella.

Warminster W 6-3 W 9-0 W 8-1 Bryanston

Cancelled

Cancelled

Cancelled

15B

14A

14B

13A

13B

12A

12B

W 6-0

W 7-2

W 9-0

L 3-6

W 5-4

L 1-8

W 7-2

L 1-8

L 1-8

L 2-7

L 3-6

L 4-8

W 8-1

L 4-5

W 7-2

W 9-0

W 7-2

W 9-0

L 4-5

W 5-4

W 6-3

L 2-4

Cancelled

Cancelled

L 2-3

L 1-8

L 4-8

L 4-5

W 5-4

W 9-0

W 6-3

Kingswood in Focus 35

Swimming 2007 This season has gone swimmingly.

The boys’ teams put in an impressive effort in all areas from training to competing. The Open team originally consisted of Ross Harding, Mike Riley, Caspar Eliot, Samuel Travers and myself but unfortunately we lost Ross and Mike to injury at the start of this term. Ken Inoue, however, stepped in and was influential in the team’s success. One of the highlights of the season was having Malcolm West (Beefy) step up to race when one of our swimmers was unavailable.

Samuel Cook is being very modest, as he is unbeaten in backstroke this season and holds the school record for this event. The Open Girls have had an outstanding season, winning all our galas, beating Marlborough College, Bradfield, Dauntsey’s, Dean Close, Kings Bruton and Prior Park.

Charlie Barnes and Emma Oliver were awesome throughout the term.

They revealed their exceptional talent time and time again breaking many records along the way. Emma even broke a butterfly record which had stood for fifteen years! Between them they are on the record sheet seven times and they are both unbeaten this season in all events they swam.

They managed this without attending a single school training session!

However, we suspect that they do a bit of swimming outside of school.

The Open Girls were joined by four further swimmers, Claire Carruthers, Georgia Clark, Rhiannon Bid and myself. Claire had a successful first season for the Open team, including breaking the freestyle and medley relay records along with Emma, Charlie and myself. Georgia put in some excellent personal performances along with Rhiannon (who looks just like Moglie from the Jungle book when she has her swimming hat on).

The U16 Boys had a very successful season winning all but one of their galas which they only lost by 1 point. Shaun Mousley, Evan Sawyer, Tom Pang, and Harry Cheetham made up the team. Tom is to be commended on how hard he trained. Evan and Shaun were the most successful swimmers in the individual events and they were joined by Tom and Harry in the relays. Harry Oliver and Robbie Hirst also put in appearances for the U16 team even though they are only in Year 8!

The U16 Girls also had a great season winning all their galas. Stephie Clutterbuck and Georgie Barnes from Year 8 were the pick of the team, both winning many individual events. A special mention must go to Stephie who broke the Open Girls’ freestyle record which had stood since 1996! Myfanwy Hollywell, also in Year 8, shows great promise with her commitment and regular appearances at the dreaded early morning swimming training. Two Year 7 girls, Alice Havers and Becky Saunders, also made a big contribution to the team’s success. Laura Stockley completed the team, producing many personal bests.

The Senior House gala saw great efforts put in from each House and I am pleased to say that Middle dominated again!

There has also been a great interest in swimming this season from many of the younger years. Ryan Salisbury, Josh Jackson, Jess Gregory, Beth Garner, Tyler O’Brian, Keaton Reynolds-Cotterill, Lucy Russell-Bates Alex Hardman, Ollie Meyer and Patrick Seed showed great commitment in training. Both the Year 7 and 8 Boys’ and Girls’ teams have had comfortable wins in their two galas this year. One swimmer who must be mentioned is Harry Rouse who managed to win all of his races despite doing absolutely no training whatsoever because he is always playing cricket!

The annual charity sponsored swim in memory of Dilys Brake raised £970 for the British Heart Foundation. 2881 lengths were swum in total, which is the equivalent of swimming to Bristol and back.

We would like to thank Miss Lane for the contribution she has made to Kingswood swimming. She has helped out at various activities, led by example when she has trained with us and supported all our galas.

She always has helpful advice about how to improve our technique.

Another set of thanks go to Mr Hollywell and Mr Opie for their training over the year. Our final thanks go to Mrs Opie for all the time she spends running swimming here at Kingswood.

36 Kingswood in Focus

Stephanie Clutterbuck

Tom Pang

We must be one of the best schools in the country when you consider how many elite swimmers we have across the Year groups. I am looking forward to next season already and I know that Sam will follow our results with interest while he is on his gap year. Our advice to all the swimmers in school is to train hard and have fun.

Samuel Cook and Sophia Briffa (Captains of Swimming 2007) SWIMMING AWARDS 2007 The cup for the most improved swimmer goes to someone who could not have worked any harder at training. He swims on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and often on Saturdays and Sundays as well.

Not only that, he really pushes himself and often ends up doing extra sprint individual medleys when everyone else is enjoying a few minutes’ rest. He has been a regular member of the U16 team, even though he is only in Year 9. He was the outstanding swimmer in the Year 9 House gala.

This year the cup is awarded to Tom Pang.

The Tench cup is awarded to the most successful school swimmer and as usual there are a number of contenders. Emma Oliver and Charlie Barnes have once again had outstanding seasons winning all of their individual events. Sam Cook and Shaun Mousley are both unbeaten in backstroke.

Georgie Barnes, Alice Havers and Becky Saunders have also had impressive seasons swimming up at least 4 years for the U16 Girls. However, this year the Tench cup is awarded to someone who has been unbeaten in all the individual medley, freestyle and butterfly races she has had. She has her name on the school records for the Open 60 yard freestyle even though she is still only in Year 8. The cup goes to Stephie Clutterbuck.

The Beresford Shield is for the person who has made the greatest contribution to Kingswood swimming. This year it is awarded to a swimmer who has been in the team for the five years she has been at Kingswood. As you have already heard she is an outstanding swimmer and has contributed much to the success of the Open Girls. She has her name on the record list a total of six times. In addition to this she has regularly helped out with one of the team training sessions. A number of swimmers have benefited from her technical advice about the various strokes, as well as starts and turns. This year Emma Oliver wins the Beresford Shield.

Opposition

U16 Girls

Open Girls

U16 Boys

Open Boys

Prior Park

W

W

W

W

Marlborough

W

W

W

L

Dauntsey’s

W

W

W

L

Bradfield

W

W

L

L

Dean Close

W

W

King’s Bruton

W

W

Orienteering The year finished on a high note for the orienteers with the teams doing the double... ...winning both the Avon Schools’ League Shield (for the 3rd consecutive year) and the Avon Schools’ Primary League Trophy for the first time, together with 11 individual trophies.

Kingswood also won all three Avon Schools’ Relay Cups at Ashton Court with the enthusiastic support of many orienteering parents who themselves put up four non-competing teams, as well as shadowing three young non-competing groups.

Kingswood’s trophy winners in the 2006-7 Avon League were: Year 10B Ralph Eliot (2nd) Year 7B Matthew Jeffery (1st), Jack Stuckes (2nd), William Roper (3rd) Year 7G Caitlin Owens (1st), Tamsin Ireland (3rd) Year 6B Barney Eliot (3rd) Year 5B Leonard Budd (1st), Peter Aaron (3rd) Year 5G Angharad Lloyd (1st), Abigail Jeffery (3rd) Inter Relay Winners – Matt Jeffery, Jack Stuckes, Rex Bannerman

ASO 2006-7 League Result: 1st Kingswood 2882, 2nd Bristol Grammar 2829, 3rd Colston’s 1824 The Avon Schools’ Relays medallists were: Open Class: 1st KSODA Alex Russell-Bates, Tim Woodhead, Ralph Eliot Intermediate: 1st KSODA Rex Bannerman, Jack Stuckes, Matt Jeffery Primary:

1st KPSO Leonard Budd, Peter Aaron, Jamie Padkin.

3rd KPSO Cameron Owens, Freddie Barnes, George Logut.

The future looks bright. The immediate targets are five teams entered for the British Schools’ Score Championships in October at Petworth, West Sussex and then the 2007 British Schools’ Championships, also nearby, at Bovington, Dorset in November.

R. J. Lewis (Orienteering Secretary)

"Kingswood won all three Avon Schools’ Relay Cups at Ashton Court..."

Junior Relay Winners – Jamie Padkin, Leonard Budd, Peter Aaron

Open Relay Winners Ralph Eliot, Tim Woodhead, Alex Russell-Bates

Trophy Winners: (right) Angharad Lloyd, 1st (left) Sophie McDermott, 3rd

KPS - Primary League Winners

Kingswood in Focus 37

Upper Development New Astroturf

Astro Down and Pavilion Awaits Our ambitious development project to transform the facilities on the Upper is well underway with the creation of the new sand-dressed artificial turf pitch on the Upper.

Proposed Pavilion

Thankyou to all those who have supported the Kingswood School Foundation Fund.

FOUNDATION FELLOWS Lady Elizabeth Anderson Mr & Mrs Bird Mr William Cumber Mr & Mrs Carrington Mr & Mrs Darch Mr & Mrs Feeny Dr Ruth Gillies Mr & Mrs Ingham Mr & Mrs Meyer Mr & Mrs O'Connor Mr Price & Mrs Toye Mr & Mrs Palomino Marced Dr & Mrs Redman Mr Robert Sandry Mr & Mrs Saunders Mr Anthony Sheppard Mr Michael Williams Mr Hugh Wright Some of our patrons wish to remain anonymous

FOUNDATION FRIENDS Mr Neil Ashley Mr David Beresford Smith Miss Rhiannon Bid Mr C Bowyer Mr & Mrs Cutter Mr John Collinson Mr & Mrs Day Mr Martin Dodds Mr Jonathan Forbes Mr Peter Goldsbrough Mr William Homfray-Davies Mr Jack Humphrey Mr John James Mr M Lang Wing Commander Luke Mr Donald MacKenzie Mr & Mrs Payne Mr & Mrs Pritchard Mr Norman Reeves Mr & Mrs Scolding Mr & Mrs Simpson Mr Geoffrey Ward Mr Christopher Williams Mr Alan Wright 38 Kingswood in Focus

Mr John Barr Mr Norman Bellis Dr Steve Bold Mr Robert Brownlow Mr Nigel Collingwood Mrs Davenport Read Mr & Mrs Duchars Rev Michael Franklin Mr Anthony Green Mr Noel Harvey Mr John Humphrey Dr & Mrs Ireland Mr & Mrs King Mr & Mrs Lino Mr & Mrs Lynock Mr Nicol McGregor Mr & Mrs Pillinger Mr Richard Reed Mr & Mrs Rowlands Mr & Mrs Silvester Mr & Mrs Socha Dr Michael Ward Mr & Mrs Wookey His Honour Judge Peter Wright

This was successfully completed on schedule and handed over to the school by the contractors, AP Thompson Sports Engineering, in November 2007. The official opening will take place next term but we are, of course, already using it. You can imagine the excitement of those boys and girls from the prep school who were the first users of the pitch immediately after the hand-over. Since then senior school staff and pupils have been equally thrilled as they have played on the surface for the first time, and so too have those members of the local community who have hired its use on certain evenings. The pitch, which also contains an extensive warm-up area, is constructed to the FIH international and national specification and has a top quality Desso Trophy 20 carpet. The lighting is low glare and was recommended by the Dark Skies organisation.

I must take this opportunity first and foremost to thank those parents and alumni who have contributed to the Foundation Fund to enable this to happen and to thank the Kingswood Association Executive for their more recent financial support to do all the preliminary works to the new and more extensive car park which is being created alongside the new astro and the Pavilion. The Friends of KPS have been particularly active and I have appreciated the positive response of the newly restructured Friends of KS to future fund-raising. I would also like to thank Mrs Jane Vines, our Development Director, Mrs Helen Ruddell, our Facilities Manager, and Mr Jamie Moore, our Head Groundsman, who have worked so hard to ensure the success of this project and who have closely worked with AP Thompson Sports Engineering over the past 18 weeks of the pitch’s construction.

For Mrs Vines the handing over of the new pitch is a fitting tribute to her time with us because, sadly, she is moving on at the end of November to become the Development Director at Downside School. We are sorry to be losing her because over the past five years she has contributed very significantly in three ways to Kingswood. First, she has completely changed the way in which we organise our commercial lets and in the process radically improved the revenue we obtain from these. Secondly, she was the person who spearheaded our planning consent for the development of facilities on the Upper. Thirdly, she has worked with me alongside both the Kingswood Association and the Friends of Kingswood to very successfully fund-raise for the Foundation Fund.

We wish her every happiness and success in her new position and I know noone would be more pleased than her if the remaining money required for the Upper development is quickly raised.

I am delighted that Mrs Angela Carlton-Porter is to become the new Development Director. As a parent who has had a fifteen year connection with the school, she knows the value of what Kingswood offers to its pupils.

Moreover, for the past eight years she been responsible for our Admissions and Marketing, and therefore she knows many of our parents particularly well.

Development Director Jane Vines, Facilities Manager Helen Ruddell and Head Groundsman Jamie Moore celebrate the handing over of the new Astroturf

The Foundation Fund is still showing a small surplus which we must build on fast if we are to maintain our momentum and get the Pavilion construction underway in the not too distant future. Anyone now going up to the Upper and seeing the new sand-dressed artificial turf pitch and the playing fields and other sporting facilities around it will appreciate why we desperately require a new Pavilion.

If you have not already done so, PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO THE FOUNDATION FUND and help us reach our target. We cannot achieve a new Pavilion without your financial support – and I make this plea in particular to former pupils of the school, especially those who enjoyed their sport at Kingswood. The games staff continue to encourage and inspire many individuals and teams – but they desperately need these new facilities. There would be no better way of you saying a thank you to them for the unstinting efforts they have made and continue to make than helping fund the new Pavilion.

Anyone wishing to give please contact the Development Office.

There are various ways you can give financial support, including using gift aid or buying a brick. If you have lost your ‘buy a brick’ leaflet we can send you another. A recent donor used the share mechanism to make a donation and I would urge more of you to also consider this option because the cost of your donation can be worth almost twice that to the Foundation Fund. The donor concerned says: ‘I gave 4000 Standard Life Shares to the School and these were sold for £11,500. I was able to claim a tax credit of 40% on that donation because Kingswood is a Charity so the donation actually cost me £6,900. If I had made a cash donation of £11,500 I would only be able to reclaim 18% back through Gift Aid and the donation would have cost me £9,500 and by giving shares I also avoided any Capital Gains Tax. Both Kingswood and I gain at the Inland Revenue’s expense!’

A new Pavilion will treble the facilities we currently have. This will create the modern facility we need in order to provide not only the changing rooms we require for our boys and girls but also appropriate facilities in which to offer hospitality to parents and visiting teams.

Mr Gary Best (Headmaster)

Kingswood Foundation Fund is also raising money for bursaries... ...to help able children from less well off homes to have a Kingswood education. Many of you recognise the importance of this kind of support and are in a position to benefit from the significant amount of tax relief currently available on charitable donations. We are slowly building an endowment fund for future generations and would like to thank those who have already given:Mr & Mrs Butler Mr Robert Carlton-Porter Mr & Mrs Cheung Mr & Mrs Cook Mr & Mrs Darch Mr & Mrs Eliot Mr & Mrs Everson Mr & Mrs Gates Mr Charles Gerrish Dr Gibson & Mrs McLeod Mr Peter Goldsbrough Mr & Mrs Huws Mr & Mrs Ireland Dr & Mrs Jackson Mr & Mrs Kebby Jones Mr & Mrs King Mr & Mrs King-Harman

Rev Donald Knighton Siu Leung Lo Mr N Lockhart Mr & Mrs Lyle Mr & Mrs Matthews Mr & Mrs Meredith Mr & Mrs Morley Jones Ms Ruth Nunn Mr & Mrs Palomino Marced Mr & Mrs Pritchard Mr Philip Rawlins Mr & Mrs Sawyer Mr Anthony Sheppard Mr Richard Sleight Mr & Mrs Socha Mr & Mrs Wratten

Have you bought your bricks yet?

"Pupils from KPS prepare to use the new astro for the first time."

Kingswood in Focus 39

Friends of KPS and KS

A New Year Brings New Friends I gave a short welcome and then talked about the New Friends.

Everyone enjoyed the rest of the evening catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, and we were pleased that around 20 people signed up to help with future events.

The New Friends want to build on and develop the excellent work done over 29 years by the original Friends of Kingswood, and the thanks of the school go to John Allison and the Chairs of successive committees and their members for all the hard work that has gone before. They have been a tremendous support to generations of parents and the School over the years, providing the foundation on which most of the current parental involvement in Kingswood was built. Much of the work they started will continue. The School is very grateful for their various gifts over the years and in the last three alone, they have supported the school by providing the following, made possible by funds raised through their varied programme of events: • Tents, banners and control equipment for the orienteering group • Sponsorship for the first 2 issues of Wyvern • Vivarium for Westwood environment group • Microphones for the Music Department • Main sponsorship of the BISMUN with reception for Advisors • Gavels and Salvers for the MUN prizes • Multigym equipment • Sound effects console for the Drama department • Digital camera for the Art Department • Sponsorship for the Drama Department’s production, "Return to the Forbidden Planet" • Golf Trophy • Annual sponsorship of the ‘Environment Prize at Prize giving’ • Sponsorship of charity CD for the Music Department • £5,000 donation to the Foundation The fantastic support of MUN and organisation of the Nearly New Uniform Shop that started with the original Friends will continue

40 Kingswood in Focus

under the auspices of the New Friends and the parental presence at Open Mornings and other School Events that proved so necessary in former years will continue, as will the serving of refreshments at Parents’ Evenings. In addition, and as a means of raising more funds, the New Friends will now run the bar for School plays and concerts in the Theatre to raise funds.

In addition to traditional favourites like the Wine Tasting evening that has, for so long, been a central part of the autumn programme, some exciting new events are planned for this academic year. The Wine Tasting at Great Western Wine in November will be an opportunity to buy your Christmas stocks at a discount as well as experiencing a fine wine range of wines put together by long-time supporter of the Friends, Old and New, Alan Nordberg. In addition there will be a Christmas Concert by parents for parents in the Theatre on 5 December. Look out for more information in the e-mail Newsletters each week.

Jan Douglas-Bate (Committee Member Friends of Kingswood)

Friends of KPS The Friends of Kingswood Prep School have completed another really successful year... ...(June 06 - June 07) with plenty of events keeping us all very busy and engaged with school life. Not only have we had fun, but also we've managed to raise significant sums of money. This has enabled us to donate a total of £12,741.84 to KPS and the Kingswood Foundation Fund, which is a fantastic achievement!

We also promised to donate our profits from the summer Moonlit Party which was held on 30th June, to the Kingswood Foundation Fund – so another £3480.35 have been given from the Prep School. The evening was a great social occasion, and a terrific way to mark the end of the school year.

"We've been able to donate a total of £12,741.84 to KPS and the Kingswood Foundation Fund...."

A new FoKPS committee has been elected for this year, and all are welcome to come to the meetings.

Don't forget to come to our Christmas Fayre at KPS on Saturday 8th December at 2pm!

The Rainbow of Sound An enormous thank you to the Friends of KPS for their generous contribution of a set of 6 beautiful, brightly coloured small ‘Harpsicles’.

These have been specially made for children to learn how to play the harp. Eighteen children from Year 3 will have the opportunity to attend the Rainbow of Sound harp lessons this academic year.

This is a unique opportunity for the children to have a really creative musical experience at such a young age.

Sue Caden and Jackie Cross

Ella Robinson (standing) and Gracie O’Mahony (playing the harp) with teacher Miss Sue Caden

Art Department Persia Parsons Y13

Marianne Teoh Y10

Lucia Graham Wood Y11

NinaFini FiniY10 Y10 Nina

April Kwok Y11

Rhiannon Bid Y13

Eleanor Batterham Y11

Imogen Forrester

Background image

by Naomi Stella Y10

Daisy Head Y13

Arthur Lau Y11

Abigail Marshall Y11

Emma Woudberg Y13 James Bruce Y13

KPS Art - Prize Winning Sheep The competition was set in Stoberry Park near Wells.

"It was a great success with the judges and public."

The gardens house many works of art but the 'sheep' was a one off exhibition culminating in a concert and open day. Each entering School was delivered an mdf life sized cut out sheep with which you could do absolutely anything to. The Prep School had a sheep along with the Senior School and competitions were set to design a composition.

The Prep School's whacky design got a special commendation with its massive wings, funky teeth and wellies but the Kingswood Seniors won the event with an eco themed sheep. It was a great success not only with the judges but also with the visiting public. The students involved were Kim Chivers (Year 7), Stephanie Hughes (Year 7), Tim Woodhead (Year 8) and Charles Price (Year 8). The students received a small trophy and the school received a beautiful glass trophy. (Oldfield Park School in Bath came second).

Thanks must go to Mrs Fox, Mrs Bradbury and MJ for taking the students and sheep down at the end of last term.

Kingswood in Focus 43

Kingswood Association

The Story of English As Recounted by Lord Watson of Richmond, CBE The four most numerous languages in the world are Chinese, Hindi, Arabic and English, but the latter has become the working language of the world. To mark the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English-speaking settlement in the New world, Alan Watson circa 1954 – 1959 has produced a special book entitled ‘Jamestown: The Story of English’. He describes the hazards faced by the first settlers – within nine months only 38 of the original 104 were still alive – and how the colony only survived through the efforts of Bartholomew Gosnold and John Smith (the latter of Pocahontas fame). He points out how the early settlers encouraged the native Indians to learn English and how some “wigwam words” were incorporated into English.

The book ranges from Shakespeare and the King James Bible to the success of capitalism, from the development of democracy and the economics of slavery to the massive scale of British emigration in the nineteenth century and the impact of the two world wars in the twentieth. It also affords a fascinating insight into how the Americans produced their own brand of English, including the influence of Noah Webster’s ground-breaking American dictionary.

‘Jamestown: The Story of English’, marks the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English-speaking settlement in the New world.

Anyone interested in how England’s English and American English combined to spread across the globe and how English thus became ‘the property of the world’ will find this short book a rewarding and enjoyable read. Alan Watson is, of course, well-placed to write it because, in addition to his distinguished political career, he has been the Commonwealth Chairman of the English-Speaking Union for six years and is currently its Chairman Emeritus. He is also an executive member of the Pilgrims, Britain’s oldest Anglo-American organisation.

Among his many academic honours, he was awarded the Loyola Schools Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Promotion of English by Manila University in 2005.

‘Jamestown’ is published by Artesian (www.artpub.co.uk) and costs £10.

Sterling Service John Lewis has retired as General Secretary after eleven years in which he has served the Association with immense dedication.

As his own association with the school began as a pupil in 1947 and he was also a long-serving member of staff from 1972 to 1997, John possessed an unrivalled encyclopaedic knowledge of the school.

Just as importantly, he was boundlessly enthusiastic about helping former pupils stay in touch with each other and the school.

In his time as Secretary he assisted in the total reorganisation of the way in which the Association was run and patiently accepted moving the Association Office twice – most recently, of course, into its splendid new home in the Posnett Gallery. He also saw communication move mainly from telephone and letter to e-mail and website, but retained his interest in producing the Association Magazine and, more recently with the advent of some Association articles appearing instead in Kingswood in Focus, the Association Notes and News. Meeting Association members, whether when visiting the school or attending regional and other events, always gave him pleasure. So, too, did the fact that the Association was sometimes able to offer financial support to some school activities and facilities.

His own love for seeing young people excel continues to show itself in his continued commitment to the school’s exceptionally talented and committed Orienteers. Thank you for all you have done, John!

ASSOCIATION DATES FOR YOUR DIARY MJSD Dining Club 2008 Orienteering event MJSD Dining Club London Reception Middle Temple South West Lunch MJSD Dining Club Kingswood in France

7th December 07 27th January 08 14th March 08 March 08 10th May 08 13th June 08 13th September 08

For details of any event, please contact jca@kingswood.bath.sch.uk or 01225 734260

House of Lords Dinner The Kingswood Association were invited to dine in the Peers’ Dining Room by Lord Alan Watson on 15th June at 7.30pm.

What a wonderful opportunity it was to see inside such a magnificent building and to see the red benches where Lord Alan has presided for many years.

He had recently been awarded the German Knight’s Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Germany’s highest civil order, after 40 years of work on the Anglo German Initiative so the Association were delighted to be able to help him celebrate in such magnificent surroundings.

It was a beautiful evening and we all assembled in our finery for a tour before the reception.

The following members and their guests attended:-

David Ensor John Wetherill David Brice Kingsley Pilling Andrew Gibbs David Joynson Geoffrey Sloan Charles Phillips Martin Watson Tamar White

1934-42 1949-54 1951-59 1955-61 1960-65 1959-67 1961-69 1971-77 1979-86 1988-95

Keith Maddox Michael Bloxham Alan Watson Roger May Michael Ensor Peter Wright Rebecca Allen (nee Calder) Diana Deacon James Pearce Victoria Fitchett

1940-48 1951-55 1954-59 1958-62 1959-66 1958-67 1972-74 1978-82 1977-87 1992-96

Ashley Pugh Garth Willson Martin Rupp Richard Tranter Simon Gibbs Richard O'Brien Andrew Conibear Stephen Watson Barnaby Coleman Eleanor Wright

1944-49 1949-56 1950-59 1958-62 1962-66 1960-68 1969-76 1980-84 1980-87 1993-96

Keith Duchars David Beresford-Smith David Lane Timothy Westbrook Neil Ashley Paul Kirtley Colin Prince Sarah Walker (nee Beresford-Smith) Richard Westbrook Edward Wright

1946-53 1953-58 1951-61 1961-65 1960-66 1963-69 1972-77 1979-86 1988-92 1991-97

"What a wonderful opportunity it was to see inside such a magnificent building..."

Kingswood in Focus 45

Poetry & Science Springing from Conviction Kingswood has lost two of its distinguished old boys with the deaths this year of the poet Arnold Rattenbury and the scientist Sir John Burnett.

Rattenbury’s father was a Methodist missionary in China and Arnold joined Kingswood in 1933, where his classmates included the future radical historian and campaigner E.P. Thompson and the poet and famous Shelley scholar, G.M. Matthews. It was at school that he learned to love writing poetry. In 1940 he won a scholarship to St John’s, Cambridge but in 1941, following the Nazi invasion of Russia, he volunteered for the army because he had become a fervent Communist. After being invalided out, he began working for the communist arts monthly, ‘Our Time’, where some of his early poems appeared.

This brought him into contact with such luminaries as the novelists Patrick Hamilton and Sylvia Townsend Warner, the poet Randall Swingler, the artist James Boswell, and the librettist of Britten’s opera ‘Peter Grimes’, Montagu Slater.

After marrying an actress, Simonette Cooper-Willis, and trying various ventures, he became an exhibition designer first in London and then in Nottingham and elsewhere.

Sir John Burnett

His keen visual sense combined with his literary flair made him a great success. Among his best remembered exhibitions were those on D.H. Lawrence, Josiah Wedgwood, and Wilfred Owen and those on ‘Bicycles’ and ‘Clowning’. Those who knew him best praised his great wit and seemingly inexhaustible flow of comic stories. He has been described as writing ‘a wonderful, incomparable, dissident kind of post-Georgian poetry, unyielding in its intellectual rigour, its craft or its politics’.

His first collection of poems, Second Causes, was published in 1969, and this was followed by five further collections: Man Thinking (1972), Dull Weather Dance (1982), The Frigger Papers (1994), Morris Papers (1996), and Mr Dick’s Kite (2005). A last collection of his poems is due from Smokestack Books.

At school at the same time as Rattenbury was John Burnett, whose incisive intellect and passion for science were very much in evidence.

He left Kingswood in 1940 to go to Merton College, Oxford, but his time there was interrupted by serving in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Famously he was for a time holed up in a cave with the future Marshal Tito and it is said it was partly Burnett’s influence that later encouraged him to create Yugoslavia’s National Parks.

After the war Burnett had a distinguished academic career as a mycologist and ecologist, working in the universities of Oxford, Liverpool, St Andrew’s, Newcastle, and Glasgow. He had a reputation for being exceptionally kind to his students. He was Sibthorpian Professor of Rural Economy, Oxford University, from 1970 to 1979 (setting up the Department of Agriculture and Forest Science, which was the first applied science department at the university) and Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh University from 1979 to 1987.

His championing of environmental and ecological issues led to Mrs Thatcher famously referring to him in the 1980s as her “favourite dissident scientist”. Knighted in 1987, he was pivotal in setting up the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the International Organisation for Plant Information and he served as secretary to the World Council for the Biosphere (1987-1993). His work as Chair of the Co-ordinating Commission for Biological Recording was very influential in creating the National Biodiversity Network of which he was chair from 2000 to 2005. Those pupils at Kingswood today who lead everyone to consider the importance of being eco-friendly thus stand in the footsteps of Sir John. I am sure that he would be proud of them.

Mr Gary Best (Headmaster)

Work Experience of a Lifetime in Old boy Clive Hunton (KS 1983-9) is currently the Communications Director for the British High Commission in Australia and he offered to provide some work experience for two of our current sixthformers. Clive (pictured left) says: ‘I've been in Australia for 7 years, and I'm now an Australian citizen working locally and not as a diplomat.

I arrange all the media interviews and media comment, and I draft speeches for the High Commissioner. I'm a journalist by training, having worked as a news presenter for the BBC Radio and Capital Radio in the ‘90s. I received enormous support from Kingswood staff when I was doing work experience myself at the BBC in 1988, so I was more than happy to help out when I saw the article in Kingswood Association News asking for employers to volunteer.’

This is Jourdan Parmar-Malloch and Max Scoging’s account of their experience: 46 Kingswood in Focus

46

Clive visited Kingswood in March 2007, to discuss his work and to ascertain if any current students would like to undertake work experience in his offices. The main bureaucratic obstacle to our acceptance of this fantastic offer came from the British Foreign Office, who expressed concern that, as we are both under 18, they would have had to take responsibility for any irresponsible behaviour and personal safety on our part. Mr Lloyd therefore had to write a letter to confirm the School’s high opinion of us, for which he is still awaiting payment!

We raised money to enable us to go and flew to Canberra, via Singapore and Sydney. We worked primarily in the Press and Public Affairs Office.

Initially, we had to arrange for Australian journalists to visit Wales, to research Muslim integration in the workplace and society, as well as to consider means by which Wales is coping with climate change.

This visit was made possible by funding from the Welsh Assembly.

Thus we prepared a detailed itinerary, making suitable arrangements for meetings between the journalists and key political figures. We also undertook a study of the Australian census, where we analysed demographic trends in the country, to help identify suitable means by

Drugs & Alcohol – Is Your Business at Risk?

OLD BOY SYNERGY AND NETWORKING The recent enactment of Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide (CMCH) legislation is the culmination of this Government’s pre-election promise to give more ‘teeth’ to Health and Safety Legislation. This becomes active on 6.4.08. and if you run a company you might be at risk!

and accidents is increased. Working relationships are bound to suffer.

It is quite chilling to note that 25% of those seeking help for drug-related problems are in employment, and that research shows that 25% of workplace accidents are alcohol related.

The Government have highlighted their wish to target companies who, in their view, have paid scant regard to the proper management of health and safety issues, particularly where such an attitude has led to fatal consequences.

Geoff Sloan (PC/ KS 1961-1969) and Andrew Conibear (KS 1969-1976) have collaborated in a unique endeavour to offer advice, help and protection in this particularly thorny area.

In the light of well-publicised tragedies including the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise, the Kings Cross Fire, the Clapham rail disaster and the sinking of the Marchioness, the Government felt that it was too difficult to prosecute companies and individuals whose errors or carelessness had caused the tragedies.

Any company director taking their fiduciary responsibilities seriously will be constantly assessing the risks, both internal and external, to their corporate viability. They will assess the risk posed by competitors, market changes and financial volatility, but will they have considered the dangers posed by drug or alcohol abuse within their workforce or contractors? In many instances, the answer will be “No”.

Did you know that a European-wide survey recently showed that Britain is the Heroin ‘Capital’ of Europe?

Or that it tops the ‘league’ of Cocaine and Amphetamine abuse.

In terms of Ecstasy abuse we rate third place? Additionally, deaths from cirrhosis of the liver have increased 959% in men and 924% in women in this country over the past 30 years. We are becoming a nation of heavy drinkers, but how does this affect the workplace?

If one considers that the common drugs of abuse are psychotropic, in that they work on the brain to influence and alter perception and behaviour, then the consequences of substance abuse within the working environment, particularly where safety-sensitive work is undertaken, are obvious and it is not surprising that the likelihood of poor performance

The CMCH is intended to resolve this anomaly and to make the prosecution of corporations far easier.

The penalty could involve an unlimited fine and individuals could still face prosecution for Manslaughter under existing legislation.

So, what does this mean for you?

If your company engages in any safety-sensitive work, which can involve the design and manufacture of systems which can subsequently fail and cause accidents, you could be vulnerable. Equally, if your staff members drive either a company vehicle or their own vehicle on company business, you could be at risk. If an accident occurs when corporate activity is being undertaken, you may be liable to prosecution if someone dies.

You may think that you and your organisation are adequately protected by your Professional Indemnity, Public Liability, Directors and Officers etc. cover, but this may not be the case.

If any of these issues may affect your business or activities and wish to discuss it further or just use it as an excuse to contact old friends Andrew and Geoff can be contacted through the Kingswood Association.

the Big Down Under

Jourdan Parmar-Malloch & Max Scoging

which biometric passports may be securely issued, to minimise identity fraud and theft.

It was a privilege to attend Parliamentary Question Time in the House of Representatives, with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition in attendance, and to meet and talk with several leading Australian diplomats, including the British High Commissioner to Australia, The Right Honourable Helen Liddel, former Scottish Secretary under Tony Blair.

Canberra itself is a very pleasant and tranquil city, with wonderful open parklands.

We visited the Australian War Memorial, with its remarkable museum; the Australian National Museum, which houses modern exhibitions; and the Australian Sports Institute, where elite athletes are prepared for international competition. By contrast, Sydney was bustling, very lively and considerably warmer – perfect for our tans! The world-famous Bondi Beach is a ‘must see’ for any visitor, with its stunning blue waters; the Harbour Bridge and Opera House are equally impressive, particularly from the vantage point of a ferry crossing.

Clearly, the work experience proved to be a fantastic boost to our understanding of politics in practice, and the role of the Foreign Office in other countries, not to mention the great time we had encountering a different culture in wonderful settings. We must extend our thanks to Clive Hunton and the Lane family, whose daughters Sophie and Tessa have proven to be great ambassadors themselves as Sports Assistants here at Kingswood.

Kingswood in Focus 47

The MJSD Club From day one the title of the quarterly dining club that has now been running for well over a year has created interest, amusement and even, on occasions, confusion.

It has, however, encouraged Association members to question what the initials stand for and the MJSD is now an established part of the programme of events on offer. Curiosity has played a part in drawing new members to join those who have become firm regulars!

MJSD, of course, is formed from the initial letters of the months March, June, September and December. The dining club meets on the second Friday evening of the quarter months and the regularity of its nature is fast becoming one of the main attractions of MJSD. It is not just the regularity, however, that proves an attraction for the MJSD. The atmosphere is relaxed with no formalities and no speeches.

Members – and there is no joining requirement apart from giving a little notice so that we can inform the caterers of our numbers – pay a fixed sum for the meal and enjoy the facility of an ‘honesty bar’ serving wine, beer and soft drinks. We meet at 7.00 pm for drinks, and food is served from 7.30pm. And there perhaps lies the crux of the reason that MJSD has become so popular. The meals that we have experienced have ranged from stunning curries to hearty French fare and exciting regional dishes from Spain and Italy. It is a matter of comment at meetings when those who left from school with memories of pretty dire catering, experience what is produced for our delight in the school kitchens. It is a far cry from the long held memories of London Roast or the prunes! Adrian Fairlie, of the school catering team and his professional partner and fiancée Tammy have been on board with the MJSD since the beginning and have provided us with the most wonderful meals. On each occasion they seem to offer something more exciting than at the last meeting and those of us who are real ‘foodies’ recognise the very good value that the main course, pudding, coffee and truffles provides.

The drinks, meal and relaxed conversations would be sufficient on their own but we also try after each event to visit one of the developments in school facilities that have taken place in recent years. We have watched as the Moulton Hall was transformed into the Jo Heap Library and the Posnett Library into the Posnett Gallery. We have looked at the Theatre and there are plans to have a tour of the Music School that is housed in what many will remember as the Sanatorium. Quite often conversation rekindles in the Dining Hall after our tour and flows until the Dining Hall is locked for the night!

All new initiatives need to settle down and our first two meetings were select evenings but the numbers have grown with over 30 diners now regularly attending each event. Over sixty people – former students, partners, current and past staff – have now attended an MJSD over the last sixteen months and the number continues to grow.

We can cater for more people at our meetings and any member of the Kingswood Association and their partner is most welcome to join us for one of the future meals. Details of each MJSD are sent by e-mail to all members of the Association living in the UK and we encourage the oldest and youngest to join us.

Our earliest leaver to attend MJSD left KS in 1939 and the youngest leaver, so far, left in 2000 and, as almost all generations are represented, it is a fair bet that anyone coming to an MJSD will find someone they know.

"MJSD is proving a most exciting but relaxed addition to the calendar of Association events."

All in all MJSD is proving a most exciting but relaxed addition to the calendar of events on offer to members of the Kingswood Association.

Why not come and join us?

John C. Allison

For further details of future events write to me at the school or e-mail me: jca@kingswood.bath.sch.uk

"...a number of Association members met to recall the glories of scouting at Kingswood..."

Giving Thanks 2007 marked the centenary of scouting and all over the country there were special events.

In the case of Kingswood, scouting commenced at the school in 1927 and soon there were four patrols named the Seagulls, the Hounds, the Foxes and the Peewits. Activities included many camps, a barge trip up the Kennet and Avon canal and a week in Denmark. By 1933 the troop had won several local competitions and a year later there were five King’s Scouts. Lacock became the site selected for an annual camp, even though on the first visit 32 of the 39 scouts went down with a mysterious malady and some had to be hospitalised!

The Troop’s leader C.J. Sparrow left in 1938 but later became a leading figure in Bath scouting (eventually becoming District Commissioner and being awarded the Silver Acorn and Silver Wolf for his services to scouting). The legendary “Pa” (Douglas Milne) ensured that scouting continued to thrive, even when Kingswood was temporarily transplanted to Uppingham School in the war years. Indeed, a Senior Scout patrol was created in 1942, despite Milne’s involvement with the Home Guard which restricted his active involvement in camps.

After the war the scouts acquired a base called ‘the Clubber’, moved their annual camps to Bowden Hill, and began performing annual Gang Shows. By then another two patrols – the Squirrels and the Owls – existed. As a consequence Kingswood was well represented at the 1957 World Scout Jamboree in Sutton Coldfield.

In the 1960s activities became more varied and included pot-holing in Somerset and hill-climbing in Wales. After 35 years of scouting “Pa” retired in 1966. His quiet authority, meticulous organisation, and mischievous sense of humour had been central to the success of Kingswood scouting.

Six years later the Scout Troop closed down. Since then some Kingswood pupils have continued to engage in scouting but through belonging to Bath patrols. On 30th June 2007 a number of Association members met to recall the glories of scouting at Kingswood and to give particular thanks to “Pa” by planting a commemorative tree in his honour.

Kingswood in Focus 49

Charles Wesley Feature

Kingswood’s Other Founder Although traditionally it has become customary to describe how John Wesley founded Kingswood, it should never be forgotten that his brother Charles, perhaps the greatest hymn-writer this country has ever produced, was equally involved in the project from the outset.

Like John, Charles thought the schools of his day were conveying only an outward knowledge that was ‘learning’s shell’ and were encouraging children to want to be only ‘caressed, admired, and pampered with applause’. As well as conveying academic learning, he believed schools should be seeking to inspire ‘a spark of heavenly fire, a taste of God, a seed of grace’ so that the young acquired wisdom and the right values. A good school would remedy the potential for evil in each child’s ‘sin-sick mind’ and Charles hoped Kingswood would help its pupils ‘shun the paths of men’ and ‘listen for the voice of truth’. He wrote a special hymn for the school’s opening, which included the lines: ‘Error and ignorance remove, Their blindness both of heart and mind; Give them the wisdom from above, Spotless, and peaceable, and kind....

Unite the pair so oft disjoined, Knowledge and vital piety…’

If John wrote all the school’s initial textbooks, it was Charles who probably helped most shape the school’s worship because he was present at Kingswood far more than his brother. Charles wrote a number of hymns especially for the children, encouraging them to look at the world with ‘a spiritual discernment’ so they would not be simply blinded by the culture of the day:

Far on the left with horror stand, My fearful doom to meet?

Abandon’d to extreme despair, Eternally undone…’

As far as we know, Charles taught the boys his hymns by making them learn them two lines at a time. Many of the hymns which Charles wrote for its pupils were eventually collected in his “Hymns for Children”, which was published in 1763. One of the hymns in this collection (‘Gentle Jesus, meek and mild’) became particularly well-known. In total he wrote around 9,000 hymns and around 150 of the best of these are still among the most widely-sung and appreciated in the world today.

They include ‘And Can It Be That I Should Gain?’, ‘Christ from Whom All Blessings Flow’, ‘Christ the Lord Is Risen Today’, ‘Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies’, ‘Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus’, ‘Forth in Thy Name, O Lord’, ‘Hark! the Herald Angels Sing’, ‘I Know That My Redeemer Lives’, ‘Jesus Christ Is Risen Today’, ‘Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending’, ‘Love Divine, All Loves Excelling’, ‘O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing’, ‘O Thou Who Camest from Above’, ‘Rejoice, the Lord Is King’, ‘Soldiers of Christ, Arise’, and ‘Ye Servants of God’.

‘For this I ever pray, The darkness chase away From a foolish, feeble mind, Humbly offer’d up to Thee: Help me, Lord, my soul is blind, Give me light, and eyes to see…’

Like his brother, Charles also encouraged the boys to work hard: ‘Sloth is the accursed root Whence ten thousand evils shoot; Every vice and every sin, Doth with idleness begin.’

"Charles had a remarkable talent of expressing the most important truths with simplicity and energy..."

Three surviving letters indicate Charles’ involvement in sorting out disciplinary issues among the pupils. When one mother was very upset that her son had been sent home for bad behaviour, Charles consoled her about her ‘poor wild boy’ and said that he would personally look after the boy on his return ‘and he shall not be corrected at all… [if] he shall not be mischievous anymore’. Charles explained to the pupils that their failings were a natural product of human sin – and he taught them to see that only by the grace of God could they hope to improve. He posed in one of his hymns the issue of whether any pupil would knowingly wish to choose a lifestyle which would lead to ultimate damnation in Hell: ‘While all my old companions dear, With whom I once did live, Joyful at God’s right hand appear, A blessing to receive; Shall I, - amidst a ghastly band, Dragg’d to the judgement-seat, 50 Kingswood in Focus

This year Epworth Press published my new biography on Charles to mark the tercentenary of his birth in December 1707. In researching the book I soon appreciated that the wonderful nature of much of his writing stemmed from his dynamic experiences as a travelling preacher and his ministry in Bristol and London. I was amazed to discover just how important a role he played – indeed my book shows how the Methodist movement would not have developed in the way it did without him. I now know why John Wesley said that hymn-writing was the least

of Charles’ talents.

Charles allowed his older brother to hog the limelight but, according to a number of contemporaries, he was a better preacher than John Wesley and certainly a finer pastor. One contemporary wrote: ‘[Charles] had a remarkable talent of expressing the most important truths with simplicity and energy; and his discourses were sometimes truly apostolic, forcing conviction on his hearers in spite of the most determined opposition.’

For twenty years he travelled the country as extensively as his brother and he was also the person who most monitored and encouraged the early lay preachers. He was the first to tour Cornwall, he was known as ‘the apostle of the North’ because of his work in the Newcastle area, and he was a key figure in establishing Methodism in Ireland. Some of Charles’ hymns reflect his role as preacher:

Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim And publish abroad his wonderful name The name all-victorious of Jesus extol; His kingdom is glorious and rules over all’.

And some his rejoicing at the response of those who listened to him:

See how great a flame aspires Kindled by a spark of grace!

Jesu’s love the nation fires, Sets the kingdoms on a blaze…

Charles’ greatest contribution was the warmth of his personality. Here was a man who was, in the words of one contemporary, ‘made for friendship’.

People respected John Wesley but often found him a difficult and overly autocratic man (he was nicknamed ‘Pope John’!) whereas Charles was deeply loved. It was Charles who befriended George Whitefield, the man who actually first started creating Methodist societies, and Benjamin Ingham, the man who first initiated a religious revival in the Midlands.

It was Charles who won the admiration of the great Welsh preacher Howell Harris and inspired the redoubtable minister William Grimshaw, who effectively became the main initiator of Methodism in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire and Lancashire. It was Charles who was regarded almost as a son by Selina, Countess of Huntingdon – and her money and influence were very important in the early days of Methodism.

The so-called ‘saint’ of Methodism William Fletcher was so overwhelmed

by Charles’ kindness that he once commented: ‘I am so assured of your salvation that I ask for no other place in heaven than the one I might have at your feet. I even question whether Paradise would be Paradise if you were not there to share it with me. The very idea… that we might one day be parted, grieves my heart and fills my eyes with tears.’

None of these people would have stuck working with John if they had not loved Charles. It is no accident that one of Charles’ hymns embodies the importance of friendship:

‘Help us to help each other Lord Each other’s cross to bear Let each his friendly aid afford And feel his brother’s care.’

Charles was also the person who most resisted Methodism becoming a separate Christian organisation because he believed that the gospel was only weakened by creating different religious sects:

‘Love, like death, hath all destroyed, Rendered all distinctions void; Names, and sects, and parties fall; Thou, O Christ, art all in all’.

Perhaps my favourite story about Charles dates from when he was an old man in 1780. French support for the Americans in their war for independence had rekindled anti-Catholic feeling and London had become the centre of the terrible Gordon Riots. At a time when the whole of London was terrified of the mob, Charles bravely publicly preached against what was happening. He knew he was placing his life in real danger but he felt somebody had to openly stand up against the bigotry and preach for peace. He wrote to one of his children that he was not surprised that their mother was terrified by what he had done but: ‘If God had not rebuked the madness of the people at the very crisis, London had now been no more’.

Unlike John, Charles married very happily and he had three children.

His wife Sally said after her husband’s death that even more memorable than his heart-felt hymns was his immense and constant kindness to friends and family, ‘especially to those who were dependent upon him, or whom he thought neglected and oppressed’. She described him as ‘formed by nature to repose in the bosom of his family’ – a man who was always ‘tender, indulgent, kind, as a brother, a husband, a father, and a master’, a man ‘warmly and inalienably devoted to his friends’. Above all, she praised his inherent modesty, saying that if ever there were a human being who ‘disliked power, avoided pre-eminence, and shrunk from praise, it was Charles Wesley.’ That very modesty is one of the reasons why his role is only now beginning to be realised.

Kingswood can take pride in having as one of its founders such a warm-hearted and gifted man. As he lay dying Charles was asked if he wanted to give any last message. He replied: ‘Only thanks, love, blessing’.

In this tercentenary year let us give thanks for this great other founder of the school, for the love he showed, and for the many hymns which continue to bless the lives of many Christians today.

Mr Gary Best (Headmaster and Principal of the Kingswood Foundation) ‘Charles Wesley’ is published by Epworth Press at £19.99 and can be ordered from any bookseller.

Wesley Recording in Chapel

Kingswood in Focus 51

House Events

Under Wraps When the Lower Sixth girls in Summerhill received an invitation to a team-building experience labelled ‘You are the future!’ most of us were confused.

This only intensified when we saw the list of things to bring: “ ‘Going out’ shoes, handbag & jewellery.” Surely we couldn’t be going out for an evening with the teachers – at least not in the way we are used to! Nevertheless, we all dutifully turned up at Summerhill, gathering dubiously in the conservatory.

When Mrs Cunliffe arrived the first thing she showed us was a picture of a dress in a shop window. However, what was special about this dress is that it was made entirely of dustbin bags and red ‘sale’ tape. The photograph on the invitation of a dress maker’s mannequin started to make sense. Our task was to create a dress, using only black and white bin bags, sellotape and scissors. We were split into teams and sent to different locations in the house – for both secrecy and fair competition!

climb back up again: she couldn’t move her legs easily. One must suffer for fashion!

Next was Amanda, who was in a group with Alice, Sacha and Ronni.

After a few words of encouragement, she came rushing out, dressed in the style of an Austrian milkmaid. Once again the dress was black, but the team had added a white top and sleeves, together with a white waistband and decorative headband in a bow: extremely sweeeet!

As Alice Wang’s group wanted to give her the best entrance, Hannah Short emerged next. Her team of Lydia and Tori had done an excellent job with another black dress. This design had a layer of white that bloomed out from her calves and reached the floor – it was tricky to walk in. Two white straps and a belt completed the look.

I was in a group with Cara, Sara Amos and Issie Shayegan and was immediately in my element – I have had several experiences making bin bag clothes at annual Christmas parties! Unanimously selecting Sara to be our model, we set to work. Working with bin bags is a lot harder than it looks.

We unrolled and taped enthusiastically, before realising we were short of some coverage! Also the plastic was so slippery that Sara was literally stuck into it with tape!

Finally, after a loud, vocal drum roll, Alice Wang was revealed!! Her team, consisting of Georgia, Jesse and Sophie, had effected the biggest change of the bunch. Alice’s hair was piled on top and her glasses were gone: she looked nothing like the Alice we were used to! Her dress makers had opted for black, but had created a short sleeved number with white under-top and waistband. The best feature was the sleeves that started at the elbow and covered her hands – most ingenious!

We decided to go for the simple yet classical design of a long black dress, aiming to embellish it along the way. Our theme became flowers and bows, as we seemed to find hundreds of places to put them: on the ends of the halterneck band, at the waistband, on the tops of and peeping through the ruffles.

Before we knew it, the half hour was up and we had to present our designer masterpiece. We opted to go first, giving Sara a dramatic entrance down the stairs. It was fine…as long as she didn’t have to

Unluckily for our budding designers, these dresses weren’t permanent and had no zips. Soon the time came for them to be literally ‘ripped off’. After all that excitement it was time for pizza in the kitchen. Of course, there could only be one winner and that was….Alice Wang!! We were not at all surprised, after her amazing transformation. Well done everyone and bring on ‘Project Catwalk’!!

Rachel Bell

Boarders' Party Time!

The Prep School boarders are lucky enough to have three organised parties throughout the year, one at Christmas (disco), one at Easter (Easter egg hunt) and one at the end of the summer term (outdoor games). Any child that has boarded at High Vinnalls during the preceding term is invited to come along and join in the fun and games.

This year’s summer party consisted of a mass game of rounders (boys verses girls!); I can’t quite remember who won, and some good old party food. As ever the party was also attended by our Year 9 prefects who work tirelessly throughout the year supporting our younger children. A good time is generally had by all before we all disburse for the long summer break.

Goodbye Mrs Bland After 9 years of outstanding service to Kingswood School as Senior Housemistress to Westwood, pupils quite literally ‘showered’ Mrs Bland with their tangible affection!

"...Westwood pupils 'showered' Mrs Bland with their affection!"

Typically, she entered into the spirit of celebration and farewell with the fantastic sense of humour that we all came to know and love so well.

Westwood BBQ

Kingswood in Focus 53

Out and About

Carry on Camping at Sandy Balls Westwood Go Under Canvas I have not tested the old adage that ‘you never forget how to ride a bike’ since I left the flatlands of Cambridgeshire for the rather more strenuous terrain of Bath. When it comes to bikes it may be very true, although I have never believed it true of camping. As an adult I have implemented a strict comfort policy on my holidays – proper beds, all mod cons, a sturdy roof over my head and definitely NO canvas! Consequently it was with a heavy heart that I watched the weather gradually deteriorate as the annual Westwood Camping trip approached. As I listened to tales of previous trips spent in torrential rain I began to wonder whether I had made a colossal mistake in agreeing to a camping trip to the New Forest accompanied by 4 of my colleagues, 23 children and my 6 year old son, Henry.

After a hearty bacon breakfast (all cooked on the gas stove this time!) and a whole box of the School kitchen’s biggest and best chocolate muffins – it was off to Paulton’s Park – and we couldn’t believe our luck that the sun continued to shine. In fact it shone all day except for the five minutes when it poured down on the unfortunate teachers (and Henry) who were brave enough to ride ‘The Cobra’! Plenty of other distractions here – most of them involving sliding down water-filled chutes or being spun around so fast that the ground continued to revolve for some time after the brave souls got off.

Back to camp and a swim in the rather cold pool – some even braved the outdoor one. Having spent our bravery quota on the rides at Paulton’s, Mrs Bland, Miss Rexe and I relaxed in the rather warmer Jacuzzi! Once dried off it was back in the mini bus and off to Fordingbridge’s Chinese restaurant where Nick Lui put us all to shame with his chopstick action!

As predicted by the knowledgeable and ‘camp-wise’ Mr Sims and Mrs Bland, silence descended rather more quickly after the hot chocolate on the second night. It also took a lot longer for the noise to begin again the next morning! We were even able to take great pleasure in waking some of the children up. As my son observed – even Mrs Mainwaring was up before him!

We received the news that Ten Tors had been cancelled late on Saturday night. On Sunday morning we were soon facing the grim realisation that we were going to get wet. Very wet.

Extremely, immensely, completely soaked.

I have camped many times as a child – guide camps and family holidays were often spent shivering in tents. Only a few fragments of my Dad’s advice came back to me as we drove to Fordingbridge and the rather dubious (and, as it turned out, rather inaptly named ‘Sandy Balls’) – ‘Keep your kit tidy, put your jumper on before you get cold and – most importantly – don’t touch the inside of your tent!’

It was this piece of ancient wisdom which I worried most about – I had many memories of water dripping onto damp sleeping bags owing to a seemingly harmless touch against the side of the canvas covering.

As we drove through the torrential rain I drilled Henry, who was excited and wide eyed, with the snippets of advice until he was warning me – ‘Mummy, whatever you do don’t touch the inside of the tent’!

However, it became apparent that someone somewhere was smiling on us and as we arrived at the campsite the sun had peeped out from behind the many clouds and there were definitely shadows on the ground as the nine tents began to take shape. Once camp was established Mrs Bland distributed disposable barbeques, tongs and the EU sausage mountain among the ‘starving’ pupils (‘starving’ despite the fact that they had devoured their packed teas on the short mini bus journey to the site).

Everyone had a good go at cooking their own tea although as darkness fell I found myself the centre of attention as I bent over the teachers’ gas fired stove where the food cooked faster!!

Bedtime approached but I don’t like to report on these pages just what time it was when silence finally descended. I do know that the five o’clock wake up call was a bit of a shock! But they were excited – and Mrs Bland told me that we’d get our own back tomorrow when they were bound to want a lie in.

54 Kingswood in Focus

Which is exactly what happened. Wetter than any of us have ever been with our clothes on. Thankfully, no photographic evidence exists (I think) of me sopping wet, hood covering half of my face, wedged into a dingy full of water spinning down a steep hill at the Christchurch Dry Ski Slopes. However, I am sure that the memory will remain with me for many years to come. The children were amazing – hardly a moan or a whinge from any of them. Not that I would have heard them anyway with my hood wedged as it was over my ears.

Thankfully the generous quantities of burgers and chips provided in the ‘Alpine Bar’ took our minds off our wet clothes.

After the ritual soaking of the newly named ‘wet slope skiing’ it was back to camp. Amazingly the sun came out just in time to strike camp – and by the time we had packed away Mrs Mainwaring’s scale model of the Taj Mahal we were the warmest, driest campers around. Of course we needed sustenance to keep us going – so thankfully there were plenty of rations to go around. It was really quite staggering the amount of food we consumed – in fact never has so much food been consumed by so few people. Jesus would have been in real trouble if these twenty-nine had been among the five thousand on the Mount!

Campers of the year were Peter Evans and Katy Yates for their unending humour and willingness to ‘muck in’. My son’s favourite teacher was Mrs Mainwaring – even though she didn’t share her hot water bottle (although her freshly percolated coffee was a welcome treat for me in the morning).

Such a fabulous time was had by all – even Max who suffered the life changing experience of waking up with a wet sleeping bag – don’t touch the inside of your tent Max! I know we would all like to thank Mrs Bland for organising the trip (and Nicki – we are going to miss you so much next year – no matter what you say). Unfortunately, Mr Sims will also be leaving us and Miss Rexe is moving to the Prep School, but Mrs Mainwaring – I have a question to ask you – same time next year?

Ms Kate Keen

Visit to First World War Battlefields Very early in the morning of Sunday 8th July, forty-three Year 9 students met outside the School gates, ready to set off for Belgium and France.

After a busy year of exams and seemingly constant homework, we were looking forward to many lie-ins during the holidays. Those extra hours in bed could wait, however, as we had been assured by our teachers that visiting the Battlefields of the First World War was a truly worthwhile experience. And so it proved to be!

After a journey by coach and ferry, during which the boys managed to eat huge tubes of ‘Maltesers’ and bars of chocolate, we finally arrived at our accommodation, a homely-looking farm near Ypres in Belgium, with chickens and pigs which proved to be an immediate source of excitement.

We were very happy with our large rooms as it meant that we could be with most of our friends, although unfortunately for the teachers this meant a lot of noise!

We spent our first day in and around the city of Ypres. We were told that we would be packing quite a lot into one day, but we did not realise just how many sights there were to see.

We started our tour with a visit to the Menin Gate, which commemorates over fifty thousand soldiers who died in the Ypres area and have no known grave.

Its sheer scale is overwhelming, particularly when you draw close to it and see the names of the missing engraved all over the walls; name after name, family after family.

It was deeply moving, and really did make us think about the sacrifices made by brothers, fathers and uncles. That evening, we returned to the Menin Gate to hear the daily playing of the Last Post, which was an amazing experience. It is a great tribute that after all this time, the people of Ypres still take the time to remember the victims of the war in this way.

Our visits to the “In Flanders Field” museum and preserved trenches on that day really did help us to understand the horror of the First World War. Although it was fun to jump in and out of the trenches, it was also chilling to think about how terrifying trench warfare must have been.

You could still see the craters in the earth where bombs had exploded, and soldiers had lost their lives on the very ground upon which we were standing. Those soldiers were now at rest in cemeteries such as Tyne Cot and Langemarck, the British and German cemeteries which we also visited, both very different in atmosphere, but both telling the same story of the mass slaughter of young men.

On our second day we visited another scene of bitter fighting during the First World War – the Somme area of France. After visiting a museum in Péronne, packed full of fascinating artefacts from the war such as weaponry and uniforms, we drove to some of the battlefields. One of these was the Lochnager Crater, caused by the explosion of a huge mine before the infantry attack on the first day of the battle. The crater looked big when we arrived, but once we had walked around its rim and realised we could not make out the faces of those on the other side, we realised just how huge it was.

This, however, was just preparation for the most special part of the trip. After a short coach journey, we made our way on foot across the fields to a small cemetery, the last resting place of Eric Heaton, an Old Boy of Kingswood, one of the ‘Lions led by Donkeys’ of that disastrous first day of the battle. After a short ceremony led by Mr Woodgate we laid a wreath from the School, and Mr Mainwaring played the Last Post. It was a very moving occasion, made more so by the fact that the individual we were remembering had once walked along the same corridors and sat in the same dining hall as we do today.

Our visit to the Somme also included a section of the trenches where the Canadian army suffered great losses, as well as the imposing Thiepval monument to the Missing of the Somme. It was an incredible sight and, like the Menin Gate, touchingly illustrated the scale of the losses during the conflict.

The light relief at the end of an emotional day was provided by a quiz put together by the teachers. After a range of questions, including guessing Mr Woodgate’s favourite biscuits, there was one final challenge…a penalty shoot-out against Mr MacDonald! Mr MacDonald proved far too good a goalie, but eventually the team comprising Emily, Chloe, Emily, Hannah, Emma and Beth managed to score, and emerged as winners.

On the following day, our focus shifted to the Second World War, when we visited a museum housed in a V2 rocket launch centre in France.

We were able to look at real V1 and V2 rockets, which were enormous, and our audio guides explained how these weapons were directed at London, the thought of which was truly terrifying. Following large amounts of ‘Ben & Jerry’s’ ice cream, we made our way to our final destination – the theme park, where we raced to the fastest rides, the best of which was the waterslide!

Overall, the trip was not just educational, but memorable and great fun.

Thank you Mr MacDonald, Mr Woodgate, Miss Buller, Mr Mainwaring and Miss Matthews, for a trip that none of us will forget.

By Georgina Frude and Morwenna Jones Kingswood in Focus 55

14 Peaks Trip English Weekend Charles Price, Emily Moores, Laura Clarke (Year 8), and Gabriel Penn (Year 7) attended an activities weekend for pupils with a special talent for and interest in English at Kent College Pembury in May. Here is Charles’ report.

Nine Upper Sixth boys successfully climbed all of the peaks over 3000ft in Wales over three days during the first week of the summer holiday. The route included the spectacular Crib Goch ridge and North ridge of Tryfan, both of which provided some very entertaining scrambling. The boys coped very well with the poor weather, considerable exposure and the physical challenge of the route. The ageless Mr Haines once again led the group throughout.

The ‘Weekend’ was all about creating, understanding and knowledge of English and the English language. I really enjoyed what we did on the Saturday, a study on nonsense. We looked at nonsense words and even tried our hands at creating some new gobbledegook words! In the evening we played Call My Bluff, which was great fun, because it gave me a greater understanding of the meanings of words. It was also a great team game and we got to know the other people on the weekend.

Josh Batterham, Rob Beaven, Caspar Eliot, Mike French, James Dolan, Oli Gates, Ali Kennett, Aaron Leach, Jon Henry

On Sunday we looked at language and how we use it. We all came to the conclusion that words were not needed and that everything could be spoken using expression and mime. From this I also concluded that words do not have to have set meanings, they can mean whatever you want them to! That was great fun thinking about and putting into action! The weekend really made me think about the English language and I had a brilliant time.

J.W. Davies

Charles Price (Year 8)

Biology trip to Watchet In June the Biology department took all of Year 10 to Watchet for a day of rocky shore ecology to support various components of the new GCSE course.

We were joined by several members of staff from nearby Nettlecombe Court Field Studies Centre. Field work activities included investigating plant and animal species abundance, feeding relationships between the species, suction in limpets and growth rate in knotted. The highlight of the day was catching and sexing shore crabs!

Charles Morris identifies and measures the abundance of various seaweeds

Cheeky Monkeys!

One of the Prep School Boarder’s favourite trips of the year is to Bristol Zoo. Lots of fun was had by all visiting the seals, big cats, reptile house and the aviary. This time around we also had the opportunity to handle many of the mini beasts, including spiders and giant cockroaches! We followed up our trip to the zoo by experiencing @Bristol, an excellent, hands on, science museum targeting younger children.

56 Kingswood in Focus

Ten Tors - May '07 Ten Tors is as much about the training for the expedition as the taking part... and the final twelve participants were selected from over thirty Kingswood students who began training in February. As many of you will have gathered from the national media at the time of the event the army took the difficult decision to cancel the second day of the Ten Tors expedition. Poor weather throughout the weekend resulted in very high water levels and, with six hours of heavy rain forecast for Sunday, it was clear that many of the rivers and streams on Dartmoor would be impassable and so the army took the decision to evacuate all 2,500 participants from the moor on Sunday morning to ensure the participants’ safety. The army achieved this with great skill and good sense. Both Kingswood teams had made good progress on day one and were over half way. They coped very well with the terrible conditions and remained cheerful and positive despite being made to stop. Given the likelihood of the teams completing the expedition but for their forced evacuation, they were presented with medals.

Bronze Medals were awarded to the 35 - mile team of Nick Grant, Joe Hoare, Magnus Mulvany, Elliot Haines, Alex Russell-Bates and Jack Souter.

Silver Medals were awarded to the 45 - mile team of Tom King, Tom Suddaby, Oli Harman, Alice Sumner Melton, Jackson Wilkins and Peter Hynes.

J.W. Davies

On Thursday 10th May, 24 students, Mr Davies and Mrs Lockhart packed up two minibuses, pulled out onto the road, and headed south, to join 2,376 other pupils and their respective teachers. Over the last 3 months, pupils from Kingswood and all over the country had been training for the two-day endurance challenge that is Ten Tors (not tours!); it had been hard work.

On Friday the heavens opened, and some of us got drenched! Others, however, stayed in their tents as long as they could. But, as is the way of things, we had to get wet sometime, and the walk up to scrutineering seemed the time to do it. Our scrutineer was very friendly, and could talk for England. Or Wales, in fact, as he was “The Welsh Wizard” (bad time to have an England rugby shirt). Anyway, he was very amiable, but had an anecdote for almost every piece of kit we had, especially our tents.

An hour later (I'm not exaggerating) we walked into the second part of that building for our safety lecture.

Saturday 12th May, 5.00 am, waking from a night of broken sleep.

“Chariots of Fire” starts blaring over the loudspeaker. Followed by “You’re simply the best” and “You’re in the army now”, and people say the army have no sense of humour… 6:30 am - as we crested the hill, a sea of people stretched below us, some with flags, some with poles, all looking tired and in need of a good cup of caffeine. Taking our place amongst the masses, I dived into my bag looking for the Ten Tors Prayer, and was still looking when the cannons went off and we had to start walking. Ah well. All that happened after that is a blur of walking, on paths, gentle slopes, tufts of grass, and climbing the vertical slope that is Kitty Tor. After the first couple of hours, especially in driving wind and rain, Ten Tors stops being a sporting event, it becomes you and your team versus nature, and it begins to lay bare your soul. Every step, every metre, every kilometre becomes a fight, and it’s great! You draw strength from it, you keep morale high, and you don’t let it win. For all this we had an…interesting time, but I think that everyone was glad when we reached our sixth Tor, and made camp.

It was at about this time that we heard a person walking round saying “pack up your stuff, get to the top of the Tor, you’re going home.”

Disappointing, but the right call. And so began the march off the Tor to the quarry, the two-hour wait, and the bus back along with Royal High girls, and the hot soup, pasties and medals while we waited for the Sixth Form. The army were helpful and nice throughout, keeping morale up, and being friendly. Our thanks to Mr Wilkinson and Mrs Lockhart for being helpful and driving us, and to Mr Davies who organised us, trained us and helped us.

Nick Grant (Year 10)

South American Sports Tour For full report, please see pages 28-29.

Kingswood in Focus 57

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