Kingswood In Focus - June 2007

focus Kingswood in

June 2007

Contents

26

Contents Regulars

28

36

1 3 8 14 16 24 30 38 48 51

Letters Chapel & Community Autumn Sports Art Performing Arts MUN Kingswood Association Spring Sports Visitors & Special Events Out & About

Features 37

26 KPS International Day

Bringing an international flavour to Prep and Pre-Prep classes

28 Upper Sports Development Update on Kingswood's vision for sport

36 BBC Question Time

This highly acclaimed current affairs programme comes from Kingswood

46

37 School Council

The student body voice their opinions on a variety of topics

46 Independent Learning Programme Focusing on pupils' academic progress

focus Kingswood in

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Letter from the Headmaster

Being a Methodist School Dear Parents and Friends, I am sometimes asked what being a ‘Methodist’ school means so I thought in this issue I might offer a brief outline.

making people aware of the importance of their role in the community (including developing a sense of responsibility and an understanding of the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation), developing an appropriate sense of one’s worth and the worth of others, promoting a passion for fair play (combined with indignation at prejudice and intolerance in whatever form that takes), offering a wide range of extra-curricula activities to promote individual talents, and encouraging the young to see there is a spiritual side to life.

First and foremost, it means that we are part of the educational provision of the Methodist Church. There are 6,150 Methodist churches in Britain but these form only a tiny fragment of what is a global movement.

The British Methodist Church has links with the European Methodist The overwhelming majority of Methodist schools, colleges and universities Council (representing 22 countries) and with many other organisations. do not seek to indoctrinate but they ask each member of staff and each For example, there are 23 different Methodist groups in America. student to set out on his or her journey of personal discovery within the The largest is the United Methodist Church which has over eight million context of an educational institution that seeks, however imperfectly, to members and is that country’s third largest Christian organisation. MCCA embody Christian values in its way of life. Each institution hopes that, at (the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas) represents the very least, students will look back on their time there with a growing churches in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, recognition that they met some truly dedicated and kind teachers and Uruguay, and various other countries. The Methodist Church of Southern fellow students who sought to give them a real understanding of the good Africa incorporates work in Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, that comes from working together and that this experience Mozambique and Lesotho, as well as South Africa. will act as a yardstick to measure the quality of their e c r n t o a t Centra sC There are twelve other African Methodist subsequent experience of life.

School l H t n a i ll, L t Jo ond Churches, working from Gambia in the odis o h t n Kingswood’s links with other Methodist Me west to Kenya in the east. There are institutions have been very varied also Methodist churches in over and have contributed to the twenty countries in Asia and education we can offer. For the Pacific, ranging from example, we have often Bangladesh, India and used Methodist links in Pakistan to Japan, Korea creating tours and visits and Malaysia. Most to other countries and we Methodists in Australia have had direct student belong to the Uniting exchange programmes Church but there is with Wyoming Seminary also a strong Wesleyan in Pennsylvania and Methodist Church.

Kingswood College, Worldwide there are Grahamstown in South currently 26 million Africa. We have been church-going Methodists. involved in gifted and talented programmes offered Whatever branch of by the British Methodist schools Methodism you examine and in and have participated in a number of whatever country, one thing is very combined events, most notably recently clear – Methodists believe strongly in the concert in London’s Methodist Central in offering education as a service to their Hall last term. We have also hosted a number community. This is not surprising given the of visits from other Methodist schools from other importance attached to education by John Wesley. countries. The school is also involved in the Methodist Board of Most countries have their own Methodist educational organisations Management’s World Aims programme which looks at ways of offering which link together the work of groups of educational institutions. assistance to projects in other countries – our links to the orphanage For example, in the United States Methodists have founded more in Malawi arose directly from this contact. The heads of Methodist than 1,200 institutions of higher education, among them some of the institutions often also exchange useful ideas and information – offering a country's great colleges, universities and theological seminaries (including friendly resource which no stand-alone school can enjoy.

Boston University, Drew University, Emory University, and the American University in Washington) and a number of these now work together in I hope that you enjoy this latest issue of Kingswood in Focus, which NASCUMC (the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the once again reflects on the breadth of activities taking place within the United Methodist Church). Similarly, Methodist educational institutions school – a breadth which very much stems from our Methodist heritage. in South America work together through COGEIME. In Britain, Methodist Please take care to read about the Kingswood Foundation Fund, because education has been primarily focused on primary and secondary schools we have obtained planning permission for the sporting improvements we rather than universities and most of the independent schools are linked wish to make and I hope you will want to support the School in continuing together via the Methodist Board of Management for Residential Schools. to try and offer the best for our pupils, In 1991 IAMSCU (the International Association of Methodist schools, colleges and universities) was created to create world-wide links and it has With every good wish, currently 775 members drawn from over fifty countries. Kingswood is very proud to belong to IAMSCU and those of you with long connections with the school will appreciate that IAMSCU organised a major educational conference in Kingswood’s honour when we celebrated our 250th back in 1998.

Amazingly (given the variety of cultures represented), Methodist educational institutions have many aims in common. Among these are encouraging a questioning approach towards life, aiming for high academic standards,

Mr Gary Best (Headmaster and Principal of the Kingswood Foundation) Kingswood in Focus 1

Letter from the KPS Headmaster responsible for. Part of the film showed the then Headmaster, Lowry Creed, opening the new sports pavilion on The Upper, which we are now seeking to update and extend half a century later! I thought that the timing, though coincidental, was very apposite and a reminder of the way a school changes and develops throughout its history.

I hope that many of you reading these words, whether directly involved with KPS or not, will seriously consider donating money towards this worthy project which will enrich the sporting life of the school.

Much cash is needed—it was ever thus, and proves that some things in education and life never change!

I had the great pleasure of travelling up to Methodist Central Hall, in the heart of Westminster to watch the Methodist Schools’ Celebration Concert. Pupils from 9 of the 15 Methodist Independent Schools were involved: Culford School; Kent College, Canterbury; Kent College, Pembury; Methodist College Belfast; Queen’s College, Taunton; Rydal Penrhos School; Shebbear College; Truro School and Kingswood.

Mr Cornah asks Dylan about his day

Dear Parents and Friends, At the start of the Summer term all of us at KPS are delighted to hear that after 28 weeks the school has been granted planning permission to proceed with the proposed sporting development on The Upper playing fields. Fund raising has, of course, been going on throughout the Foundation for some time, and enough has been raised already to proceed with the new floodlit astro turf hockey pitch. This will be a great boost for sport throughout the school, with hockey and tennis being the main beneficiaries.

Although I am many years past my sporting prime, I played hockey to a decent level and coached it at U.13 level, four times a week for the first 24 years of my teaching career at Gresham’s Prep School and at Prior’s Court. My direct association with the game encompassed the early years of astroturf, but it is a regret that I never had the opportunity to coach the game consistently on that wonderful surface. Nevertheless I do take great pleasure in supporting at as many of the KPS sports matches against other schools as I can attend, with perhaps a little extra enjoyment when on the hockey touchline. I am already looking forward to watching a game on our new pitch.

(If there is to be a grand opening match, I may even be persuaded to make say, a ten-minute cameo appearance on the field of play myself!)

Schools, like anything else in life, change and develop over the years.

One area of change is in the improvement and updating of the facilities.

Recently I and many others were privileged to attend a special gathering in the new JO Heap Library where afternoon tea was taken in celebration of the 80th birthday of a legendary Kingswood schoolmaster, Mr Michael Bishop. There were short speeches from Mr Best’s predecessor as Headmaster, Rev. Laurie Campbell (who is incidentally very near to 80 years of age himself) and from Michael Bishop as well. Both talks were great fun and very much appreciated by the captive audience. As Mr Bishop, a son of the manse, attended the school during the World War 2 years, then went on to Cambridge University, before returning to teach at the school for the rest of his working life, there was much to reflect on. Let me concentrate on one aspect which coincidentally has a direct relevance to our current sporting development. Mr David Brown, the School Archivist, had recently unearthed an old B/W film of the school in the late 1950s and this was shown to us. Mr Bishop was in the film of course, and was shown designing one of his ingenious models for the set of one of the large number of dramatic productions for which he was 2 Kingswood in Focus

Eight students from KPS took part: Sarina Ganapathy, Rebecca Nicholson, Sophia Hanbury, Kitty O’Connor, Barney Eliot, Matthew Bolland, Carson Lam and Adam Parker. Several former KPS pupils, now at KS, were also involved as well as many others. (No mean feat this, as the massive Bath Schools’ Model United Nations, was taking place back at Kingswood at the same time.)

I know that Mr Best and I were thrilled that the event was supported by so many of our parents.

There were four main items: the Big Band, the Junior Choir (singing Daniel Jazz by Herbert Chappell), the Orchestra (music by Malcolm Arnold and William Walton) and the Senior Choir who sang extracts from Handel’s Messiah. Various Musical Directors took charge of the differing items. The standard was high, and it was a hugely enjoyable event taking just over two hours including the interval. I enjoyed Daniel Jazz (of course) and also a magnificent performance of Lady is a Tramp by a sixth former from Methodist College, Belfast. She must have been about 17/18, but if you closed your eyes, it sounded like Ella Fitzgerald! Astonishing.

I would like to say thank you to Mrs Cross and to Mr Mainwaring at KS for all that they did in preparing the pupils. A big thanks to our children for taking part and to the good number of Kingswood parents who were in the audience in support of their children. Thank you, it was a wonderful occasion.

I cannot close without commending the current Year 6 at KPS on their great success in January in the Kingswood Entrance Assessments. I have always been reluctant to compare separate school years, as I have found that I like them all! I will say, however, that our current top year are particularly able and not just at school work. All 54 children in the year sat for Kingswood and they were all offered places. Well done. Special congratulations to the 11 children who gained scholarships: Academic: Charlie Pope*, Sarina Ganapathy*, Barney Eliot, Alec Shute*. Sporting: Kristian Scott*, Oscar Ryan, Danny Bates, Tim Rouse. Drama: Leo Fini and Lola Young. Congratulations also to Megan Haines who gained an award to the RHS. (Those marked * also gained scholarships at other local independent schools but will continue at the senior school.)

Mr Marcus Cornah (Headmaster of the Kingswood Prep School)

Chapel and Community

Remembrance Service A special ‘outdoor’ Remembrance Service was held to remember past pupils and staff who lost their lives during the first and second World Wars.

Over 600 pupils gathered together outside the School Chapel, with staff and Governors to offer their prayers and pay their respect, as the Headmaster and the Chairman of the Kingswood Association (representing all past pupils) read out a list of 172 names.

As each individual name was read, a member of the Sixth Form planted a Cross in the lawn beside the Chapel. Wreaths were laid in the School Chapel by the Head Boy and Head Girl.

“It was a very moving experience for us all..."

Chaplain & Senior Deputy Head (Pastoral), Reverend Mike Wilkinson led the service and said, “It was a very moving experience for us all and a great tribute from our current School Community to all those who served and gave their lives for their country.”

Angela Carlton-Porter (Director of Admissions & Public Relations)

The Joint Schools' Celebration Concert Saturday 3 March 2007 The reverberating sounds of the Daniel Jazz filled the grand concert hall - the fun, lively, rhythms bouncing off the architecturally great ceiling.

This was our first practice of such a brilliant song in a stunning venue.

We had a very early start to the day in order to arrive in London at 9.30am and practise for that evening's Joint Methodist Schools' Concert. I was part of a joint junior choir made up from members of Kingswood and the other Methodist Schools. Following an early morning rehearsal in the Chapel and a photo shoot with "the Rev," Captain Mainwaring took all of us on a route march along the Embankment via Parliament Square and the London Eye. I saw many interesting things including a Routemaster Bus used as a touring radio station and the DUKW amphibious car to drive tourists in and out of the Thames. We walked past the London Eye through a crowd of mime artists and into the Royal Festival Hall café for lunch.

We just managed to get away from the sights of London and back to the Central Hall in time for our last rehearsal. This time it was in the Concert Hall and we had little time to get used to the lovely acoustics.

After the rehearsal I bought myself a huge strawberry ice cream in Wesley's Cafeteria and it took me ages to eat my way through it. I confess that I felt a little sick afterwards. We had a few hours with the Prep School and had the chance to meet people from the other Methodist schools. Finally it was time to make our way back up to the Concert Hall for the Concert. The junior choir was to perform after the opening number by the Big Band. As we were sitting in the choir seats we got a great view of the Big Band. They played some fantastic pieces and some of the sax and trumpet players gave some great improvisations.

Then it was our turn to perform "The Daniel Jazz."

In the words of the composer, this cantata is meant to be performed "strictly for fun" and it uses blues, swing, jazz and a little recitative. We even had to make the noise of lions

roaring. Miles, Ollie and I had almost forgotten the words in our excitement (and the ice cream). Jess Bishay also had the added pressure of a solo, but she performed superbly. The whole performance went well and I don't think anyone noticed my few tiny mistakes.

After the interval we sat down to enjoy the combined orchestra playing Walton’s Coronation March - Crown Imperial and the Little Suite by Malcolm Arnold. Both pieces were very enjoyable, but I thought Crown Imperial came over especially well with such a fantastic atmosphere in Central Hall. The joint senior choirs sang extracts from the second part of Handel's Messiah. This was a stunning performance with strong harmonies and a good tenor soloist. It was a lovely conclusion to the concert and marked the end of a very enjoyable day.

Charles Price (Year 8C)

Don’t Just Give It, Feel It When the Chaplain stood up during a Friday morning service and uttered the words “I am not a big fan of mufti days”, he knew that there was a risk of confusing or annoying the majority of his young listeners.

There were doubtless some unspoken questions like 'How can the man responsible for encouraging charitable giving not be keen on our favourite way of fund-raising?’…….not an unreasonable response.

However, my lack of enthusiasm for a tradition that will long be continued, is not connected to its obvious money raising efficiency, but stems from the mufti-day’s failure to teach anything about why, in a Christian school, we choose to be charitable. The postbag overflows with requests for money and the most popular inclusion is the question ‘Would your school be willing to hold a non-uniform day to benefit our charity?’ There are two reasons why this suggestion occurs. The first is that teachers can do good things with minimum effort. The second is that students who are constrained by dress codes have a day of slightly rebellious freedom all for the price of £1.00 – an absolute bargain all round.

‘Truly I tell you: this poor widow has given more than all those giving to the treasury; for the others who have given had more than enough, but she, with less than enough, has given all that she had to live on.'

Mark 12:42ff

I applaud Mrs. Brown, the co-ordinator of our Comic Relief efforts who, having heard this threat to convention, signed up to its principle and offered a mufti – day as a free event alongside an invitation to make a donation that ‘cost something’ – a gift that had a deeper impact; something that meant we would ‘go without’ for the sake of those who needed a chance to ‘go with’. This is good giving – the kind of giving I welcome. Those who fast for a day and donate food costs, those who work for the money through baking cakes or manufacturing quilt covers, those who grit their teeth and run like Mr. Lloyd – this is where the cost of giving becomes reality and is remembered – just like the act of the widow.

"The total donated for Comic Relief Day 2007 was, at £2,000, by far the highest figure we have ever seen."

The starting point of this argument is the poor widow who puts her ‘mite’ into the offering at the temple, but who is judged by Jesus as showing far greater generosity than those who gave much bigger sums out of their obvious wealth.

4 Kingswood in Focus

Mufti days will always be with us – but Comic Relief Day 2007 saw not just the money, it also had the message, and it seems that we heard it.

The total donated was, at £2,000, by far the highest figure we have ever seen.

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

Photograph courtesy of The Bath Chronicle

With Red Nose day pending, I decided on a different tack – the notion that acquiring a pound from mum or dad is of less personal charitable significance than making a donation that we ‘feel’. That is, charitable giving which is ‘easy’ can fall short of the Christian message that such giving ought to be sacrificial.

Red Nose Day Fun

Kingswood in Focus 5

Helping Out Students from Kingswood have been helping in the Lansdown community... ...by assisting at St Stephen’s School – volunteering their support during their own private study time out of a desire to help.

The scheme has proved very beneficial for both schools. A number of Kingswood pupils act as classroom assistants on a rota basis, during the working day on Wednesdays – taking an active part in the activities within the class. The teaching staff at St Stephen’s have welcomed this support which assists in enabling them to have essential non-contact time as prescribed under new legislation.

Headteacher at St Stephen’s, Mr Peter Mountstephen said “one of the central reasons for organising our response to the provision of teacher release time in this way was to extend the involvement of the community in the children’s learning. I am delighted that Kingswood sixth formers have been able to play their part and to join with other students, parents, governors, residents, senior citizens and other

community members in learning alongside children on our “special” Wednesdays”.

Jamie, a Kingswood Design Technology student, was just the person to be helping with the model making of Noah’s Ark whilst Mrs Patrick taught the Year 4 children about how important it was for Noah to follow God’s instructions – a good lesson about listening to rules.

Abigail was helping Year 6 make gingerbread men for the Christmas Fayre. Sophie joined Mr Mountstephen’s own class where Year 5 were also learning about the importance of following rules and Nick and Keith were helping with sport in the school hall.

Mayor and Bear! Memorial Swim We were very pleased to welcome the Mayor, Councillor Mrs Carol Paradise, when she joined in with the fund raising at Kingswood as part of the Ted’s Big Day out campaign. What is more, she brought her own very special bear to visit the School.

Our thanks to Mrs Mary Brown, who once again organised the day.

It started with a rousing rendition of ‘the Teddy Bears’ Picnic’ sung by the senior pupils from Years 9 to Sixth Form, at the end of their school assembly. The waving of your teddy whilst singing was, of course obligatory!

At the Senior School at break time, the pupils sold Big Ted badges and sweets and were also allowed to wear ‘mufti’ dress so that a total of £900 was raised. At the Prep School the children were all involved in ‘teddy activities’ and raised £300 so that a grand total of £1,200 was sent to the appeal.

Rev Mike Wilkinson

On Sunday 18th March a group of 24 pupils and staff took part in the second sponsored swim held in memory of Dilys Brake. (Kingswood School Secretary until her death in 2006). Between them they swam a total of 2881 lengths which is equivalent to 32.7 miles. Sam Cook and Charlie Barnes were the top individuals, swimming 228 and 220 lengths in one hour respectively.

"Altogether £850.00 was raised for the British Heart Foundation."

Six members of Mrs Brake’s family also swam, including her two grand-children – Freya swam 31 lengths and two year old Elliot completed 2 lengths in his arm bands!

Altogether £850.00 was raised for the British Heart Foundation.

Mrs Jenny Opie - Organiser (Head of Biology)

The Mayor of Bath, with Chairman of Governors, Mr Ray Lansley, Mrs Mary Brown, Science teacher, senior pupils, teddies and the Headmaster, Mr Gary Best – proudly waving his teddy at the back !

6 Kingswood in Focus

Running for Sophie For a number of years before I came to Kingswood I had known from my mother-in-law, who is a district nurse, about Sophie Cameron, who was a young woman patient of hers suffering terribly from encephalitis lethargica. When I came to Kingswood School as Senior Deputy Head, I met Sophie’s younger sister, Lydia, and so came to know even more about this horrendous illness. When Sophie died last May, Lydia was keen to raise money for the Sophie Cameron Trust, which helps fund medical research into encephalitis lethargica, and so I decided I would support her by running the London Marathon.

I have run the London Marathon before to raise money for charities supporting research into illnesses suffered by former pupils of mine - in 1995 for Children with Epilepsy, in 1997 for Great Ormond Street, in 2001 for the Handicapped Children’s Pilgrimage Trust, and in 2004 for Children with Leukaemia. The real challenge on this occasion was therefore not mine but Lydia’s – to talk to the school about what had happened to her sister and the impact on her and her family. In response Lydia delivered four very powerful and deeply moving assemblies to staff and pupils at Kingswood. She and I then asked everyone to support the Trust by sponsoring me.

race was extraordinarily tough, with temperatures up to 86 degrees Fahrenheit down on the Isle of Dogs, and many competitors suffering badly in the heat. For my part, I decided at the 4-mile marker to adjust my scheduled finishing time to allow for the heat, so I gave myself an extra minute per mile, finishing in 3.36.42, in position 4,065 out of 38,000 starters. When going through the pain barrier one encounters during the 26.2 miles it is hugely motivating to know that by the sponsorship one can make a difference to the lives of children.

Suzanne Palmer, Reporter for Bath Chronicle talks to Senior Deputy Head, Mr Gareth Lloyd

I love running, so to prepare for a marathon is, masochistically speaking, a pleasure, though it costs me an arm and a leg to keep me fed! However, this year’s London Marathon

All the runners had an amazing crowd to cheer us on, and, in my case, that included my wife, our three children, Mr and Mrs Wheeler, along with Gemma and Sophie, and Rob Carrington, all of whom supplied me with food and carbohydrate drinks at various points along the way, and a great meal at the end: thank you! More importantly, on behalf of all those involved in the Sophie Cameron Trust, and most especially Lydia and the other members of Sophie’s family, I would like to take this opportunity to thank most sincerely all of you who have contributed to the Trust by sponsoring my marathon efforts in order to honour the memory of Sophie in a very practical way that will benefit others in years to come. To date, the run has raised a total of just over £2,000.

Mr G P Lloyd (Senior Deputy Head)

Why Walk When You Can Run?!

Rather than undertake only a relatively short stretch of the 21 miles that make up the Circuit of Bath Walk, 8 intrepid runners from Years 10 – Lower Sixth joined Mr Lloyd in running the entire course.

Ed Martin, Gareth Hobbs, Sam Parsons, Henry Hole-Jones, Shaun Howell, James Bird, Ben Leach and Charles Morris met at 7.00am for a 10-minute warm-up, then embarked on the run, only to find that the first of five check points had not yet opened, so they just pressed on. Unfortunately, Ben had to retire through injury after the second check point, having completed a credible 6 miles. At each check point Team Kingswood took a 15-minute break, to drink as much fluid as possible, eat as many power bars as possible, stretch as much as possible and listen to dreadful jokes courtesy of one who will remain nameless! Taking a few lefts instead of rights, and vice versa, and passing through beautiful countryside and numerous pain barriers, it did not go unnoticed that the course took the team past Haycomb Cemetery, where at least two of the boys felt they had reached their final resting place. The team arrived in the Dining Hall at 12.40pm, for a well deserved double portion of brunch. They were excellent company, and the School is proud of their very impressive achievement when one considers that this is just short of a full marathon but with many more hills and muddy paths. Special mention must go to Ed Martin, for his outstanding demonstration of distance running, and Charles Morris who, at 14, showed exceptional tenacity and self-discipline. Well done to you all.

Mr G P Lloyd (Senior Deputy Head) Kingswood in Focus 7

Autumn Sport

Girls' Hockey 2006 Kingswood hockey this year has been both challenging and entertaining with many highlights throughout the season.

You have heard all the announcements during the regular Monday assemblies and seen results on the notice board so I am just going to pick out some highlights and players who have won recognition this season.

The first two people who deserve to be recognised goes to Danielle and Luke our ‘gappies’ for their help with hockey and in particular to Danielle for her amazing efficiency. She has checked the goal keeping kits, made sure the first aid bags were full, ensured that teas arrived on time, bandaged cut Westwood knees and done all of this with a cheery smile. Thank you so much for all your help.

(3-4 to Prior Park) and that was a cracking match. Sophie Wheeler has the most fearsome slap shot in the school and she notched up ten goals for the team. The mighty Robyn Churchouse who scored eleven pipped her for top goal scorer. Robyn’s canny positioning on the post and excellent reactions allowed her to score from close range and indeed on many an occasion when standing side on she was mistaken for the post! Phoebe Watson finally got netball out of her system and won the award as the most improved player. Meryn Churchouse was the most versatile of players playing in defence, midfield and attack. Charlie Kraus takes the accolade as player of the season.

"...although hockey is just a game it has instilled all the values and attitudes that can benefit us in life."

Lauren Shrubsole was voted the player of the season for the U13s with Olivia Dellow the most improved and Alice Robinson the best defender.

The U14s had a mixed season winning half of their matches and at other times coming up against strong opposition. Nonetheless, they have enjoyed their season working with Miss Batch and there were several contenders for most improved player as their learning curve was steep. Morwenna Jones made good progress but the winner of the most improved title goes to Hannah Burnell. Chloe Roberts and Jess Thompson were the best defenders and Jess Gregory won the player of the season award.

Mrs Opie and the U15s deserve real credit as the team have had an outstanding season. They have played with increasing confidence and athleticism.

Two of their year group played for the 1st XI throughout the term and this shows the depth of talent in that year group.

They lost only one game

The 3rds or Dragons as they have come to be known also compete for team of the season with the U15s. Kingswood’s strength in hockey means that they have frequently had to play other schools’ 2nd X1s or even 1st X1s. They only lost two matches and, under the captaincy of Georgia Sawyer and the coaching of Mrs Jenner, they have developed an enviable team spirit. Charlotte Chivers won the award as the best defender, Sophie Thomson the most improved performer and Philippa Watson the player of the season.

A group of U6 girls known as the ‘Grannies’ led the seconds. Carmen Palomino Marced, Hilda Chak, Rhiannon Bid and Julia Good used their experience to help the youngsters. Becky Bottle and Clare Carruthers were the most improved players with chief granny Hilda winning the award for the player of the season. Miss Paver has enjoyed working with her team and there is a special thank you for those leavers and especially to Carmen who has also played for the 1st XI during her time here.

Those of you really listening might have noticed that there was no report on Year 7 hockey. A deliberate mistake on my behalf and they deserve special mention. The U12Bs lost just one match and scored more goals than any other team in school. They have the school’s top goal scorer, Natasha Dabell, who even scored more than the first team ‘scoring machine’ Sacha Craig. Natasha scored twelve goals this season – well done.

Miss Bleathman has really enjoyed coaching these mini hockey stars.

Mrs Newman has worked wonders down in the prep school and we are reaping the rewards as the girls join the senior school. The U12s are our only unbeaten side this year. Mr Main has helped with lunchtime practices. Catherine Bolland is their player of the season with Amber James the best defender. New goalkeeper, Jess Weekes, shows incredible potential and she was the most improved player.

Well done to all the team and Mrs Newman for achieving an unbeaten season.

On to the 1st XI, of our fourteen strong squad, we had twelve new caps this season and we bonded well as a team. We have spent this year building, strengthening, and most importantly learning ready for the upcoming tour to South America (23 girls from the 1/2/3rd’s are really looking forward to this amazing opportunity). During the season, our results have been mixed and if I am honest, I think we have underperformed. This is probably why a rather frustrated Mr Opie often delivered our half time team talks!

In spite of our mixed results, we have put together some great passages of play and a number of players have made real progress. I would like to single out youngsters Aimi Marshall and Kelly Duncan. They have been taken out of their comfort zone playing in Year 10 and been tested at first team level. They certainly responded to this challenge and were very successful. Congratulations also go to Pahrnia Parsons who was selected to represent the Avon U17 County team this term.

I found captaincy to be a sharp learning curve with many new experiences.

I have had to come up with good motivational speeches, or a different, new and exciting warm-up before each match. You can ask any of the team, Miss Wright or Mr Opie about them and no doubt, they will say that they were awesome! Dealing with the administration side of the team, kit for example, can become quite a hassle when some of the team's organisational skills are not up to scratch – Grace Carrington proves that 10 A*s doesn’t mean you have it all which Hannah James has tried to highlight every week!

I would like to thank my vice captain Sacha Craig for her help and support through out the season and on behalf of the 1st I would like to thank Mr Opie for his encouragement and support throughout the term.

He is passionate about hockey! On a personal note, I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to Miss Wright. She has been a part of my hockey career since I started in Year 8, this included weekly trips to county hockey on her free Friday afternoons, which I know helped me to become the player I am now. She has helped all the players to improve, and has moulded our attitude towards sport. So although hockey is just a game it has instilled all the values and attitudes that can benefit us in life.

Well done to all our hockey players and coaches this term. Thank you

Colours & Awards HOUSE MATCHES - WESTWOOD: YEAR 7: YEAR 9/10:

BECKFORD SCHOOL

YEAR 8: SENIORS:

BECKFORD FONTHILL

COLOURS COLTS: Pahrnia Parsons (county U17); Kate Nannestad; Annie West HALF:

Sarah Ryder; Grace Carrington; Sacha Craig; Julia Good; Carmen Palomino Marced; Rhiannon Bid; Hilda Chak

THE GROVE SHIELD: This trophy was left by old girl Amanda Grove who wanted the recipient of the award to be somebody who is passionate about the sport, and who has made a noteworthy contribution to the game.

This year the award goes to a goal keeper who has played with 100% commitment whenever she plays and trains. She is always lively and never short of giving instruction to her team mates. She has been influential throughout her school hockey career. The award goes to Carmen Palomino Marced.

Sarah Ryder (1st X1 Captain 2006)

1st XI AWARDS PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Grace Carrington MOST IMPROVED: Kelly Duncan CLANGER: Marianne Teoh

"I found captaincy to be a sharp learning curve with many new experiences."

Girls Hockey Results 2006 1st

2nd

3rd

U15

U14

U13

KS Prep School

12A

12B

(W) 3 - 1

Wycliffe

(W) 3 - 1

(W) 3 - 0

(W) 3 - 1

Monkton Combe

(W) 3 - 0

(W) 2 - 0

(W) 6 - 1

(W) 3 - 0

(W) 5 - 0

Prior Park

(L) 1 - 4

(W) 1 - 0

(W) 3 - 1

(L) 3 - 4

(L) 1 - 4

(D) 1 - 1

(W) 1 - 0

(W) 6 - 0

KES

(W) 3 - 0

(W) 1 - 0

(W) 3 - 1

(W) 3 - 0

(L) 0 - 6

(W) 3 - 0

(W) 5 - 0

(W) 8 - 0

(W) 4 - 2

cancelled

(W) 5 - 0

(W) 2 - 0

(W) 6 - 1

(W) 4 - 0

Redland HS

(W) 4 - 1

Stonar

(W) 2 - 1

Bristol Grammar

(D) 1 - 1

Clifton College Royal High School Dauntsey's

(W) 1 - 0 (L) 0 - 1

(W) 2 - 0 (W) 2 - 1

(L) 0 - 1

(D) 1 - 1

(L) 1 - 3

(D) 2 - 2

(W) 4 - 1

(L) 0 -13

(W) 10 - 1 (L) 1 - 3

(D) 0 - 0

Downside

(L) 0 - 1

(W) 5 - 1

(W) 4 - 0

(W) 3 - 0

(W) 4 - 1

(L) 1 - 4

Prior Park Prep School Wells Cathedral

(L) 1 - 2

(D) 1 - 1

(W) 5 - 4

(W) 1 - 0

(W) 9 - 0

(W) 7 - 0

(W) 6 - 1

(L) 0 - 1 (L) 1 - 3

(W) 3 - 1

Warminster Wellsway

(D) 1 - 1

(L) 0 - 4 (D) 1 - 1

(D) 4 - 4

(W) 4 - 0

Dean Close

(L) 0 - 7

(L) 0 - 5

(L) 0 - 3

Bruton

(D) 0 - 0

(W) 3 - 0

(W) 9 - 0

Edgehill

(W) 6 - 0

Churcher's

(D) 2 - 2

(W) 4 - 0

(L) 0 - 9 (D) 1 - 1

cancelled

Kingswood in Focus 9

Boys' Rugby 2006 100 matches, 50 wins, 48 losses and 2 draws later I am here to bring to an end another season of rugby at Kingswood School.

We start at the junior end of the school. The U12s have had a fantastic introduction to rugby at Kingswood under the guidance of Mr ‘Muscles’ Matthews. They also maintained the Kingswood tradition of being tiny but talented! Their skill resulted in big wins against Monkton Combe and Queens Taunton. Samuel Mumford enjoyed a good first year, finishing as the top try scorer, and he received good support from Nick Mackenzie, Conor O’Sullivan, Joshua Jackson and Keaton Reynolds-Cotterill.

The U13s have had a positive term and achieved an encouraging set of results playing some expansive rugby. Samuel Spence scored a number of good tries during the course of the season. The pack has performed well throughout the year with Sam Harman leading from the front and Joss Langley impressing in the backs. With a bit more consistency the U13’s can look to be very successful side in the future.

The U14B team began to show their potential towards the end of the season with wins against Monkton Combe and Kings Bruton. Mr Macdonald’s men benefited from having an excellent pack of forwards with Oli Canning, Oscar Nowlan, Alex Hambly and Harry Dawson being outstanding throughout. Whilst in the attack, Alex Young, Alex Scott and Andrew Moss all contributed well in the backs. Tom Pang and Will Morrison impressed greatly in their first seasons of rugby.

The U14A team are the team that improved the most this season. They started with a number of narrow losses but finished with some impressive wins.

Once again, a small set of forwards began to dominate bigger opponents with Rowan James and David Short very prominent. In the backs, Adam Mcbraida was often the match winning try scorer with his speed and strength on the wing. Robbie Carrington and Ed Hutchinson were the most improved players and Will Mackenzie was the player of the season.

As several schools were not able to put out teams, the U15B's have not had as many fixtures as their enthusiasm deserved. Rohit Rana and Patrick Harvey were the pick of the team throughout the season, but a victory over Dean Close in their final match showed their potential.

"The real engine room of the team comes from our flankers..."

The U15 A’s are another side who have improved significantly as the season progressed.

The entire side have developed into a very solid unit now. The highlights of the season included a 12-5 win against Beechen Cliff and a 27-0 win against Monkton Combe.

Joshua Kegode, Joseph Hoare and Jonathan Watts made great improvements throughout the season with Jacob Collins and Nick Sheppard having good

seasons at halfback. Skipper, Charlie Harman, gave his all in every match.

Now I move on to the senior sides. The 3rd team won four out of their seven matches with Oliver Harman captaining the side well throughout.

Max Mulvany and Jamie House have also been excellent but special mention must go to Max Pierchella and Uchenna Ojukwu who only started playing the game this year. They both impressed in matches and scored some crucial points for the team.

U16B team’s two year unbeaten run sadly came to an end this season but only to a Prior Park side containing a number of sixth formers. Several players in this side impressed and will go on to challenge for places in the 1st and 2nd teams in the next two years. This has already begun to happen with James Dabell and Will Samler playing regularly for the 2nd XV in the latter part of this term.

This term the U16’s have had a particularly successful season. Under the guidance of Mr Reeman, the U16s have managed to go the entire season unbeaten. The most impressive wins came against local rivals King Edwards and Prior Park. Even more impressively, the match against King Edwards proved to be the only time where the side conceded a try with the defensive tackling proving to be a feature throughout the season.

Sam McMeekin, Tom Camman and Sam Pew Latter were often the cutting edge in attack, whilst Ed Cooper and Charles Hampton controlled the game well at halfback Jason Hanson, Matthew Woudberg and skipper Theo Boyce have been outstanding in the pack alongside Mark Widdowson who has also represented the county. Nick Gerrish and Evan Sawyer have also played at county level and they both made their first team debuts this term.

The 2nds under the guidance of ‘The Duke’ have again had a successful year with especially good wins against Dauntsey’s, Wells Cathedral and Beechen Cliff. The forwards have been the key to this side’s success with Henry Heffer’s presence vital. Jamie Campbell received good support from Casper Elliot, Aaron Leach and Will Heynen in the backs. Amon Warmann finished off a number of well-worked team moves and James Dolan won the award of the most improved player. Do not be deceived by Tim Hamilton as, although he is not the biggest player on the pitch, his tackling is deadly. Tim’s ability to tackle anything and everything that runs at him saw him named player of the season. Several 2nd team players have also been part of the 1st XV set up. Robert Beaven’s dreams came true this year as he was selected to play for the 1st XV. Captain James Tavernor has greatly impressed at second row and he received good support from Tom Suddaby.

Now on to the 1st XV. This season has been a struggle in terms of results but not in terms of effort. The close fought win against Monkton Combe was one of the highlights of the season, which was fitting reward for the passion that has been at the heart of every performance whether we were winning or losing.

I would now like to look at the contribution from individual players starting with our front row forwards. James Coleman, Edward Butler and David Dowling have all played well throughout but special mention must go to two players. Firstly to Year 11 Paddy Shipp whose technical ability and work rate has seen him make the transition from the U16s with ease and he has been an immense presence in the front row. Secondly, the human tank that is Malcolm West. Malcolm has become one of the most effective players in the 1sts. His work rate is the best and I would wish Malcolm further success in his rugby after Kingswood. Ali Kennet and Ed Socha have been an awesome partnership in the 2nd row. The real engine room of the team comes from our flankers Sam Cook and Mathew Horsley.

Next, we have our trustee scrum half George Jolliffe. George this who has set himself high standards to maintain next season has had the honour of

being the team baby and water technician. His ability to collect the kit, oranges, fill the water bottles, sing, and dance on cue has improved greatly and next year’s team baby should look to aspire to reach the heights that George has set this year. At fly half this year has been Alasdair Maspero.

On the rare occasion when we are not shouting ‘Maz don’t do that’ he turns into a very useful rugby player. Maspero’s passion and enthusiasm for rugby will no doubt see him go on to further heights if he can avoid certain misdemeanours such as telling the referee how to do his job!

Stui Laurence and Josh Batterham have created a very strong partnership in the centres since Year 9. Completing the backs have been Nick Salisbury and Peter Hynes on the wings. Peter like a true Hynes does not feel the need to do anything unless at 100 miles an hour. His strong running and side step has seen him become the joint top scorer. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our number 8 and my vice-captain Fran Jackson.

Fran’s laid-back attitude is deceiving, as when he walks on to the pitch, he becomes a colossus. He has been a great support to me and I hope when he leaves Kingswood he will continue his rugby as it would be a shame to waste such an immense amount of talent.

I would also like to thank on behalf of the rugby club those coaches who give up their time in the week and on every Saturday to take sides. My thanks on behalf of all the rugby players in the school go to Mr Redman, Mr Burgon, Mr Cook, Mr Harding and Mr Davies for their continuous efforts. When I arrived at Kingswood the point and aim of rugby was very new to me. I didn’t understand why passing the ball backwards made any sense and didn’t fully know why I should stick my body in front of another person who is running at me; so special mention must go to a few die hard coaches for turning a poor Nigerian boy into a 1st team player. Thanks go to Mr Opie for year in year out turning struggling teams into match winners at U14 level. Mr Hollywell using his very unorthodox no-nonsense approach consistently produces teams of very high standards. Alongside Malcolm in the gym, you will find Mr Matthews.

Mr Matthews technical ‘know how’ has been a great asset since joining the school three years ago. Mr Duke has been one of the more interesting coaches!

For instance, he has a tendency to give more feedback to the opposition than his own team! However, he has certainly made an impact in his past three years. Now the main man in charge of the whole operation, Mr ‘I played for Bath’ Reeman. Mr. Reeman does not take a first team and so he tends not to get the recognition that he deserves in these end of terms speeches.

Mr Reeman, despite popular belief, does work occasionally and it is largely down to him that sport at Kingswood has such a strong ethos and is as successful as it is today.My thanks on behalf of all the rugby players in the

school go to Mr Redman, Mr Burgon, Mr Cook, Mr Harding, Mr Davies, Mr Opie, Mr Matthews, Mr Duke, Mr Hollywell and Mr Reeman for their continuous efforts.

Finally, I would like to thank Mr Westcott on behalf of players past and present, for his continuous involvement with the first team.Mr Westcott’s ability to transform previously struggling players to top senior players is outstanding as is his patience. It has been a tremendous honour to captain and work with such magnificent group of people.

Therefore, with Kingswood rugby in the hands of the men who have come forward this afternoon all that is left for me to say is Good luck!

Dipo Faloyin (Head Boy 2007)

Colours & Awards COLOURS COLTS: Paddy Shipp; Jason Hanson; Mark Widdowson; Matthew Woudberg; Evan Sawyer; Theo Boyce; Nick Gerrish; Sam McMeekin; Sam Pew Latter.

HALF:

David Dowling; Malcolm West; Eddie Butler; Alasdair Kennett; Ed Socha; Sam Cook; Fran Jackson; James Tavernor; Matt Horsley; Alastair Maspero; George Jolliffe; Stui Laurence; Nick Salisbury; Peter Hynes; Josh Batterham.

FULL:

Captain of the team, Dipo Faloyin

AWARDS MOST IMPROVED: Alasdair Kennett PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Malcolm West

Boys Rugby Results 2006 1st XV

2nd XV

U16A

U16B

3rd XV

U15A

(L) 33-10

(L) 36-33

Yeovil College

(W) 19-12

Prior Park

(L) 22-0

(W) 10-7

(W) 45-0

(W) 22-0

Queens Taunton

(L) 53-7

(L) 43-0

(W) 43-0

(W) 19-12

King Edwards

(L) 24-0

(L) 20-0

(W) 12-10

Dauntsey’s

(L) 37-0

(W) 12-6

(W) 26-0

Wells

(W) 38-0

(W) 78-0

Wellington

(L) 10-0

(L) 29-14

Beechen Cliff

(L) 15-11

(W) 48-5

Q.E.H. Bristol

(L) 22-0

(L) 31-15

Warminster

(W) 46-5

(W) 47-0

(L) 12-0

(L) 37-0

(W) 17-12

(W) 17-0

(W) 32-0

U15B

U14A

U14B

(L) 22-17 (L) 28-0

(L) 26-7

(L) 5-0

(W) 47-0

(W) 37-14

(W) 32-0

(L) 36-7

(L) 28-0

(L) 27-20

(L) 37-0

(D) 17-17

(L) 24-22

(L) 27-7

(L) 43-0

(W) 48-0

(W) 44-5

(W) 33-12

(L) 31-12

(L) 38-5

(W) 12-5 (W) 38-0

(W) 15-14

(L) 34-5

(W) 29-12

(W) 17-10

(W) 10-5

(W) 24-5

(L) 25-12

(L) 17-5

(L) 31-5

(L) 48-5

(W) 41-3

(L) 31-0

(D) 20-20

(W) 38-5

(W) 22-12 (W) 24-5

(L) 35-7

(W) 41-0

(W) 10-7

(L) 17-5 (W) 26-0

(W) 32-0 (L) 27-0

(L) 10-7

(W) 27-0

(W) 19-12

(L) 20-12

(W) 47-7

(W) 58-0

(W) 50-0

(W) 37-17 (L) 34-7

(W) 12-10

(W) 18-0

(L) 29-24

(L) 34-0

(W) 32-0 (L) 19-12

(L) 24-0

U12B

(W) 20-0

(L) 34-0

Millfield Dean Close

U12A

(W) 41-5

Prior Park

Monkton Combe

U13B

(W) 7-5

Monkton Prep

King’s Bruton

U13A

(L) 36-34

(W) 12-7

(L) 10-7

(L) 48-0

(W) 34-7

Kingswood in Focus 11

Autumn Sport at KPS Both the boys and the girls at the school enjoyed their Rugby and Hockey respectively.

The senior boys are probably the strongest year group that we have had at KPS, as their results have proved. They had many notable successes on the rugby field running up large scores on several occasions.

The younger teams also did well, generally speaking and we were once again indebted to the large group of parental supporters for providing such excellent support on the local touchlines.

The senior girls tried just as hard and had their moments, but in contrast to the boys, they did not have such consistent success. Having said that, I know that Mrs Newman was pleased with the efforts they put in and they were a keen an enthusiastic group.

India Sanders is a very gifted, extremely determined player and the team owed much to her efforts. I am sure that in the future they will combine well at the senior school with the many new children who will be joining Year 7.

"...we were indebted to the large group of parental supporters

KPS Mum’s Hockey Team It was Saturday 28th April 2007, the major event of the Bath hockey calendar was about to take place. The Kingswood Mum’s hockey team were about to play their toughest opponents yet, the paragon Mum’s and the Bath Buccaneers.

The first match was against Bath Buccs. Barely had the crowd started to cheer when the first goal was hammered into the net. KPS dominated play from then on and another goal just before half time saw our team through to a 2-0 victory.

As The Paragon Mum’s had also defeated Bath Buccs by the same scoreline in the first match of the day, all was set fair for a hard fought last match.

In the end KPS had the better of things and again won by two unanswered goals. The trophy was awarded to the KPS team who had all in all enjoyed great day of hockey. Our thanks to Coach Kellock for all his hard efforts.

Pitchside reporter, Charlie ‘Come On Mum’ Pope

Netball

"Kingswood leads the way in promoting this game among the local schools..."

Kingswood Preparatory School has enjoyed an excellent Spring Term of netball. The basic skills are now being taught to the Year 1 pupils and in Year 2 they are beginning to understand the concept of the netball game which we play in a simplified version during lessons.

The Year 3 girls are now ready to enjoy the demands of matches against other schools and they relish the chance to travel and socialise with other children.

Both the Year 3 and the Year 4 girls play High ‘5’s which is the game recommended by the All England Netball Association for this age group. Kingswood leads the way in promoting this game among the local schools moving away from the more advanced 7 aside game.

High ‘5’s allows the children to rotate positions in a set pattern after each quarter. This encourages the children to learn skills appropriate to all areas of the court: defence, midcourt and attack.

In Years 5 and 6 the girls move on to the 7 aside game and marking and moving 12 Kingswood in Focus

the ball quickly become crucial factors in their development as players.

This term Kingswood Netball has played 12 games in Year 3, 12 games in Year 4, 18 games in Year 5 and 18 games in Year 6 plus numerous festivals and tournaments. Every girl in those year groups has had the opportunity to represent the school at some point.

A worthy mention must go to the Year 5 and Year 3 girls who were unbeaten this season. Many thanks also to all the staff who have contributed by coaching, umpiring and driving the children to the matches; namely Miss Glenday, Miss Diaz, Miss Hammond, Miss Elliot, Mrs Gilmour, Mr Shrubsole and Mr Stephens.

Congratulations to all the girls who have played netball this term and please remember to keep practising your shooting over the summer months!

Michelle Newman (Head of Girls’ Games - KPS)

Orienteering The year started well in October with the senior team mounting the podium for Kingswood at the British Schools’ Score Championships, near High Wycombe, to collect Bronze medals.

USA Update We are delighted to send KSODA's congratulations to Huw Stradling (Year 10 leaver in 2006) on becoming runner-up in the recent 2007 Huw with his medal US Interscholastic Championships. (That is similar to our British Schools Champs but for the whole of the USA!) What's more, Huw (15) ran in the highest ability level (Varsity) for ages 15-19. His second place makes him the second placed male orienteer from any High School in America. Wow!

Kingswood Orienteers Avon Schools League winners

This was in the Open Boys Class where our Year 10s were in the same race as the Year 13s. Excellent prospects for next year, surely.

There were further successes the following month in the British Schools’ Championships at Bewdley, Worcs, when our Year 10 boys team Ralph Eliot (3rd), Alex Russell-Bates (17th) & Elliot Haines (29th) came a very close second, by just 1 point, to the mighty Ulverston Victoria. Also good for silver medals were the KS Year 7 boys’ team of Matt Jeffery (4th), Will Roper (17th) and Jack Stuckes (27th). They missed gold by 2 points (46 to 48). Kingswood were 11th in the Large Schools’ Class and 4th in the Prep School Class.

Our senior runners Ralph, Alex and Elliot have helped the Bristol Klub reach the Compass Sport Cup Final at Newbury, where BOK finished 3rd, and also get to the Yvette Baker Trophy Final. Again it was a 3rd place in this national junior inter-club trophy in December.

The Avon Schools’ Orienteering competition has split into 2 Leagues. (This gives KS a chance to tilt for 2 Trophies!) At Christmas after 3 events the Senior School were placed just 13 points behind Bristol Grammar [BGS 1673, KS 1660], whereas the Prep School had a clear lead over Royal Bath High in their league (KPS 1377, RHBS 1214.)

However, in March after the 7th event, which Kingswood staged in Warmley Forest Park, Kingswood, Bristol, both KS teams had unassailable leads. Matt Lyle planned this event on a new area very well, as a farewell gesture to the school club, and huge help from KS parents made it a very successful day.

There are 3 Kingswood Avon Schools’ Champions this year: Matt Jeffery and Tamsin Ireland (Year 7) and Leonard Budd (Year 5) all ran excellent races.

The event was run in the sunshine at Gare Hill and the new red KS Tunnel Tent had good use on its début – a generous gift from FoK – who gave the old blue one many years ago.

There has also been considerable individual activity on the badge front climaxing with British Orienteering Federation gold badges for Matt Jeffery (JM2) and Jack Stuckes (JM1) and a tally of 3 Yellow badges and 8 White ones; and there are many more on the way!

R J Lewis (Orienteering Secretary)

The Varsity category includes High School students of all ages, and so many were 2/3 years older than Huw. The winner (by a long way on both days) was born in 1987, has run at JWOC and is going again to Japan this year.

Huw did beat other JWOC team members. They were a lot more powerful runners, so it was his orienteering skills that pulled Huw through the 2-day competition where he came 3rd on both days and 2nd overall.

"Huw was the second placed male orienteer from any High School in America."

The US Interscholastics event was held in Maryland this year - a 6-hour flight for Huw from Seattle. His entry only possible after the American Schools’ Orienteering Association had debated Huw's "nationality" status and decided that he was eligible to compete in an American Championships!

And the report from the US perspective was: Result - Huw Stradling (Cascade Dynamics) Day 1 3rd 47.37 Day 2 3rd 51.01 Total 9.38 - 2nd place {Cascade were 2nd team - 3 points down in 440} Comments - It was good to see Huw so consistent on both days as that was often what let him down at major competitions in the past. Comparing times and distances with his contemporaries at the JK, Huw would have been in the top 6 which is encouraging to know as he hasn't experienced that runnable woodland-type course since he left the UK. The forests around Seattle are much more dense (akin to Jurassic Park terrain!). Huw is now all fired up for the Scottish 6 days.

Mum, Liz, says “The running gear is a bit different from the UK! We get lots of queries about where to buy 'O' gear and things like control description holders. They do not have an equivalent to Ultrasport here!”

Kingswood in Focus 13

Art From Our Prep School

Kitty O'Connor (Year 6) - Movement Study

Paris Stone (Year 5) - Still Life

Beth Hirst (Year 3) - Self Portrait

Stanya Gardner (Year 6) - Movement Study

14 Kingswood in Focus

Year 2 Healthy Eating Poster

Nursery Ladybirds

Year 2 Portraits

Nursery Sheep Collages

Year 2 Portraits

Nursery Butterfly Print

Pre-Prep Storytelling Collage

Kingswood in Focus 15

Performing Arts

Return to the Forbidden Planet ‘Why can’t we do more musicals?’

I hear on a regular basis.

So this year the Music and Drama departments bowed to the pressure being applied by the students and decided to produce one. The first stage was to go and watch a performance by the pro’s at the Theatre Royal Plymouth.

So Ms Rowe and I sped down the M5 one summer evening to watch what turned out to be a rather uninspiring performance of Return to the Forbidden Planet. However, rather than shying away from this very ambitious project we decided to not just ‘go for it’ but to make it better than the professional effort we had seen in Plymouth. I am sure that all of you who were lucky enough to see it know that it stands up with some of the finest shows the School has produced. The cast that included Henry Heffer, Hannah Short, Theo Boyce, Daisy Head, Issy Watson, Dominic Holbrook, Jake Warren and Tom Pritchard in the lead roles were all excellent at tackling the ‘Shakespearian’ language with gusto. All of them also gave high quality vocal performances in a variety of memorable tunes that brought more than a smile of recognition to many of the senior members of our audience!

"The technical aspects of the show surpassed anything we have ever attempted before..."

The technical aspects of the show surpassed anything we have ever attempted before with fantastic animation provided by Paul, Joe, Chris and Quentin. And of course the transformation of the Theatre into the interior of the ‘SS Albatross’ also added to the atmosphere.

The highlight of the week was the standing ovation received from the Gala audience on Saturday night as the cast proceeded to do two encores, surely a first at Kingswood.

It seems that the musical bug may have been caught as next autumn we intend to do Carol’ a musical version of ‘A Christmas Carol’.

I am sure that it won’t be long before I start hearing a new question: ‘Why don’t we do more ‘straight plays’ Sir?’.

Sir?’ To which I will simply smile.

Darrell Harding (Head of Theatre Studies)

Antigone Thank goodness that the lower sixth drama students chose to devise some comedic pieces for their assessments because before they could pause for breath they were plunged into the misery and tragedy that is ‘Antigone’.

Although originally a play by Sophocles (much loved by AS Drama and Theatre Studies students and Year 9 classical civilisation scholars alike) the cast actually tackled a heavily edited version of the 1944 text

by French playwright Jean Anouilh.

An honorary mention must also go to Ryan Wallis – a Year 8 pupil and a member of the newly formed ‘Junior Acting Class’ for potentially gifted and talented students in the lower school. Ryan is hopefully the first of many more younger pupils who will have a chance to experience drama with older students – watch out for Lucy Russell Bates in the Year 13 assessed performance of ‘The Pillowman’ in May. Not the happiest of plays, the cast nevertheless kept two large audiences enthralled as the inevitable fate of Antigone at the hands of Creon unfolded. They should all be applauded for their concentration and focus which was superb throughout. The Drama department has had a particular busy, intense term but one of which we can be incredibly proud.

The standard of drama at Kingswood remains very high thanks to a highly talented, committed group of students.

Kate Rowe (Drama Department) Sophia Briffa was simply outstanding in the lead role – a challenging part for any young woman. She was ably supported by Abigail Stogdale as Antigone’s sister Ismene. The dictator Creon was performed by Jeff Carpenter and his son, Haemon, by Sam Douglas ‘hyphen’ Bate.

Some small comic relief was found in the form of Chantal Raper as the Nurse and from Max Mulvany as Jonas. The two brutish guards were played by Matt Horsley and Henry Heffer. Victoria Yates had the dubious pleasure of delivering the news of the multiple deaths of Haemon and Antigone while the Chorus (Isabella Watson, Gina Piper, Georgia Sharp and Natasha Bloor) deserve special mention for remaining standing for an hour in high heels!

"...the cast kept two large audiences enthralled..."

Report on Club Ha! Ha! The Drama Studio hosted what the department hopes will be the first of many comedy club evenings on Thursday 1st March. As well as resident comedy improvisers, Exit Stage Right, it was also a chance for some of the braver students to try their hand at stand-up comedy.

Three students had a go: Sam Parsons, Edward Carter and Elliot Haines. They were each rewarded for their fine efforts with a t-shirt that read, ‘I survived the open-mic spot at Club Ha! Ha!’!

"...it was a chance for the braver students to try their hand at stand-up comedy.

The next opportunity to attend another comedy evening will be Wednesday 23rd May when it will be the last chance to see two of the great servants to performance at Kingswood School: Jake Warren and Dipo Faloyin. We hope to see lots of you there.

Kingswood in Focus 17

KPS Report on Mid-Somerset Festival 2007 We enjoyed our best year to date with excellent results, many placings and, more importantly, a high standard of work produced from each and every pupil involved.

Though there were two possible lower levels of attainment, nobody scored below a merit which is “a capable performance showing artistic appreciation and technical ability”. Results were as follows:

CREATIVE WRITING CLASSES Poem (Ages 8 & 9 years) Commended (2nd) Bella Flook Merit Harry Watts, Jamie Padkin, Connie Cater Poem (Age 10 years) Merit Commended (3rd)

Katie Humphrey, Ben Mayall, Leonard Budd Orla O’Sullivan

Poem (Age 11 years) Commended Commended (=3rd)

Amelia Robson Alec Shute

Verse speaking (Ages 9½ - 10 years) Merit (=3rd) Alisha Ganapathy Commended (Winner) Connie Cater Commended (=2nd) Marielle Thomas, Sophie McDermot Verse speaking (Ages 10½ - 11 years) Merit Rachel Greenslade Reading aloud (Age 8 years) Commended (3rd) Jennifer McGlynn Reading aloud (Age 9 years) Merit Connie Cater Commended (=2nd) Marielle Thomas, Sophie McDermott Reading aloud (Age 11 years) Commended (2nd) Sarina Ganapathy

Short story (Age 9 years & under) Commended Marielle Thomas, Cameron Owens, Sophie McDermott Merit Jodie Price

Memorised prose (Ages 8 & 9 years) Distinction (2nd) Jennifer McGlynn Memorised prose (Ages 10 &11 years) Distinction (3rd) Rachel Greenslade

Short story (Ages 10 - 13 years) Commended Lola Young , Meqan Haines, Hannah Sansford, Cameron Price

Group Mime (Under 12 years) KPS ‘6T’: Commended (Winners) Megan Haines, Rebecca Bates, Jessica Jeffery, Annabel Moss, Peonie Ho, Sarina Ganapathy

SPEECH AND DRAMA CLASSES

KPS ‘6H’: Merit

Verse speaking (Ages 8 - 8½ years) Merit Jessica Brown Outstanding (Winner) *** Nicholas Harris Distinction Philippa Curtis

KPS ‘6M’: Commended (2nd) Rachel Greenslade, Kitty O’Connor, Stanya Gardner, Jennifer Robson

*Winner of class/**Winner of Evelyn Sandford Memorial Cup (highest mark in classes 12 and 13, ie 65 entries). ***Also joint winner of Gilbert Cup – with Adam Lloyd James, KS - (boy gaining highest mark (92) in speech and drama classes).

Leo Fini, Tom Hardman, Tim Rouse,

Duo mime (Ages 10 - 12 years) Distinction (Winners) Mollie Dent & Sophia Hanbury Distinction (2nd) Jessica Jeffery & Annabel Moss Solo mime (Ages 10 & 11 years) Merit Lola Young Solo acting (Age 10 years) Merit Rachel Greenslade, Kitty O’Connor Commended (3rd) Robert Harris

Verse speaking (Ages 8½ - 9 years) Merit Beth Hirst Distinction (3rd) Jennifer McGlynn

Solo acting (Age 11 years) Merit Leo Fini, Lola Young Nick Harris, Year 3, being presented with his award

Overall there were 60 entries and we gained placings (1st, 2nd, 3rd or combination!) in 14 of our 19 classes (70%). In all, 39 children were involved in this year’s festival Thank you to each and every one of you for all your hard work!

Outside of our ESB group, special congratulations must also go to Charles Beaven (Year 5) and Megan Haines (Year 6) who also took part in the festival. Both are lucky enough to have speech and drama lessons outside of school. Megan added fine performances in Solo Acting, and TV News reading to her Group Mime win. Charles entered three classes and won three: Solo Acting 10 years, Solo Mime 10 and 11 years and Verse speaking 10 – 10½ years. He also, along with Nick Harris, was invited to perform one of his winning pieces at the festival concert on Saturday evening. Mr Cornah and I were very proud of them both. Very well done indeed!

Marie McGlynn

Year 7 Singing Contest All the classes had been practising for weeks for this special competition and Mr Mainwaring had been waiting to beat Miss Matthews in this competition for so long!

And we thought that this year would be lucky for him! All the Year 7 classes that Miss Matthews and Mr Mainwaring taught went in to the Theatre and every class was nervous. It was the first time all the Year 7 pupils had ever done it, so it was pretty big for them.

The songs sung by the Year 7s were "Syiahamba", "Sospan Fach", and "Jesse James". Miss Matthews’ class even added their own touch by adding instruments in their version of Syiahamba.

thought that this was the best part of the contest!).

All the classes were amazing BUT unfortunately there was only one class that could win - and that class was Mr Mainwaring’s 7D. They sang the songs "Syiahamba" and "Sospan Fach" (they were the only ones that did Sospan Fach!).

"...and Mr Mainwaring’s class won!"

At the end we all performed a big finale which involved all of the classes singing "Oh When The Saints" and "Swing Low" (we all

We all knew that this year was lucky for Mr Mainwaring and look forward to next year’s vocal fight between the Year 7 classes.

Kriti Rana (Year 7)

Woolley Church Concert October 2006 Although Kingswood’s Music Department visits Woolley Church every year for a concert, this was my first experience. It gives the Sixth Form musicians their second opportunity of the year to perform solos, the first being the Acer Tree Concert which happens (very scarily) in the second week of September! Woolley Church is an incredibly small but well-proportioned church with a great acoustic and a funky bright yellow door! We took both Upper and Lower Sixth A Level musicians to sing and play for the locals of Woolley and, as has become traditional I gather, we stop off for a burger at Larkhall before the concert - waiting for the burgers also gives Mr Mainwaring a chance to write out parts for the finale of the concert! Both the burgers and the finale went down well.

There was a real mix of styles from Megan Adams’ classical aria to my guitar-based pop song, from Alice Jones’ Trumpet Concerto by Haydn, to Alex Olley’s organ solo. The audience was very appreciative and we finished the concert with yet more food and drink. I can’t wait for next year’s trip to eat burgers….sorry, to perform at Woolley Church!

Wilf Scolding (Year 12) Kingswood in Focus 19

Scholars’ Concert For most students the first they hear of the Scholars’ Concert is the Monday morning announcement in assembly saying that all musicians must attend the concert this weekend.

For the participants, the Scholars’ Concert is the culmination of weeks of work practising technically and musically challenging pieces, and this year the standard was particularly high.

when we discovered that he had learned the entire piece in only two days. (Paul has recently auditioned for the Paris Conservatoire and we wish him the best of luck!)

Though piano and strings dominated the evening (as they normally do) this year saw double-reeded instruments thrust into the limelight.

Alfred Ireland gave a fabulous performance of Weber’s bassoon concerto. It was great to see Alfred perform on his bassoon since he is best known throughout the school for his piano playing. Alfred was

Four pianists played on the night, with a variety of styles and eras, from Alice Liu’s beautiful rendition of Debussy’s “The Snow is Dancing” to Sam Mumford’s brilliant jazz arrangement of “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. I decided to play an arrangement of an Irish folksong by E.J. Moeran, called “Irish Love Song”. It’s one of my favourites and I enjoyed performing something a little different to the norm. The contrasts between the piano pieces kept the audience interested and all pieces were performed conf idently and expressively. The fourth pianist was Sam Chan and I simply cannot let such a momentous occasion as Sam Chan’s last performance at Kingswood go by without dedicating an entire paragraph to it!

joined on the double-reeded instruments by Tom Pritchard on the oboe.

Ably accompanied by the string ensemble, Tom played an entire oboe concerto by Albinoni. The list of Tom’s musical talents is seemingly endless but his ability on the oboe is exceptional. We will all be very sad to say goodbye to him at the end of the Summer Term and the Music department will miss him greatly.

There was a total of five string players, most of whom came from lower down the school. The three violinists: Laura Cross, Joel Grainger and Tamsin Ireland, all performed difficult pieces (Saint-Saens’ “Danse Macabre”, Monti’s “Czardas” and Smetana’s “Aus dem Heimat” respectively). All the violinists performed to a high standard, and we all look forward to where they will be in a few years time. Laura’s younger sister Katja performed Rachmaninov’s “Vocalise” on the cello with excellent technical ability as well as musicality. However, special mention must be made to one of my personal highlights of the evening. Two of our French exchange students, Marion Stienne and Paul Beney gave a performance of Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata.

The tone Marion produced on the viola was exceptional and Paul’s amazing accompaniment on the piano was made all the more impressive 20 Kingswood in Focus

Sam Chan’s piano playing has successfully managed to frustrate every pianist (indeed probably every musician) in the music school at some time or other. This is because Sam has only been learning the piano for three years yet is well beyond grade 8 level. He has an incredible technical ability on the piano, which, as I’m sure he wouldn’t deny, he likes to display through technically demanding pieces, in particular, Chopin.

It was, therefore, appropriate that he should perform Chopin’s “Waltz in D minor” at this year’s Scholars’ Concert. Once again he left the audience open-mouthed and his fellow scholars with nothing but admiration (honestly!). Not only does Sam’s rapidly acquired technical ability astound but he is also musical in his performances and shows a dedication to music which very few in the school can rival. He has just won a specialist scholarship to Wells Cathedral Music School, one of the best music schools in the country. Many congratulations, we wish you all the best!

Overall, the Scholars’ Concert 2007 was a tremendous success and if I’m to have any chance of keeping up with the ever increasing standard, I’ll have to start practising for next year!

Antonia Bevan (Year 12)

Piano Week Anyone who loves culture, music and pianos (or any mix of the three) and was NOT at Kingswood Theatre on Friday 26th January missed a highlight of the decade!

We are, of course, focusing on the visit of the international concert pianist Joanna MacGregor as the culmination of Piano Week.

The week was a superb success, with over 60 pianists performing a huge range of pieces from Chopin to Coldplay, The Little White Donkey to The Cuckoo, and waltzes to tangos. Our Japanese guest Miss Higuchi opened the week with an excellent performance of one of Debussy’s Arabesques.

There were five lunchtime concerts, two assemblies, a workshop and a Gala Concert. Highlights of the week’s lunchtime concerts included Jenny Tsang’s “Slow Moon”, Charles Price’s “Dream” by Ernest Block, Kenny Man Hong’s Chopin Nocturne, Alex Olley’s Ibert work, and James Johnstone’s “Sonatine in Bb” by Wesley. On Friday afternoon, piano pupils and staff gathered in the Theatre for a workshop by the international concert pianist Joanna MacGregor.

Joanna fitted Kingswood into her busy schedule, sandwiching our workshop and Gala Concert between performances in New York and Salzburg. The four pupils who played for Miss MacGregor were Alfred Ireland, Antonia Bevan, Sam Mumford and Jeff Carpenter…..and Jonathan Pert, who got a chance at the last minute to perform his Wesley Grade 3 piece! All learned some invaluable tips from Joanna, who managed to put our performers at ease as soon as she met them. On Friday evening, to round off the week of events, Joanna joined six of our pianists at the Gala Concert. Sam Chan opened the evening with two Chopin pieces – Waltz No. 14 in E minor and Nocturne in C# minor. Joanna was amazed at the maturity of Sam’s playing and his performances, especially of the Nocturne, set the standard for the rest of the evening. Antonia Bevan followed, and produced undoubtedly her best performances to date.

She tackled a very difficult Ravel piece to start, and proved that her technique has improved dramatically this year. Her Brahms’ Intermezzo showed gravitas and a darker emotional side to her playing. Alfred Ireland then tackled a ferociously difficult Haydn Sonata, which he performed with great technical assurance, especially considering that he has only been learning it for 3 months. Joanna MacGregor proved that concert pianists can be human by page turning for Alfred, something he should remember for the rest of his life! She then performed one of Bach’s French Suites - seven movements which proved why she is regarded as one of the world’s greatest performers of Bach on the piano. As good as our pupils were, they would all agree that Joanna’s technique and tone were breathtaking.

Jeff Carpenter opened the second half with more Bach - a very long Allemande which he performed from memory - and a Spanish piece entitled “Castilla” which he played with subtle humour and panache.

Wilf Scolding continued with a Schumann piece and his version of Dave Grusin’s “Memphis Stomp”. This second piece was a great triumph for Wilf who had worked tirelessly during the final weeks to get this piece up to standard. Sam Mumford then performed his own clever jazz arrangement of “Satin Doll”. Joanna MacGregor was delighted that Sam took on-board some of her suggestions from the afternoon’s workshop. She finished the concert with three Piazolla tangos, including one which involved her virtually climbing into the piano to get the special sound she wanted!

Joanna then closed Piano Week 2007 with a Gershwin encore which led me to conclude that this was one of the best Kingswood concerts I had possibly ever witnessed.

"The week was a superb success..."

Caspar Eliot (Year 13)

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 in which to work. In every KIF, we profile one of our Staff.

Pam was born in America and moved to Weymouth when she was small.

She started learning the piano at the age of four and knew from an early age that music would feature prominently in her life. From training to be a teacher at Newton Park in Bath, Pam started work in Hardenhuish School in Chippenham, teaching Music and English for five years.

Pam met her husband, Paul, at college and left the classroom when her children Jon and Matt came along. At that time, she started piano teaching and realised she loved doing this.

Pam’s other passion in life has been to encourage people to worship Jesus through music. She has been Music Director/Worship Co-ordinator at All Saints, Weston for 20 years and feels privileged to be part of something so special. At the moment, Pam is co-writing a musical called AD34 to be performed at church next year.

Peri Profile PAM WENDZINA

Ensemble Fortnight October 2006 This year’s ensemble fortnight was very early in the academic scheme of things. We’d only just got our breath back from the first few weeks when up the came the most challenging couple of weeks of the year for many of our musicians. The idea has always been that whilst our singers and orchestral players have a chance to play together, many of our drummers, guitarists and pianists do not. Even though the orchestral players seem to have an advantage in this area, they still really play a singular part upon which everyone else relies. Add to this stress the fact that a new piece must be performance-ready on two lessons tuition and you get a sense of why the fortnight can be stressful. However, as ever, the point of the event is process not outcome. Pupils learn so much when they have to rely on others around them especially as they have to multi-task by playing their part and being alert to their peers! Then there’s all the sensitivity involved in making sure you’re not drowning out the person with the melody and trying to stay in tune with everyone else!

"Pupils learn so much when they have to rely on others around them..."

The informal evening of ensemble performances at the end of the fortnight always surprises me by the high standard attained in only two weeks. The theatre was virtually full and the audience was treated to a very varied programme, from piano duets to percussion ensembles, from clarinet quartets to the 20-piece guitar ensemble. Pupils performed in a variety of styles featuring pieces as diverse as Cornelius March by Mendelssohn, When You Wish Upon a Star, Walk This Way and 3 Celtic Reels. There were too many excellent performances to list here, but notable highlights included: New York, New York from Hannah and Jessica Bishay; a Mozart operatic trio from John Rawlins, Eliot Haines and Richard Newman; Alex Bevan, Sarah Ryder, Milan Terlunen and Tim Little’s saxophone quartet; and a movement from the Nutcracker Suite performed by flautists Katy Worsfold, Frances Butcher, Polly Gates and Helen Olley. What was particularly impressive was that most of the performers were obviously tired from their trip to Birmingham Symphony Hall on the previous night to see La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra!

Richard Mainwaring

Bella Russell Workshop All of us musicians in Years 10 and 12 were treated to a workshop by the film and TV composer Bella Russell... ...whose works include the music for the BBC’s The Jungle and the recent 9/11 documentary Miracle of Stairwell B. Bella started the workshop by playing some of the music she had composed for various films, documentaries and trailers. Her music is very varied and was all of the highest quality. After this, we then asked questions on how to improve our compositions. Most of us had good ideas, but extending these into pieces which last for three minutes is a difficult job. Bella gave us loads of useful tips on how to develop our ideas. She also gave us a very interesting insight into the professional world, both the rewards and the pressures of composing for the media. It was an excellent afternoon, and certainly helped me in my composition for GCSE.

Hannah Bishay (Year 10)

KPS Inspired by KS In February, Over 100 Kingswood Prep School pupils heard performances from the Senior Choir, KJO and the Senior Orchestra. They came to the Theatre to see and hear at first hand what we do in musical ensembles at the Senior School. What made it very special for our young visitors was that they could sit in amongst the instrumentalists and hear really close the “real” sound of an instrument, not just the lovely rounded sound you get when you sit some distance away in the audience.

The Chippenham Gig that’s Becoming a Habit

The Senior Choir sang the opening from Carmina Burana and an African song of welcome. The KPS pupils were amazed at how much volume we made in the Senior Choir. The Orchestra then rehearsed and performed a section of Ravel’s Bolero and this was a great chance for pupils to sit amongst the strings, woodwind, brass and percussion. It was also a good opportunity for even some of us older ones to hear little snippets from the less common instruments like oboe and bassoon. The Kingswood Jazz Orchestra ended the thoroughly entertaining hour with a rendition of “Everybody Needs Somebody”. The Prep School students were obviously inspired by hearing so much quality music at close hand, and it was undoubtedly a very memorable introduction to instrumental music for many of the pupils.

Last year we played for Mrs Ball’s birthday at St Andrew’s Church in Chippenham. The gig was really successful and we helped to raise hundreds of pounds for charity. In fact it was so successful that we were asked to play again this year. The church holds over three hundred people and it was full for our return performance. Mr Mainwaring, Miss Matthews and Mr Knights brought a range of ensembles with them which included KJO, KFC and Kingswood Voices. As well as singing in Kingswood Voices, I was given the job of taking photos! Obviously it was quite difficult to take photos of the groups whilst sitting on stage, and impossible to take photos whilst I was singing! – Miss Matthews would not have been impressed. KFC entertained the audience with numbers like “Evil Circus” and “Charlie Price” in between our pieces which included the anthem “The Music of Life” accompanied by Mr Knights. KJO accompanied a number of soloists in blues numbers including “Everybody Needs Somebody” sung by Tom Pritchard and “Gimme Some Lovin” sung by Philip Wang and Jo Magnay. There were also performances of two pieces we’ve heard in assemblies entitled “O Mary Don’t You Weep” and “Jacob’s Ladder” sung by Hannah Bishay and Richard Newman. The audience was really appreciative with the odd cheer now and again (as well as thunderous applause), and we helped to raise £380 for local charities. I think the habit of a Chippenham gig will continue!

Sam Parsons (Year 11)

Oscar Batterham (Year 9)

"Prep School students were obviously inspired..."

Music & Christmas

- Christmas is always a very busy time for us musicians.

Whilst everyone else relaxes at the end of term, the musicians of the school have to keep working right up to the end. This year was no exception with two big services and the Christmas concert. The Advent Service was a great event, the Chapel was packed as usual, and the three choirs filled the front and back of the Chapel. I was in Kingswood Voices and our performance of Carol of the Children went really well.

daunting place to sing at. All of the choirs sang superbly especially as all of the music was different from the Advent Service. The pieces we sang had an international flavour, and included Come Colours Rise, Bogoroditse Devo, The Moon and Star of Christmas Eve, and Ring Out the Bells. There was a particularly excellent solo from Ross Harding in Riu Riu Chiu accompanied by the Chamber Choir.

The highlight of the Senior Choir’s performance was the stereo effect they got in Sussex Carol by putting the boys at the back and the girls in the apse. Miss Matthews said that it would be a great triumph if the choir managed to stay together, but to the congregation there was never any doubt. The Chamber Choir was amazing and there was an excellent solo from Philip Wang in Year 12.

What was especially amazing was that many of the senior singers had only just finished “Return From The Forbidden Planet” the night before!

Five days after this we completed our performances with the excellent Christmas Concert in the Theatre.

Kingswood Voices sang a really up-tempo version of Yes My Lord which the audience loved. Everyone was dressed up in their best tinsel and the atmosphere was very festive.

Then, four days later we performed at the Carol Service in Bath Abbey. This was my second Carol Service, and it is always a

Other highlights of the concert were the Senior Orchestra’s War of the Worlds, Westwood Orchestra’s first major concert performance (Little Donkey) and the Senior Strings’ Christmas Concerto by Corelli. And then we all collapsed at the end of a really busy musical Christmas!!!

Myfy Hollywell (Year 8) Kingswood in Focus 23

Model United Nations Conference

MUN 2007... ...was the biggest yet; once again we had to turn away schools who wanted to attend because we simply could not accommodate them.

Nearly 50 schools, from as far afield as Belarus, Russia, Germany and France, represented over 140 countries for a weekend of debate and argument in a simulation of the work of the United Nations.

The issues on our agenda were diverse and challenging, but this year, for the first time, we decided to give the conference a theme.

Sustainable Development was the issue at the centre of MUN 2007, and not only did we attempt to debate green issues but we also sought to “green” the conference in as many ways as possible.

The conference began early on Friday evening with the Opening Ceremony. Hundreds of delegates and advisors gathered in the Sports Hall to hear a series of fine speeches. Marking the two-hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, the Headmaster spoke powerfully on slavery, a problem which exists on an even greater scale today than it did in the age of Wilberforce. The Secretary General of the conference, David Dowling, then spoke eloquently of his experiences of MUN down the years, remembering a few moments of toe-curling embarrassment in amongst tales of skills developed, friends made and successes achieved. He then introduced this year’s guest of honour, Mr Jonathon Porritt. One of this country’s leading environmentalists, he spoke passionately of the need for urgent action to meet the challenge of climate change. He succeeded in putting the theme of sustainability at the heart of the 2007 conference, and delegates went off to lobbying, inspired and looking forward to a weekend of vigorous debate.

The conference followed a by now familiar structure. Saturday was given over to committee debate, followed by a Sunday dominated by emergency scenarios. Once again an army of Kingswood students was instrumental in making the conference another resounding success.

From the magnificent chairing team, ably led by David Dowling, Ross Harding, Carmen Palomino Marced, Harriet Morrell, Sarah Aston, Jenny Gibson, Laura Douglas-Bate, Georgia Sawyer, Ross Evans and Max Mulvany, to the tireless secretaries and technical crew and the first-rate security team (complete with ties), everyone involved rose to

Jonathon Porritt

24 Kingswood in Focus

The Secretary General - David Dowling

the challenge of organising such a major event with enormous energy and commitment. Special thanks as ever must go to the Friends of Kingswood, stalwart supporters of this event down the years, and to Mrs Lemmy, who, as anyone involved in MUN will tell you, is at the heart of the success of the Kingswood conference.

This account of MUN 2007 will now conclude with the thoughts of two Kingswood students about this year’s event. Marianne Teoh, a leading member of the Eco-Schools group, first of all gives an account of her interview with Jonathon Porritt, and her reflections on this year’s conference.

“After Mr Porritt’s stirring speech we were lucky enough to interview him before he caught his train back to Cheltenham.

For half an hour Carmen Palomino Marced, Laura Stockley and I had an opportunity to ask him a range of questions, and his answers were always informative, and often inspiring.

Hailed as one of Britain’s leading environmentalists, Mr Porritt is definitely showing us the way.

He lives by example, choosing not to own a car despite his frequent need for travel. Interestingly enough, he was once a teacher, and decided to become an environmentalist when he realised how little his city students had seen of the wider environment.

His opinions are firm and definite, especially in his view that we need to act now to tackle climate change, as we

Delegates at the 2007 Model United Nations Conference

are fast running out of time. He pointed out that one molecule of CO2 is the same no matter where you are in the world and that this global problem needs global solutions. This interview, along with his memorable speech, gave us an even clearer perspective on the state of our environmentally exploited world, as well as an understanding of what we can do to change things. This gave us inspiration for the intense debates that were to come.

proposed resolution or in the logic used by a speaker. MUN encourages them to develop arguments. Another key skill for future politicians and diplomats is poise in public speaking, and the delegates have many opportunities to develop their confidence by making speeches and asking questions formally. By the end of the weekend all those new to MUN had spoken, and many came away with the thrill that comes from speaking in public.

Young people do care and have strong views and plans for the future.

I found the MUN experience very educational and was amazed by the passion that some student speakers were able to convey.

The buzzing atmosphere encouraged participation by even the most nervous. I spent much of my time on the Environment Committee, where animated discussions on climate change, marine and coastal biodiversity and protection of the Amazon filled our weekend.”

Teenagers want to listen to fellow teenagers: this is what makes MUN so effective. We become more aware of our responsibility for the earth and its people, and learn to take it more seriously, while at the same time enjoying a highly sociable and exciting weekend.

David Dowling, Deputy Head Boy, is an MUN veteran, and acted as this year’s Secretary General. Here he gives an insight into why he feels MUN is important, themes he elaborated on in his opening speech.

“Delegates at MUN learn how to work in a team and how to compromise.

They think critically and analytically, soon finding the flaws in a

Many people who have truly made a difference to the world developed their passion whilst they were young. Mother Teresa, for instance, became fascinated with the missionary way of life in her teenage years.

MUN, therefore, can play a vital role in the future of the movement towards sustainable development. It is as the Jesuits said: “Give me the boy and I will show you the man”. Getting young people interested in global affairs is critical for the world’s future.”

Mr C B Woodgate (Head of History & Politics)

Eco-Schools Update

"The group has been busy this term..."

The Eco–Schools group has been busy this term and has crammed more in than I can possibly fit into this rather small space, but I shall give it a go… Near the beginning of term several presentations were given, informing people of how Eco-Schools has worked at Kingswood, one at School on an Eco-Schools assessors training day when the Eco-Committee fielded questions ranging from recycling measures in School to the response of parents at home, and then another later in Bath. There was also an entertaining assembly given to the whole school when Kermit, our tuneful green friend, was introduced.

Two articles have been written by students that are to be published in the next edition of the journal, Environmental Education. One is on our progress to date and the other on the MUN conference. On top of all this, we enlisted the help of students and staff to come up with a whole-School understanding of what sustainable development means.

We understand it as any activity that balances human needs with a healthy environment.

Laura Stockley (Year 11) Kingswood in Focus 25

KPS International Day

"The kaleidoscope of children’s costumes from all continents was fantastic."

Third Annual Celebration What a colourful and joyous occasion!

The kaleidoscope of children’s costumes from all continents was fantastic. It made a spectacular sight at the whole school assembly where children from Pre-Prep through to Year 6 treated us to songs, poems and greetings in a range of Oriental and European languages. The diversity of cultural backgrounds amongst our pupil body here at KPS is amazing – such a wonderful resource that we have on our doorstep. In the assembly we recognised the differences in peoples around the world; not just their looks, but their customs, beliefs, food, clothing and housing to name but some and we celebrated these differences. Wouldn’t the world be a boring place if all peoples were the same! International Day is about celebrating these differences and recognising that it is not a question of right or wrong. We give thanks to God that we are different and the important point is we learn to respect and accept other peoples and their ways of life which may be different to our own but just as reasonable.

As has now become tradition for the International Day, the timetable is abandoned whilst classrooms in the Prep and Pre-Prep are transformed into 14 countries from all continents and representing a broad range of cultures and major world faiths (Australia, Canada, Cuba, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand and USA). With specially created passports in hand the children travelled from country to country savouring the sights, smells, sounds and tastes they were to meet as they were involved in a smorgasbord of dance, music, art and craft activities as well as much food sampling! Making Papua New Guinea masks and Swiss lanterns, tasting exotic fruits from Thailand, home made pizzas from our very own Italian parent chef or 26 Kingswood in Focus

Easter cheese pies from Cyprus, dancing the Cuban Salsa, chiselling the Peruvian Nazca lines into brick and making aboriginal paintings on stone were just a few of the many wonderful experiences offered to the children over the course of the day.

This year we had a record number of workshop leaders and helpers – over 30 in total of which 25 were parents. Enormous thanks to those parents, staff and friends for going to such enormous lengths to make the day such an educational, memorable and above all, enjoyable experience for the children. The generosity of people’s time and effort is truly overwhelming!

The aims of the day were to promote respect and tolerance in KPS children of other countries, races, religions and cultures by giving them an insight and understanding into other parts of the world and to help value the backgrounds of those children at KPS from other parts of the world. A very big tick can be put against meeting those criteria.

I finish with part of a message sent by the leader of the Year 3 and 4 Jordanian workshop.

“Unfortunately, the sad events that take place in the Middle East, whether in Iraq or in Palestine and Israel, draw a very dark image of the region and its people. Positive attempts, such as your International Day, are important contributions to help students see the world through the eyes of other people and to develop sympathy towards other different, but reasonable ways of life”. Kamal Abdel- Noor

Philip Dixon (KPS Deputy Head)

"The generosity of people’s time and effort is truly overwhelming!"

Upper Development

Our Vision for Sport at Kingswood Many of you will have ready in earlier issues about the plans to improve our sports facilities here at Kingswood so that more and more pupils of all ages and abilities can participate. Sport is so important for young people. It builds confidence, team spirit, tenacity and friendships that can last a lifetime.

As a first phase of improvements we have targeted creating a new floodlit Astroturf with the latest sand-dressed technology, floodlights on the existing netball and tennis courts, and, of course, a hugely extended Pavilion on the Upper with a new car park. The latter is aimed to treble its capacity both for changing and post-match hospitality. Obtaining planning consent proved a longer process than originally envisaged but we are delighted that this was granted at Easter. Like us, the local planning authority can see what a fantastic opportunity we have to improve our facilities for not only our boys and girls but also the local community.

FUND-RAISING FOR THE ASTRO ALREADY ACHIEVED! A few people have been so responsive already to the Foundation Fund’s vision for sport that they did not wait for the planning permission to give money to the project. As a result we have been able to authorise the commencement of the work on creating the new Astroturf this summer and it should be completed by the autumn half-term. This is really exciting and we know the boys and girls will be thrilled by this very rapid outcome.

PLEASE HELP RAISE THE MONEY FOR THE PAVILION The new extended Pavilion will simply not happen without the support of everyone. Large projects of this nature cannot be funded from school fees.

Authorising the go-ahead for the Pavilion has to await raising the money so please will you not only be generous but be generous swiftly! All around Kingswood there are constant reminders of the financial assistance of former generations in buying land and creating buildings for the benefit of our pupils – we need that same degree of generosity now. We know some will only be able to afford to give a little but we hope that those who can afford to give substantially will do so.

28 Kingswood in Focus

HOW DO WE PROPOSE TO REACH OUR TARGET? 1. BY SOURCING FINANCIAL HELP FROM OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL We are approaching charitable foundations and grant making trusts for support as well as looking for sponsorship from local businesses.

PLEASE, IF YOU CAN HELP IN ANY WAY WITH THIS PROCESS LET US KNOW. 2. MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS Some of you will be in a position to offer the significant sums that will ensure that the project will go ahead just like the previous benefactors in Kingswood’s history. Other schools and institutions experience of fundraising show that the majority of the funding usually comes from a few pioneering individuals and this has been borne out by our experience with the money raised so far for the Astroturf pitch. Such significant support of a major institution warrants special recognition and anyone in such a position should contact us as soon as possible as without such philanthropists the project will stall. PLEASE HELP US IF YOU CAN. 3. BY LAUNCHING A CAMPAIGN TO SELL BRICKS People like to contribute at various levels and we felt this was a way to reflect that. We have therefore launched a campaign to sell bricks in the Pavilion.

£250

Buy a brick & have your child’s name on the honours board.

£100

Buy a brick & have your family names on the honours board.

£5,0

Buy a limited edition brick, hand engraved for your family.

0

00

£25,

000

£100

,000

Buy a limited edition, hand engraved paving stone.

Invest in the future with one of only 4 cornerstones, named in your honour or sponsored by your company.

4. BY INVOLVING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY Everyone is very keen to play their part in fund-raising. The vision for sport at Kingswood is a shared one and brings the whole community together.

Look at what has already happened in recent weeks: • The Friends of KPS have already donated £8,000 and have also pledged all the proceeds from their summer party.

• The PrepAppeal 4 Sport @ Kingswood has seen Mums and pupils raise £1,500 to date with many more events planned at home over the summer.

• Gareth Chilcott has put together a Celebrity Team to play a Kingswood Select cricket XI on the Upper on 1 July 2007. This will be a great day out for the family with a mini fete run by pupils, mega bouncy slide, fun games and lots of refreshments. We hope that you will all come along and support the teams and enjoy the fun.

• Kids at Kingswood will be selling limited edition teddies over the summer holidays.

• The New Friends of Kingswood with a new committee are preparing a launch next term with plans to raise money in a fun and social way at the Senior School. (The Prep School have set quite a challenge!)

• A Corporate Golf Day is planned for September. More events will follow.

The very young children at the Prep School cheerfully set an example of fund-raising

Give our fund-raising events your support A big thank you to everyone who has contributed time energy and cash so far and if any of you would like more information or who have links that could help us please contact:

Jane Vines, Development Director on 01225 734361 or by email: jev@kingswood.bath.sch.uk Look out for a totaliser in the next issue of Kingswood in Focus!

Kingswood in Focus 29

Kingswood Association

Ten Year Reunion Honoured at I can’t believe I left Kingswood ten years ago!! Where have ten years gone!

'Ten Year Leavers' gathered in 2006

Thanks to the organisation and efforts of Dave Hellard, 21 school leavers from 1996 were bought together in September this year for a ten-year reunion! We decided on having the event back at Kingswood, to include a tour around the School and lunch in the dining hall, ending up at the Hare and Hounds on Lansdown for afters!!

The Palace Many Kingswood pupils will remember their lessons with Mr Philip Gooden, who was an English teacher for almost thirty years at the school (as well as being the first housemaster of Summerhill when it was developed into a girls’ boarding house). Since his retirement he has been devoting his time to full-time writing and with great success.

Part of his output has been the very well-received series of historical detective novels each centred around a Shakespearean play and featuring the actor Nick Revill. He has also written two books in collaboration with well-known mystery authors Michael Jecks, Bernard Knight, Ian Morson and Susanna Gregory. This year he was selected to become the Chairman of the Crimewriters’ Association. The other part of his output has been producing reference books on language, most recently ‘Faux Pas?’ and the forthcoming ‘Name Dropping’. ‘Faux-Pas? A No-Nonsense Guide to Words and Phrases’ won the 2006 ESU English Language Book Award as the best book published in the year in the field of English language teaching. It was judged ‘clever and engaging’ and ‘very entertaining, attractive and full of common sense’. The Award was presented on 15th November at Buckingham Palace by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

"It really did feel very normal being back at school."

Mr Allison and Mr Lewis were there to welcome us in the morning and talk us through some of the changes at school – most notably the change of use of the Moulton Hall into the new library – very swish!

We then posed for group photos courtesy of Mr Lewis (just like old times), and then walked into the canteen, grabbing our trays and finding our spot to eat in the dining hall as though we had never left!!

Whilst many of us have remained in contact with each other since leaving Kingswood, lunch allowed us to catch up further with those faces we had not seen over the last ten years. We also managed to take a few teachers by surprise….sorry Mr Opie and Mr Reeman, to name but a few, who looked particularly shocked to see us!

After lunch we walked around school, taking in the old familiar smells of the science labs and watching some hockey on the Lower.

It really did feel very normal being back at school. Most things seemed exactly the same, just the odd changes here and there to remind us of our time away. I’d like to say a big thanks to Dave Hellard for all his efforts in organising the day and to Mr Allison and Mr Lewis for letting us come back ……and all their help during the day. I look forward to the next one in another ten years!!

Vicky Fitchett (KS 1992 - 2006)

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh awarding those involved in producing ‘Space Research’

One of Mr Gooden’s pupils was former Fonthill girl, Diana Lindsay (KS 1975-8) and coincidentally she was also the recipient of an award at the Palace. After leaving Kingswood, she studied History at Edinburgh University and then worked first in a school in Italy and then at universities in China. She did an MA in Applied Linguistics at Essex University and is currently a teacher trainer for the Basque Government and the co-ordinator of training and materials’ development for the Federation of Ikastolas (Basque medium schools). The aim of the Ikastolas project is to help students acquire a good communicative competence in English and its latest resource – a CD Rom called ‘Space Research’ for 9-10 year olds – won the ESU President’s Award for new technologies in English language teaching. It was described as ‘taking children to new imaginary worlds… whilst accommodating different learning styles and preferences’ whilst being ‘fun, vital and visually exciting’. This is the first time a non-British publishing house has won the award.

Dates for the Diary KS & Scouting; Saturday 30th June, 11am

Kingswood Executive Meeting; Saturday 7th July, 2pm

KS Association Executive Meeting; Saturday 30th June, 11am

Kingswood Association AGM; Saturday 7th July, 3pm

Kingswood Association A.G.M.; Saturday 30th June, 12 noon

MJSD Dining Club; Friday 14th September, 7pm - 7.30pm

OB Cricket; Tuesday 3rd July, 6.30pm

Annual Re-union; Saturday 10th November, 11am - 6pm (particular invite to leavers of ’97,’87,’77,’67,’57,47)

Commemoration Day Service; Saturday 7th July, 10.30am

30 Kingswood in Focus

Proving that Friendships are Made for Life!

Most would grin when they recall how Jo and Murray met.

Whilst most of us girls were day-dreaming about men we were really never going to get, Jo was well ahead of the game! After all, Jo was a Beaconfield third year and Murray a Westwood prefect. I think even the teachers today might have thought it pushed the rules slightly!

At the time there was certainly a sense of scepticism in the air …. Jo, 14 and Murray, 17 – surely this wouldn’t last?

So let’s leap forward eleven years. Some of the ex-Kingswood pupils had been lucky enough to visit Cape Town before on a school hockey tour, never imagining that they would now be gathering outside an idyllic chapel in a vineyard near Stellenbosch to celebrate the marriage of Jo and Murray in a fairytale setting. This, of course, has now set the standard for any of us to follow – thanks guys!

It was evident, by the vast number of guests that had made the effort to travel to Cape Town from many different places, what a very special couple Jo and Murray are. Aptly demonstrated by the fact that they spent not only the ten days before their wedding entertaining their

guests with wonderful outings on the beach and organised BBQs and suppers, planned in great detail, but also for some days after their wedding, before escaping for their honeymoon in Mauritius!

There was a sense of déjà vu whilst there with Kingswood competitive lads engaging in as many outdoor activities as possible and the girls all sunning themselves, looking stunning, of course! Seriously though, it was obvious on the day what an amazing circle of family and friends they have, all sharing the same values with which we grew up at Kingswood.

There is no doubt that Jo and Murray will make as much of a success of their marriage as they have of their time together in the last eleven years.

Congratulations to you both.

Charlotte Pushman (KS 1992 – 1999)

"...it was obvious on the day what an amazing circle of family and friends they have, all sharing the same values with which we grew up at Kingswood."

Ex Kingswood pupils at the wedding of Murray Raisbeck and Joanne Kelly L-R Adrian Raisbeck, Steve Ward, Vicky Fitchett, Tom Curling, Lucy Johnson, Brendan Raisbeck, Alex Chapman, Murray Raisbeck, Joanne Raisbeck (Kelly!), Jamie Findlater, Sarah Cox, George Styles, Charlotte Milner (MacDonald), Anna Bergman, Charlotte Pushman, Alastair Page, Sam Kelly, Mark Raisbeck, Hayley Cooper

Kingswood in Focus 31

From Frank-N-Furter to Spamelot World-famous film star Tim Curry learnt his skills at Kingswood in the years 1956 to 1964.

His father was a Methodist Royal Naval Chaplain and it was singing hymns as a talented boy soprano (and winning several certificates in the Mid-Somerset Festival) that first developed the voice which was later to feature in so many musicals. His first appearance on the Kingswood stage was at the age of thirteen when he appeared as Tobit in ‘Tobias and the Angel’ - he was described as ‘giving a sustained performance with his fumbling movements, bleating voice, and absent-minded manner’.

He followed this by playing the Postmaster in Gogol’s ‘The Government Inspector’ and the Earl of Pembroke in Shakespeare’s ‘King John’.

His finest performance came in 1964 as Phanocles in Golding’s 'The Brass Butterfly’ – the school review said his performance ‘deservedly brought the house down’. The producer of all these plays was John Gardener, who later commented that Curry was always very committed and ‘quite a live wire who had a clear active personality’.

After Kingswood he went to Birmingham University, where he acted with the renowned Guild Theatre group. His first full-time role was as part of the original London cast of the love-rock musical ‘Hair’ in 1968. This show won notoriety as the first show to introduce collective nudity on the British stage (even if it was in what was described as a tastefully dimly-lit scene).

Curry recalls: ‘There were 27 of us under 30 and in a way we were all one big family. It was all so honest and open and free… We knew we were jumping up and down for tuppence ha’penny an hour while a few people got rich, but it was a marvellous way of learning who you were’. Among others in the cast were Elaine Paige, Paul

Tim Curry in 'Spamelot'

Tim Curry in 'Tobias & The Angel' at Kingswood

Nicholas and Olivier Tobias. The show also brought him into contact with Richard O’Brian, who went on to create Curry’s most famous role – the transvestite Dr Frank-N-Furter in ‘The Rocky Horror Show’. It has been described as ‘a perfect shop window for Curry’s maverick talent’ and it made him both a star and a cult figure. Curry found the role ‘enormous fun’ and he continued to play it in London, Los Angeles and New York till 1975 when the film version was released.

"...the transvestite Dr Frank-N-Furter in ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ made him both a star and a cult figure."

Curry followed this by a spectacular performance as Trisan Tzara in Tom Stoppard’s ‘Travesties’, a show which won two Tony awards on Broadway. By this time he was also releasing records as a solo music artist and two of his songs entered the US charts. In 1981 he formed part of the original cast in the Broadway show, ‘Amadeus’, playing the title character, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and he was nominated for a Tony Award (losing out only to his co-star Ian McKellan). He returned to the London stage as the Pirate King in an alternative version of ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ (winning the Variety Club’s Best Actor Award) and he still regards this as one of his favourite roles.

Curry then performed several plays with the Royal National Theatre in the 1980s.

However, Hollywood was seeking his talents. He appeared among other films in ‘Annie’ and as a memorable Lord of Darkness in ‘Legend’ (with a young Tom Cruise as a co-star). He also made one film, ‘Clue’ with one of his contemporaries at Kingswood, Jonathan Lynn (later to acquire fame as the co-author of the hit BBC series ‘Yes, Minister’).

Curry emigrated to America in 1987 and in the 1990s his versatility was evident in very diverse films, ranging from Dr Petrov in the thriller October’ to Cardinal Richelieu in the swashbuckling ‘The Hunt for Red October’, ‘The Three Musketeers’ and Long John Silver in the Muppet Movie ‘Treasure Island’ (where his co-star was the talented Miss Piggy!), not to mention Gomez in the comedy ‘Addams Family Reunion’.

TV roles included Pennywise the Dancing Clown in ‘It’ based on the horror novel by Stephen King. He was given an Emmy Award nomination for a trio of roles in ‘Tales from the Crypt’. His distinctive voice enabled him to also provide voice-overs to many films and he won an Annie Award nomination for Forte in Walt Disney’s ‘Beauty

and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas’. His theatrical performances also continued to win acclaim – for example, he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical in the Tony Awards in 1993 for his role on Broadway as Alan Swann in ‘My Favourite Year.’ Over the past five years he has continued to combine a career in films, television and theatre – including appearing as Professor Oldman in ‘Scary Movie 2’ and in 2004 commencing his role as King Arthur in ‘Spamelot’, which moved from Chicago to New York and then, in October 2006, London’s West End. He was nominated for both a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award as Best Actor in a Musical. This February he won the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Award as Best Actor in a Musical, showing he remains a real star.

Those who see Curry on stage are almost inevitably impressed. Why? One fan writes: ‘From the very first entrance on the stage Tim Curry demands attention, through his clever ability to wrap whatever character he is playing around himself… His innate ability to captivate an audience by his authoritative, yet tantalising manner, is exceptional...

He seems to inspire those around him with his incandescent persona…

He is as amused and witty, as sinister and evil, as loving and lascivious, as dangerous and as endearing an actor that I have ever seen. He stands out in his generation of actors as one who is instinctively mercurial, wicked and energetic, whose intelligence, sophistication and maturity are excitedly spiced with ginger (or perhaps curry!)… He is a straight actor, impressionist, comedian, singer, opera performer and what one would call a general entertainer.’

Curry himself has said that he is one of those people who truly come alive only when performing. It’s good to know that so many years on this Kingswood pupil still enjoys an activity which was first allowed to flourish at school.

Tim Curry in some of his performances

Celebrating A Tercentenary This December will see the tercentenary of the birth of Charles Wesley, the world-famous hymnwriter and, of course, the brother of John. He was also a very important figure in the early history of Kingswood. Already a number of celebratory events have taken place and more will occur as the year proceeds, including a special edition of BBC Songs of Praise. Kingswood is already in the process of recording some of Charles’ hymns and it will be holding its own special events in the autumn.

To mark the tercentenary the Headmaster has produced the first modern biography about Charles.

Published by Epworth Press last December, it has already been hailed as one of the best and most readable of books ever written on the early history of Methodism. It sheds new light on the way in which the early leaders of Methodism interacted with each other and shows that Charles’ contribution was essential not as a hymnwriter but as a brilliant preacher, superb pastor, and wonderfully friendly man, who helped very disparate men work together. It makes clear that without Charles’ support John Wesley would not have been as successful as he was. In Britain a review has called it ‘a well-written and well-researched….fitting tercentenary tribute’ and in America it has been described by one leading academics as offering a wonderfully fresh account of Charles’ life: ‘Anyone who has an interest in the origins and ethos of the Methodist movement will be indebted to Mr Best for this readable and realistic account of a man who is as much an inspiration for Christians today as he was for those to whom he ministered in the eighteenth century.’

Giraffe Former KS pupil Jonathan Ledgard made a name for himself as a foreign correspondent for ‘The Economist’ and a contributor to ‘The Atlantic’.

This year he has been hailed as a major literary talent with the publication of his first novel ‘Giraffe’. Based on a true story of the massacre of giraffes in Czechoslovakia in 1975, it has been described as “one of the most beautiful novels you will ever read”. ‘The Independent’ called it “a masterpiece”, ‘The Guardian’ “the bravura opening of the year”, and ‘The New Statesman’, “a work of obvious passion and skill”. In March Jonathan visited the school with his wife Marta and gave a fascinating and inspirational talk about writing and the importance of books as an influence on lives to the Literary Society.

He impressed everyone with his enormous knowledge and obvious passion for his work.

“a memory of something more than the walls which contain them”.

His father has named him after Emil Tischbein, the fictional hero of ‘Emil and the Detectives’, because he wanted his son to reject that authority just belongs to those dressed in party uniform, but all his life Emil has preferred to play safe rather than challenge the Communist system. However, as he understands more about how animals have been appallingly treated throughout history, he begins to appreciate that “all suffering is connected”. Emil realises that man’s inhumanity to animals is only exceeded by his inhumanity to his fellow mankind.

The giraffes also affect the thinking of an orphaned factory girl, Amina Dvorakova, who is a product of the inhumane modern industrialised society. She finds herself attracted to “Snow White” when she is placed at her local zoo, which holds the largest captive herd in the world.

Amina has long suffered from sleep-walking but she recognises that she lives in a country of men and women who effectively also sleep-walk because they live out their unhappy lives in a dream existence.

Like the animals in the zoo, they live in cages denied true freedom.

Ledgard brilliantly depicts the working conditions which reduce people to cogs in a machine. The zoo is there just to “make workers forgetful of the monotony in their lives”. Amina recognises that the giraffes don’t graze looking at the ground. They graze looking up to the skies.

She dreams of a better existence in which humans aspire to higher things.

"The meeting was a great success, and highly stimulating and inspirational for all the students."

Rather than give a traditional talk, he encouraged students to ask their own questions, which covered a wide range of topics, including his own career, his novel Giraffe, his views on writing, and his favourite works of literature. The meeting was a great success, and highly stimulating and inspirational for all the students.

His book opens with a memorable account of the birth of a female white-bellied giraffe: “I kick now in the darkness and see a coming light, molten, veined through the membranes and fluid of the sac, which contains me…” She is one of a group of thirty-three captured in Africa and sent to Czechoslovakia. These “creatures of the interior” face a terrible sea journey before being handed over to an expert on cerebral hemodynamics called Emil Freymann, who is put in charge of escorting them from the dockyards of Hamburg to zoos in Prague and elsewhere. The white-bellied giraffe is nicknamed “Snow White”.

Freymann increasingly pities the giraffes because they have had their home replaced by a life in crates.

They are destined to be people’s entertainment. He sees in their eyes

An animal research scientist, called Tadeas, is called in when the zoo animals suffer from an unknown disease. He, too, is emotionally affected by his contact with the giraffes.

The zoo is closed and secret police arrive dressed in chemical warfare suits. Emil Freymann is told by the authorities to announce that all forty-nine giraffes must be destroyed and an explanation of why they must die is refused. He and the zookeeper have to advise the local hunter how best to shoot them. Amina is forced to participate.

Thus all the characters whose lives have been touched by the giraffes end up being complicit in their destruction. Through the eyes of those involved, Ledgard brutally describes their deaths and the partial dismemberment of the carcases before they are taken to be rendered into dry meal which will be fed to cattle. The last to die is the pregnant “Snow White”, who tries to escape on broken legs until she is shot again and brought to the ground, her legs kicking out “as if a puppeteer is pulling her strings for one last time”. Part of the hide of her belly is cut away… but I won’t give away for what purpose – go buy the book!

It really is an excellent novel and one that is guaranteed to set you thinking.

Jonathan Ledgard talking to Literary Society President, Milan Terlunen, and Vice President, Laura Douglas-Bate at the Literary Society meeting

From Mock Election to the Real Thing Stephen Watson (1980-84) was a Conservative Candidate in the 2005 general election.

His Kingswood contemporaries will remember that he always had an active interest in politics, although he stood as the Liberal Candidate in the Kingswood mock election of 1983! He recalls that the mock election resulted in a dead heat. "It was a close election and Peter Grieves-Smith, my Conservative opponent ran a great campaign. The whole school joined in and it proved to be a great introduction to politics, although it was hugely frustrating not to win outright." Now more than twenty years after the event, he reflects that it must have been something to do with standing as a Liberal!

Yet despite his enthusiasm for politics, it is in business and the media that Stephen has devoted his energies. After graduating from London University in 1987, he joined the BBC and worked as an assistant producer on. ‘It was hard work, badly paid and appalling hours’, he recalls. ‘We started work at 3.00am and went on-air at six. The adrenaline rush of working in live television is hard to beat. You need to think on your feet and always be ready for the unexpected. It’s a little bit like working on a school play – you’re always covering up mistakes and hoping the audience won’t notice.’

a new television company to produce programmes for companies. Called CTN, its mission was to provide communication channels for companies in an age before the Internet. ‘Our corporate clients had a need to communicate with their employees and customers. We helped them use satellite television to do this, using ITN’s studios and camera crews.’

One client was British Airways and CTN installed satellite dishes in airports around the world so that the airline could communicate with its staff, wherever they happened to be. ‘We felt we were pioneering a new style of television communication and it proved to be a very profitable business as well.’

In 2000, Stephen took CTN Independent through a management buy-out. ‘We paid ITN a great deal of money for their share in the company. I mortgaged my house and borrowed as much as I could. But the prize of owning the company I’d worked so hard to set up was worth it.’ After the buy-out, Stephen chartered a different course for CTN. Now in the Internet age, he pioneered the use of web broadcasting and providing television on-line. He believes that with audiences shifting their viewing on-line and with a generation of people tuned into i-pods, the impact on business communications is profound. ‘Web communications has gone mainstream. Many of our clients now choose to broadcast live over the web, able to talk directly to their stakeholders.’

"You need to think on your feet and always be ready for the unexpected."

His early experience in television fuelled a life-time interest in communications and the media. On leaving the BBC, he set up his own company devoted to coaching business people on how to appear on TV. ‘It always amazed me how often brilliant CEOs, who run huge enterprises, could come across so badly when cross examined on television. On more than one occasion, Jeremy Paxman could leave the reputation of a CEO in tatters after just a few minutes of confrontation in the Newsnight studio.’ Stephen’s business set about evening up the odds by providing CEOs with some insider tips and the opportunity to practise in a private studio before the real thing.

In 1992, Stephen got his big break when ITN News asked him to set up

To Stephen’s obvious delight, even the politicians have started pod-casting. David Cameron, the Conservative Leader, is an enthusiastic user of digital communications and Stephen has been working with him on his live appearances. ‘It’s a great way for politicians to engage with people. With fewer people watching television and reading newspapers, this is proving to be a powerful tool for politicians.’

But is he tempted to leave business and become a full-time politician himself?

‘Probably not,’ he says. He fought Caerphilly in South Wales last time but failed to dislodge Labour. ‘In truth this was a safe Labour seat and I didn’t stand much of a chance. But I got a good swing and the sight of a Tory campaigning in the valleys upset Labour.’ He even got a message of support from former KS Headmaster, Laurie Campbell, who had presided over that mock election all those years ago and who now lives in the constituency. ‘I hope he voted for me,’ Stephen exclaims!

Stephen Watson is the managing director of CTN Communications. www.ctn.co.uk Kingswood in Focus 35

BBC Question Time

BBC Question Time On Thursday 29th March, Kingswood School was privileged to host the highly acclaimed BBC current affairs programme, Question Time, hosted by Jonathan Dimbleby.

The crew arrive

The pupils prepare

There had been much work undertaken behind the scenes during the preceding month, but on-site preparations really commenced at lunchtime on Wednesday 28th March when the set-up and technical crew arrived with an amazing array of equipment. We were delighted to have been invited to work alongside the crew, given our own personal interests in all matters technical within the Theatre. It was extraordinarily interesting to see how all the strands of a major television production are brought together, from cabling, sound and light installation, mixing desks, the logistics of the microphones, the phenomenal amount of wiring, the building of the set, not to mention the ability and need to communicate clearly and succinctly under pressure over a sustained period of 48 hours. We had an in-depth tour of the articulated lorry that contained all the technical features necessary to manage and produce a programme of this nature, including video editing, directorial management, sound intercoms, camera control mechanisms, to mention but a few. We also did a sound test on set with Jonathan Dimbleby as part of the final preparations before transmission. There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the preparation time on site, which built to a crescendo of excitement as the deadline for the programme to go out approached, with vast amounts of coffee, tea and sandwiches being consumed by us all. The programme itself was deemed to be a great success, with over 4 million viewers, and we would like to thank Mr Steve O’Connor, our superb Theatre Technician; the catering department, for their excellent service; Mrs Vines and Mr Lloyd, for helping to manage the whole event; and of course, the BBC crew for their professionalism and guidance.

Joe Davey & Chris Robinson (Year 10) Kingswood technicians

The audience arrives

The panel

36 Kingswood in Focus

"There was a fantastic atmosphere throughout the preparation time on site..."

Question Time provided a great experience for many of Kingswood’s students, teachers and parents.

A large number of us watched the show from the non-participatory seats at the back of the Theatre and got an insight into the workings of the show. For those with participatory seats there was even more. Before taking our seats, we were briefed in the Dining Hall by David Dimbleby, who noted the presence of John Wesley’s pulpit.

Then once in the Theatre we had a practice round of questions before the show began, in which Isabel Watson and Nick Salisbury were stand-in panellists, in a series of scurrilous questions and answers that proved highly entertaining! I’m sure that many of you watched the actual show on BBC 1, but for those of you who didn’t you will be pleased to hear that several Kingswood pupils and staff spoke, and the Chaplain featured in almost every shot of the audience! I found this a very interesting and memorable experience, and I know that many others did, too. For those of us that asked questions, I’m sure it will be a source of confidence in the future, not to mention fame in having our ugly mugs recognised across the country and beyond!

Ross Harding (Upper Sixth)

School Council

School Council Every Wednesday afternoon, a body of pupils meets alongside members of the PR (the executive body of Senior Prefects), the Senior Deputy Head, Mr Lloyd, and Ms Trayler (Catering Manager).

That body of pupils consists of a boarder and a day pupil from each house, and each week a different year group meets to discuss various issues within school. This means that each year group generally meets twice each term, before the select few are rotated to give others the chance to experience a chaired meeting and to represent their peers’ views on matters relating to life at Kingswood. Issues are raised with the representatives during the week leading up to the meeting, either in tutor time or whenever someone thinks of a point!

by Mr Lloyd and School Council Representatives, which definitely brighten the place up! It was also the School Council which suggested adding reminders to the new plasma screen outside the dining hall, reminding the sixth formers who is on tea duty, for example.

The whole aim, as you have probably already guessed, is for the student body to give their opinion on whatever matters most to them. Topics covered vary greatly, and at every meeting we discuss under several different headings: food, something very close to the hearts of all; chapel, worship and charity; health and safety; the common rooms, which were introduced just over 12 months ago; the curriculum; education for sustainability; and a miscellaneous section for anything else that arises.

The past year has seen a lot of positive changes in the Catering Department, with co-operation from the Catering Staff and the honesty of pupils who relay the issues. A very popular improvement, especially with the girls, was the addition of soup to the salad bar. Now, as well as salad we can have a helping of soup, which is very good during those cold winter months. Perhaps one of our largest problems has always been queuing – some people just don’t like waiting! As well as amendments to the queuing systems, the same hot dishes being served from two places simultaneously have vastly reduced the waiting.

There have been many changes, but the boarders are probably most grateful for the general improvement in all the meals. A great development is the new registration at supper. This means that now, we can go to supper and there is enough food, rather than the previous system whereby if a day pupil wasn’t signed in, it didn’t matter and it was a case of first come, first served. Not so popular with some of the boarders left with very little, or sometimes nothing to eat! So we are all very much happier now.

On chapel, worship and charity, younger preachers have been introduced, as well as new hymns; we also have many charity cake sales, which always go down as a treat! As the common rooms are only used by pupils, their feedback is so important; we now have super new pictures decorating the room, courtesy of a trip into Habitat

School Council has initiated many ideas which have subtly improved life at Kingswood over the past year, which have ranged from how prep is given in a more even fashion, to making the whole school a safer place, from paths, woodland, corridors, locker rooms and classrooms.

We would just like to conclude with special ‘thank yous’ to those who have given great support throughout the year, especially to Mr Lloyd and Ms Trayler.

Gemma Wheeler (Year 11 Fonthill School Council Boarder Rep)

"School Council has initiated many ideas which have subtly improved life at Kingswood over the past year..."

Kingswood in Focus 37

Spring Sport

Sport at the Prep School BOYS' HOCKEY

FOOTBALL

A busy term of hockey at KPS saw more than 100 matches being played across the year groups with the standard of hockey reaching some new levels for the school. The U11A team was consistently strong throughout the season and proved a match for absolutely any opponents.

No better was this demonstrated than against the Scottish school of Cargilfield, with whom we drew the day before our visitors achieved 2nd place in the IAPS Championship. A consistent line-up of Matt Bolland, Danny Bates, Tom Hardman, Leo Fini, Tim Rouse, Harry Merrill, Oscar Ryan and Kristian Scott can be proud to have been the strongest ever KPS hockey team.

"...it is the strength in depth (of this side) which is possibly the most encouraging sign."

We are hopeful that the U10s can be at least as good next year as As and Bs between them lost just one game in the whole season. Whilst the likes of Hywel Jones and George Hankinshankins are outstanding in this age group, it is the strength in depth which is possibly the most encouraging sign. Whilst not so numerous, the U9 boys have also lost one solitary game in 2007 (after previously being unbeaten in 2006 as well!), playing some excellent hockey along the way. The U8s have found life a struggle in their first term of inter-school competition.

They saved their best for last, winning for the only time in the final game of the season. They have much to learn and will hopefully become more able to use the information and advice which is given to them.

Perhaps the best statistics from the term are these: Total games 105; Number of games played at B, C and D team levels: 51; Number of boys who did not have the opportunity to represent the school: 0!

My thanks go to Mr. Kellock, Mr. Titley, Mr. Fitzgerald, Mr. Dixon, Mrs. Newman, Miss Glenday, Mr. Callahan, Mr. Reeman and Mr. Matthews for their help across the term.

38 Kingswood in Focus

Whilst football has less significance across the whole school than hockey, it is particularly popular at the Prep. School and helps so much in developing other sports as well – notably rugby and hockey. We have managed to give football a greater profile in 2007, largely within our Monday / Wednesday activities programme and through the assistance of Alex Ball and Coerver Coaching.

The U8s and U9s have had a particularly full set of games and results have largely mirrored their hockey performances. The U9 teams have been largely successful against all opponents – the A team winning all but one of their games (that one being a draw) whilst the U8s have found life a struggle and, perhaps, are beginning to realise that much hard work lies ahead they are not quite as good as they thought they were.

The U9s – whilst being a very good team generally – do have one distinct advantage…. Kyle Scott. One man does not make a team, it’s true, but Kyle does make a massive difference to whatever team he plays for at the moment.

Thanks are again due to Mr. Arsene Callahan, Mr. Titley, Mr. Kellock, Mr. Fitgerald, Mr. Dixon, Mr. Harris plus Alex Ball and his team for making this all happen.

Sporting Achievers

My Natwest “Speedstars” Day "It always pays to have a go!"

It all started as a weekend out to watch the Rolling Stones and the England vs Pakistan one day match in Cardiff. After a tiring day and some grotty weather at the match I really wasn’t feeling great, but all the same I had a go on the Speedstars Bowling Challenge. This is a competition where you have a go at bowling an incredi ball as fast as you can into an inflatable cricket net. I didn’t really have any idea what the competition was, I was just having a bit of fun.

We arrived home and went to see what it was that dad had called about.

He gave me a letter, and I read: “Congratulations, you have won a day at the ECB (England Cricket Board) Academy at Loughborough University, for the Speedstars Finals. You are in the top 4 fastest U12 bowlers nationally in the Speedstars competition. We visited 21 venues around the country and over 4.5 thousand people took part! Please read on...”.

A few weeks later my dad found a letter for me at home. He rang my mum and said “I’ve got some exciting news…” but then the phone cut off.

We were wondering what it could have been about… “Have we won a trip to Australia?” said my brother. But we would never have guessed.

I got my prizes: a cricket bat signed by all the England players, the new England shirt and cap. What a fantastic day. It always pays to have a go!

Harry with Saj Mahmood

“Wow...” my mum said, “that’s amazing”.

The day soon came. We arrived in Loughborough at about 9:45 and got ready for a day of fun. What a fantastic place. I went down into the nets and the Under 12’s were up first. While the under 12 final took place the other age groups did coaching with the England cricket coaches.

Saj Mahmood was watching me! It came down to two of us. The other boy, who was originally quicker than me, bowled first. The best of his attempts recorded a speed of 57mph, which wasn’t bad considering we were using incredi balls, but it wasn’t quick enough. I came up to my run up. I had bowled 56mph in Cardiff, but that was with a 2 step run up. I ran in and on my first ball bowled 59mph - I had won already!

I then bowled 60 and 61mph so I was delighted! I did a radio and TV interview and got some tips from Saj Mahmood, coaching with the England coaches, and in a flash the day was over. 6 hours in what felt like 10 minutes, how did that happen?

Harry Rouse

My Day with Steve Allmark!

"We caught loads of whiting!"

In November, I got the incredible chance to go fishing with Steve Allmark, the world champion shore angler. I had read Steve’s articles in Total Sea Fishing magazine and admired him an awful lot. I was very excited beforehand and having to wait for the best conditions made it even worse.

When the day finally came and we arrived outside Steve’s tackle shop in Deal, we were instantly talking all about fishing and honestly, Steve actually seems to know everything there is to know about sea fishing!

He started by giving me a bucket full of Hiro fishing tackle. Next, TSF fisherman, England Caster and today’s cameraman, Barney Wright arrived. He also came with other gifts! Soon we were off to the mark, called Sandwich, near Kent. After a short walk through a field full of bulls [aaah!] we got to the shingle beach. We got fishing straight away and soon we had several good whiting in the bucket. Steve didn’t just teach me. He guided me through everything, throwing in little tips that made everything easier. During the day Steve and Barney were so helpful with my fishing that my casting improved hugely.

We caught loads of whiting and on the last cast a little bass.

Encouraging conservation, we put it back although looking back on some photos, Barney really knows how to make them look bigger on camera! The whole day was one I won’t forget and my fishing is so much better thanks to three men, Steve, Barney and my Dad! At the end of the day, the guys said they might put some photos in the magazine. Several months later in February TSF, I found a six-page article about my experience! I’ll never forget Steve and the many incredible lessons learned from him. Thanks, TSF!

Will Young (Year 8A) Kingswood in Focus 39

Girls' Netball

I was honoured when Miss Paver asked me to captain this year but never thought this day would come.

I was so happy but I knew it was going to be hard work. Nandi Kegode definitely left me some big shoes to fill. I can honestly say here, even though there have been some tough moments this season, I have still enjoyed it very much. It is difficult to choose the hardest thing about being a 1st team captain but making this speech is somewhere near the top!

This year’s netball throughout the different age groups has been very successful. We have been able to put out up to 14 teams from only 250 girls. Teams from the Lower school have been more successful than ever before this season.

The U12Bs have only lost one game with the award for most improved player going to Rebecca Saunders and player of the season are Sophie Hughes and Letitia Bailey. The U12As were unbeaten and drawing only one of their games out of the six, they played. The whole team deserves credit for these excellent results with the award for the most improved player going to Alice Havers who was new to netball a couple of months ago. The player of the season goes to Amber James and Hannah Bracey.

The U13s have improved as the season has progressed and by the end of the term they were playing much better as a team and between the As and Bs they only lost four out of eleven games. The award for the most improved player is shared between Lauren Kelly and Ellie Richardson. The players of the season are Katy Yates, Olivia Dellow and Alice Robinson with her excellent composed shooting.

The fourth team have won four games and only lost one to an U16 team who should have played the 1sts. Their most improved player is Amelia Tuckett and player of the season is Philippa Watson. The 3rds have also had an excellent season with the award for most improved player going to Abigail Stogdale and player of the season going to their captain Sarah McMeekin. The 2nds have done well scoring over 200 goals this season.

Both Captain Emma Philp and Vice Captain Hannah James have helped and played for the 1sts on different occasions. Their most improved player is Lydia Cameron and the player of the season goes to their centre Hannah James. The 2nds 3rds and 4ths have played 23 games this season and between them have only lost 5 matches in total. The depth in this group of girls has been fantastic and this has allowed such a successful season for all the teams.

I have learnt a lot this season as a captain and a netball player. I have enjoyed captaining this year’s 1st team very much and would like to say thank you to my teammates. Our youngest player this year, Phoebe Watson, has been brilliant in defence. Phoebe not only has an outrageously long reach but is also one of the most effective players on court. The Watson sisters have worked well together in the circle this season and entertained us by throwing balls into each other’s faces!

They have teamed up with Sacha Craig to make this year’s defence has been extremely strong. Annie West and Sarah Ryder are two new players we gained in this year’s mid court and, along with Georgia Sharp’s ability to jump and stretch, they have been exceptional in both interceptions made and their passing up the court. I would like to thank Natasha Bloor, my vice captain, who has been so supportive of the team this year. She is always giving advice and, even when she is shouting a little loud at us, she is only trying to make us work and help each other out. It is hard to be playing with a team that is not quite on the same level as you are but you have coped well with us and you have been incredibly patient with some of us.

"The depth in this group of girls has been fantastic and this has allowed such a successful season for all the teams."

The U14s have had a much better season than last year. The Bs were unbeaten and the As came away only losing and drawing two of their games. Mrs Martindale has enjoyed coaching this group. Emma Hamilton, Sienna Dennis and Gemma Holmes share the award for the most improved player. The players of the season are Isabelle Mulvany, Jo Hough and Jess Gregory.

The U15s have had an excellent season with both the As and Bs winning 5 out of 7 matches. The U15 Bs award for the most improved player goes to Charlotte Kraus and Becky Elliott. The player of the season goes to Vivienne Dean. Players in the U15As have showed lots of potential and should be looking for places in the top senior teams next year. Sophie Wheeler is their most improved player and the player of the season is Kelly Duncan, who also made her first team debut this term.

The main reason that I will miss netball at Kingswood is the fact that I will no longer be with all the people who I have played netball with for over the past seven years. I will miss my fellow leavers, firstly my partner in crime in the shooting circle and 2nd’s captain Emma Philp.

so many ways. It is all about knowing the team and what everyone in the team needs. This season has been too short to allow enough of this but I hope that this year it has helped those who are not leaving. This reminds me that I have finally reached my last year at school. You forget how quickly this comes round as school just repeats itself year after year and seems never ending. My last year of netball at Kingswood has been great, not the most successful, but definitely the most memorable. Captaining this year has made me realize the importance of sport in general at Kingswood. It is about enjoying it! So enjoy every moment that you have left and thank you to everyone for making my last netball season at Kingswood so memorable.

She has played an important role in the 2nds and has helped the 1sts out on many occasions. I have enjoyed shooting with you for so many years and our understanding is almost telepathic! The only other U6 player in the team is Julia Good. It has been a long journey for the three of us and we are now the last ones stranding from our year. Having played netball with Julia since Y7, I know that even when she says she hates the game that she loves it really. Thanks for helping with everything that has gone on this year. You have made my netball season so much more fun this year by being there for me and I hope it has been just as good for you.

Thank you to all our supporters this season, you have boosted our confidence in every way. Yes I know some of you still think it is a slow ‘girly’ sport! Well ask the rugby boys about that as we beat them by the narrow margin of 28 goals! On behalf of all the girls, I would like to say a big thank you to the following staff for their time and effort helping make netball such a success this year. So, thanks to Mrs Dawson for helping with some of the travel arrangements and Mr Reeman for helping with games. However, special thanks go to the coaches: Tessa Lane, Miss Newman, Miss Canfer, Miss Beale, Mrs Bradbury, Mrs Martindale, Mrs Jenner, Miss Wright and last but not least, Miss Paver. Thank you for giving me the chance of captaining this year, thank you for helping and guiding me through this season and supporting me both with my movement on court and with my captaincy. Your time and advice has assisted me in everyway possible. Being a captain lower down the school is not the same at all. You toss the coin and say three cheers at the end of a game. Being captain this year has made me attached to the team in

Hilda Chak (Netball Captain 2007)

Colours COLTS: Pahrnia Parsons; Kate Nannestad HALF:

Hilda Chak; Emma Philp; Julia Good; Natasha Bloor

PLAYER OF THE SEASON: Isabella Watson MOST IMPROVED: Sarah Ryder

Girls' Netball Results 1st VII

2nd VII

3rd VII

4th VII

U15A

U15B

(D) 12-12

(W) 11-3

(L) 6-20

(D) 8-8

(W) 15-2

(W) 8-7

(W) 21-11

(W) 27-7

(L) 13-17

(W) 15-9

(L) 2-18

(L) 8-10

(W) 17-3

(W) 17-7

(W) 19-9

(W) 22-20

(W) 19-15

(W) 6-21

(W) 12-11

(W) 21-1

(D) 11-11

(W) 22-0

Bruton School

(W) 25-19

(L) 13-22

(W) 20-13

KES

(L) 19-31

(L) 10-26

(W) 17-13

(W) 17-4

Prior Park College

(L) 19-25

(W) 28-17

(W) 23-13

(W) 22-14

Marlborough College

(L) 22-31

Kings' Bruton

(L) 20-29

(W) 28-17

(L) 9-10 (W) 23-18

(W) 32-12

(W) 29-9

(L) 9-19

Wells Cathedral School

(L) 21-25

(W) 24-15

(W) 33-9

Queen's Taunton

(L) 13-14

(W) 19-13

(L) 11-18

(L) 9-11

(W) 22-14

(W) 33-7

Bristol Grammar School

(L) 12-17

(W) 22-19

Royal High School

(L) 20-24

(W) 26-17

Krugersdorp

U14A

U14B

U13A

U13B

U12A

U12B

(L) 22-24

Warminster St. Antony's Leweston

U15C

(W) 17-13 (W) 21-8

(W) 26-25

(W) 15-9

(W) 28 -11

(L) 15-20

(L) 8-16

(W) 25-7

(W) 23-12

(W) 15-9

(L) 3-30

(W) 19-16

(W) 15-13

(W) 12-10

(W) 22-10

(W) 20-19

(D) 14-14

(W) 11-10

(W) 16-15

(W) 27-9

(W) 23-3

(W) 13-11

(L) 12-3

(W) 33-10

(W) 7-2

(W) 25-10

(W) 7-2

Boys' Hockey I am going to follow this year’s fashion set by Dipo of making my speech very long and exciting... ...and so I hope you are all up for some singing and dancing… Only joking I am going to keep it short and sweet… just like you Mr Matthews.

This hockey season has been incredibly busy as usual with over ninety fixtures played this term. Instead of following the usual pattern of going through each team, I am just going to reflect on the strength of hockey in the different parts of the school.

The U13 and U12 sides contained some very promising players, with Harry Rouse, Harry Daniels, Jack Rowlands and Alex Hardman gaining selection for the county at U13 level. In the U12’s Conor O’Sullivan was the best of the Year 7s with Christian Scott an outstanding talent from the prep school. The under 13Bs deserve great credit for winning all of their matches.

In the middle school both the U15 an U14 year groups improved dramatically over the course of the season. At U14 level Robbie Carrington was the leading scorer in school with 12 goals. Will Mackenzie and Oli Canning were selected for the county side. Ed Hutchison was the most consistent player. At U15 level, Patrick Harvey and Rohit Rana are two players that should push for 1st XI places next year.

"The under 13Bs deserve great credit for winning all of their matches."

In the senior part of the school both the 3rds and 4ths had good seasons with Matthew Woudberg and Dan Feeney the best players in their respective teams.

The 2nd XI played perhaps the best hockey in the school but struggled to make the most of the chances they created. Malcolm West led by example and no opposition skipper had bigger biceps than ‘Beefy’.

Now onto the 1st XI. It has been a real honour to captain the 1st team this season and I am very proud of our final record. We made the mistake of failing to do enough fitness work in the Christmas holidays and so struggled in our early matches. However, just before half term we had a great day at Clifton where we won the County Championships, beating BGS in the final. This took us to the West Finals at Millfield during half term where we surprised everyone by getting to the semi-finals.

It really was a fantastic day and Mr Opie could not stop smiling especially when we beat Marlborough College.

We finished the season in fine style winning our last four really enjoyed playing first eleven and I

matches. I have with this year’s know they will not mind if I just spend a bit of time speaking about the leavers.

Dipo is a strong character on a hockey pitch and is a solid right back. What seemed to amaze the rest of us was how he won so many man of the match awards! Dipo cannot tackle to save his life.

Dipo hates marking and will not take the blame for anything! Dipo is perfect… Dipo it must be for be for being able to sweep the ball out hard when you have loads of time. Jokes aside, without Dipo I know that we would have conceded many more goals and it has been a pleasure to play with him all these years. He is a real competitor and an example to everyone in the school.

Alasdair Maspero, also known affectionately by Mr Opie as the ‘Goat’ has done well this season only crying twice in matches whereas last year he cried in every match and practice! He is also the laziest player I have ever seen. However, he has some fantastic skills and we are all jealous of them (although we hate to admit it) which have helped us to many of our victories this season. He is also the top goal scorer for the firsts. Well done Alasdair you are a fantastic player.

Tom Huws is probably the floppiest human being I know. You ought to ask his teachers how enthusiastic he is in lessons! However, when it comes to goal keeping he has a character transformation. He has the reactions of a cat and has made some incredible saves – if we forget the step over at Dean Close where he let in the softest goal ever!

This howler was so spectacular that it even reached the GB coach who felt the need to text Mr O that evening to commiserate.

Josh Batteram is my vice captain and the most pessimistic player on the pitch. If you asked him before any match, what the result would be his response would be something along these lines, “Yeah we are probably going to lose.” Apart from his pessimistic outlook, Josh is an outstanding player.

His skill and determination was evident in the county hockey finals where he played an England international out of the game. Without Josh, I know that this season would have been far more difficult and far less enjoyable.

Jake Warren to this day still goes on to the first team about how he was top goal scorer for the first part of the season… with one goal.

His woeful strike from the top of the D somehow rolled past

42 Kingswood in Focus

the keeper in the match against Dean Close. He has not stopped talking about it since and how it was a magnificent volley that hit the top corner. However, Jake has come along way this season and turned into a fine hockey player. When Jake comes on to the pitch, he always makes a difference and puts his all into the game. He can play anywhere on the pitch and will do so to a high standard.

Colours

Tim Hamilton is a great hockey player but has a very awkward running style. His running style consists of him bending forward and making very strange facial expressions! He had a brief spell in the seconds and this made him a much more confident hockey player. He has great vision and determination and is a real team man.

Also awarded to a group of our Upper Sixth who have contributed an enormous amount to Kingswood hockey over their time in the school. Jake Warren, Dipo Faloyin, Alasdair Maspero, Tim Hamilton, Malcolm West

A special mention must go to Rob Beaven (Bambi to his friends) for his amazing 1st team debut. He was on the pitch for 5 minutes and managed to score one of the best goals of the season. This was some achievement considering one of our players had played nearly every minute this season and not managed even one shot let alone a goal-Dipo!

The IDRIS CUP, given to the player who has made the greatest contribution to 1st X1 hockey over the season - Stui Laurence who has been the outstanding player and an excellent captain.

COLTS: Sam McMeekin; Alex Ockwell; Sam Pew Latter; Nick Gerrish; Mathew Woudberg HALF:

FULL:

Matthew Horsley; Freddie Dean; Alex Field

Stui Laurence; Tom Huws; Josh Batterham - Vice Captain

A big thank you must go to all the coaches who give up so much of their time to enable Kingswood to field ten to twelve teams each weekend. Their expertise and enthusiasm must have something to do with the popularity of hockey at Kingswood. An illustration of this can be seen every Monday night where 50-60 pupils turn up to a voluntary session at 8.30pm at night.

From me a special mention must go to Mr Opie. You all know him to be the big cuddly ‘Daddy Bear’ from Middle. On the hockey pitch there is another way to describe him. He is an angry man who wants to win at all costs! You can hear him shouting from miles away.

Mr O has coached me since Year 9. His training and coaching methods are the only ones I know and I have benefited so much from his enthusiasm and expertise. Without him, I would not be the player I am today. Thank you Mr O for all your efforts throughout my time in the school.

Stui Laurence (1st X1 Captain 2007)

Boys' Hockey Results 1st XI Dean Close

(L) 0-7

Dean Close (West finals)

(L) 0-1

2nd XI

3rd XI

(L) 0-3 King Edwards

(L) 1-2

4th XI

(L) 1-2 (D) 1-1

Prior Park

(L) 1-4

Prior Park (Cup semis)

(D) 2-2 (W 3-1 on strokes)

Monkton Coombe

(L) 1-5

Monkton Coombe (Cup)

(W) 2-0

Queen’s Taunton

(W) 2-1

(L) 0-1

U15 B

(L) 2-6

(L) 1-2

(L) 0-3

(L) 1-2

(W) 2-0

(L) 0-3

(W) 4-0

(L) 0-1

(L) 0-1

(L) 1-3

(L) 2-3

U14 B

(D) 3-3 (D) 0-0

U13 A

U13 B

U12 A

U12 B

(D) 1-1

(W) 2-0

(L) 0-1

(L) 0-1

(L) 2-5

(L) 0-2

(L) 2-6

(D) 5-5

(L) 1-2

(L) 2-4

(W) 8-0

(W) 3-0

(L) 1-2

(D) 2-2

Warminster

U14 A

(L) 0-1 (L) 1-4

Beechen Cliff

(L) 2-5 (W) 6-0

(L) 0-2

BGS

(L) 1-2

BGS (Cup)

(D) 1-1

BGS (Cup Final)

(W) 1-0 (COUNTY CHAMPS!)

Dauntseys Wells Cathedral

U15 A

(L) 3-4

(W) 3-1

(W) 4-1

(D) 1-1

(W) 2-1

(W) 3-0

(W) 10-1

(W) 3-1

(L) 3-8

(D) 0-0

(W) 3-0

(L) 1-2

(W) 4-1

(W) 5-1

(L) 1-2

(L) 0-3

(L) 2-8

(L) 2-4

(L) 2-3

(W) 4-3

(W) 3-1

(L) 1-2

(W) 4-3

(L) 0-2 (W) 3-2

Kingswood in Focus 43

Cross-Country At the beginning of the cross-country season we had high hopes for Kingswood... ...unfortunately not everything went to plan! For a start, most of the team arrived back to school injured and then Mr. Burgon in his wisdom appointed two Vice Captains. One was then injured for most of the term and the other decided he wanted to play hockey after the first match.

He was rumoured to have left with the words, “I am only interested in a team that wins!”

behind Lewiston. The Intermediate boys’ team won overall and Alex Beishon was the first of the inter runners to finish the course. James Dabell and Magnus Mulvany also ran well. In the senior race, the boys came a close second to arch rivals Sherborne.

The highlight of the season for the girls’ team was winning the trophy at the Ken Bailey races with Annalese Sellick, Annie West, Sacha Craig, Abigail Stogdale and Emma Oliver running well to get a good overall score.

A number of runners have improved significantly during the course of this term in particular: Edward Butler, David Dowling and Casper Eliot. David and Ed have improved their fitness through a lot of hard work and last week David competed in the half marathon and managed to obtain exactly the same finish time as our own guru Mr Burgon. This came as a real shock to both of them particularly Mr Burgon who said he would never be able to live it down. Another team member, Ed Marriott, did no training and was certainly the laziest member of the team yet he managed to get an excellent time of 1 hour 26 minutes in the Bath half marathon. If only he had trained more...

At Downside, both Kingswood senior and inter teams finished in fourth position overall. However, the best moment of that trip was Mr Burgon driving in the minibus on the way back to Kingswood, only realizing after 20 minutes that he had left four of the intermediate runners behind. You can guess what his words were, “Oh heck!”

"The season ended on a positive note at the Kingswood Road Race."

In the Clayesmore relays, the intermediate boys’ team came 3rd out of 14 teams. Josh Bone made a good debut recording the fastest lap time of the Kingswood runners.

At Milton Abbey, considering the course was the longest and hardest in the whole season, the intermediate team did well to win second place overall. They pushed rival team Sherborne all the way.

The Sherborne race was second to last in the cross-country season and the intermediates managed to come 3rd overall with good running from David Silvester, Tim Little, Sam Parsons and Patrick Morgan.

The season ended on a positive note at the Kingswood Road Race.

The senior girls performed well and were unlucky to come second

I believe the intermediate boys’ team will be successful in the years to come as they have real potential. Tim Little, Alex Beishon, Sam Parsons, David Silvester, Patrick Morgan and Josh Bone have all run consistently well in their races, particularly Alex Beishon who won the Kingswood Road Race for the intermediates and then came third overall in House cross-country.

A mention must also go to Anneliese West and Annalese Sellick

Annalese Selleck leads the way in the Senior House Match

44 Kingswood in Focus

Westwood Cross-Country House Competition

who both managed to qualify for the nationals. Annalese also won the House cross-country on Wednesday and Emma Oliver came first for the intermediate girls finishing in second place. Overall, in the House cross country, Upper House won both the senior and intermediate boys races, while Fonthill won the senior and intermediate girls races.

I have enjoyed my time running for the team at Kingswood but we all know it would not be the same without the inspirational leadership from Mr. Burgon. His attitude towards hard training has built up both senior and intermediate teams throughout the season.

His advice for winning is simple, “If you lose I will set Harry on you!” Although we have not been as strong a senior team as he had hoped for, the intermediate team has shown some very promising signs for the years to come. I am sure that his determination will help the team to win many of the trophies back.

I wish him and next year’s teams good luck.

Cross-Country Achievers Ken Bailey Championship Trophy Winners

Oliver Gates (Cross-country Captain 2007)

"I have enjoyed my time running for the team at Kingswood..."

Congratulations to our County and International Champions…

Simon Merrell – competed for the England U20 International Event at the Celtic Indoor Games in Cardiff and won the 60m hurdles race.

Annalese Sellick – won the County Cross Country Championships.

Photographs courtesy of the Bath Chronicle

Colours

Annie West – took 3rd position in the County Cross Country Championships.

COLTS: Annie West HALF:

Annaliese Sellick; Ed Marriott; David Dowling; Ed Butler; Caspar Eliot; Mike Parkes.

FULL:

Oli Gates, who has contributed greatly to the success of the team last season and has achieved notable individual performances throughout the term. He was a first reserve for the County team but has consistently finished ahead of county and national team runners from Dorset.

Kingswood in Focus 45

Education feature

How SMART Are Our Goals?

It has long been acknowledged that Kingswood has an excellent tradition of pastoral care, and it is equally important that, as part and parcel of that care, the School needs to focus regularly on pupils’ academic progress.

Historically this has been done in several ways, including through discussion of interims and full reports, the celebration of specific achievements, and by ensuring measures are put in place to support those who are struggling.

In order to build on this good practice, in September 2006 every pupil at Kingswood was given an electronic independent learning profile.

We decided to call the records ‘profiles’ rather than ‘plans’, the nomenclature that some schools have adopted. They are snapshots of what each pupil is achieving currently and, just as important, of what he or she is aiming for in the near future. Updated by his or her tutor every half term, after discussion with the tutee, the onus is put on pupils to think regularly and carefully about their academic life and, with their tutors, to set Small Measurable Attainable Realistic Timed or ‘SMART’ targets.

Many pupils quickly identify what they can do well and all take pleasure in succeeding and being praised, whether through a quiet word, a positive written comment or a public announcement. Over four hundred years ago, Roger Ascham, tutor to Queen Elizabeth I, so rightly observed in ‘The Schoolmaster’, "There is no such whetstone, to sharpen a good wit and encourage a will to learning, as is praise." Today, we certainly still believe that encouragement and congratulations are very powerful and effective motivators. Alongside their enjoyment of praise, most are keen to understand how they need to progress further and curious to see how they might reach their goals, whatever they might be.

Mrs Dawson presenting a merit award to Sophie Hughes, Year 7

46 Kingswood in Focus

The School’s use of formative assessment (assessment for learning), as well as the traditional summative assessment (assessment of learning), encourages a reflective and independent approach to learning, and some of the practices embedded in this mode of teaching help pupils of all ages to set themselves targets after written or oral feedback from their subject teachers. After all, although 9/10 or A+ might put a smile on a Year 9 pupil’s face when their Geography prep is returned, a positive comment, followed by some useful advice on how to ‘move up a gear’ is going to be a lot more helpful. The Year 9 pupil may also choose to use the advice as the basis for setting a Geography target at his or her next ILP meeting.

In my role as an English teacher, my feedback of www (what went well) and ebi (even better if) at the end of written work with my Year 11 class has given them specific focus for revision in their preparation for the GCSE examinations, and they have been able to adjust their own revision accordingly. However, this practice is not just useful for those classes being prepared for public examinations. It works just as well with all age groups as long as both the praise and the advice for improvement are tailor-made, motivational and specific. Some pupils find it difficult to adjust to setting themselves ‘SMART’ targets, despite guidance at the end of their written work, so part of the tutor’s role is to steer by explaining that sweeping statements are unhelpful.

Instead of “I need to work at learning my French vocabulary”, a more helpful target might be: “I am going to spend 5 minutes every night, after I’ve finished my prep, revising the Ma Famille vocabulary until I am 100% certain of it.” Or, instead of, “I must not forget to bring the

“Appropriate targets are discussed and agreed; these are then entered on the tutee’s ILP for future reference.” correct books to school”, it is more effective to think of this as, “I am going to look at my timetable every night and pack my books for the next day before I go to bed.”

Some targets can be as small as learning to spell one particular word, or using a ruler to underline titles. All that matters is that pupils are identifying their needs and thinking carefully about how to make tangible progress. In short, they are learning to take responsibility for their learning and becoming more independent in their approach to their studies as they begin to appreciate what they need to do to make progress.

When helping tutees to set targets, tutors might ask their tutees to think about their learning in skills areas used in class and for prep.: e.g. reading for information; listening to the teacher; asking questions; note taking; research; planning; drafting; essay writing; experiments; diagrams; use of ICT; collaboration with peers – pair/group work/chairing a discussion/ role play; reporting back; demonstrating; giving a talk; revision; learning by heart; specific subject-specific practical skills……The list is endless!

Pupils are also encouraged to focus on elements of time management, organisation and presentation: e.g. where prep. is done; how much time is spent on subjects; how on-going revision is built into the week; when the school bag is packed; how coursework is paced; whether or not coursework is broken down into manageable parts; if deadlines are met and why/why not; how ICT is used; how notes are taken; how notes are organised; if work is presented according to the School’s guidelines in the Student Planner etc.

Then, at the next individual tutorial, the tutor will review the previous targets with the tutee, focusing on degrees of success through questions such as: “How do you know you have met your target?” “What benefits have you noticed?” or “Why do you think you haven’t been able to meet

your target?” “What have you found particularly difficult?” in order to encourage reflection.

In Year 11 and the Sixth Form, pupils are also encouraged to set themselves target GCSE and A level grades, after taking into consideration school/mock examinations, reading reports, and discussion with their teachers and tutors.

At the end of the School year, all pupils are asked to review their achievements and give examples of the following: • Academic: coursework; topics; research; prep which has resulted in deeper understanding, new skills, improved results.

• Extra-curricular: new or improved skills; member of orchestra, cast, team, club etc.

• Leadership: school council; prefect; helping out with activities; guiding; assemblies.

• Time management/organisation: meeting deadlines; using prep. time/weekends effectively; pacing coursework appropriately.

On a practical note, those pupils who need to write a curriculum vitae or a UCAS personal statement will have much of their information at their fingertips. However, of fundamental importance is the fact that all of Kingswood’s pupils will be able to look back over the year at the targets they have met and feel proud that their personal progress is both tangible and significant because of priorities that they recognised (with the support of their tutor and teachers) and chose to address, through becoming increasingly ‘SMART’ in their approach to their studies, both in and out of the classroom.

Sarah Dawson (Deputy Head Academic) Kingswood in Focus 47

Visitors & Special Events

Kite Festival For the Design Technology Department, if it is September that means one thing – the Junior Schools’ Kite Festival!

Once again the weather was kind to us. The sun shone – if not brilliantly –- certainly enough for us to enjoy our annual day of kite flying with nearly 300 Year 6 pupils from schools around Bath.

The day started in the School Theatre with a talk from Nick James – the professional kite maker based in Bristol.

His collection of kites from around the world was on display as people arrived and his talk on the history, making and culture surrounding kites held everyone’s attention.

“...over 300 kites filled the air in the gentle breeze above Lansdown.”

Of course, a kite festival is nothing unless you have a kite to fly so 200 students split into groups, ably assisted by the 6th Form DT specialists, and made their own mini- sled kite ready to fly on the Upper following lunch. The competition, this year for the smallest flying kite produced beforehand within a participating school and brought to the festival was a hotly contested one but great fun. We had more entries than usual and although aerodynamic efficiency was, on occasion, sacrificed in favour of traditional appearance and decoration, the theme this year proved a quite worthwhile challenge.

Then the free flying –- with over 300 kites filling the air in the gentle breeze above Lansdown. Kingswood is very lucky to have such a superb place to fly kites and with enough space for everyone to run around, the Upper provided a wonderful spectacle for the afternoon.

Christmas Ball The Ball Committee, led by Harry Russell and Eleanor Batterham in Year 11, did an excellent job decorating the theatre, including putting down a red carpet! The evening started off with fruit punch (non-alcoholic of course!) followed by a delicious buffet. The infamous Tommy Tomato was the DJ and after the meal everyone took to the dance floor and a lot of fun was had by all.

A number of people donated prizes, ranging from cinema tickets to vouchers for Jack Wills, for the charity raffle which was in aid of the Kwale District Eye Centre in Kenya. The whole event was a great success and over £1000 was raised for the Eye Centre. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed in some way.

Glamour girls - the U15 Hockey Team get dolled up!

Tea time gave us an opportunity to present prizes of kites made and signed by Nick James to the winners and with everyone leaving with tired legs, mementoes of their day kite flying in a ‘party bag’ and much more knowledge about aerodynamics, and kite construction, the day was judged a success, by both participating schools and the Kingswood Sixth Form Design Technology students who seemed to enjoy flying the kites almost as much as the Year 6 students!.

John C Allison (Head of Technology)

Banda Visit During half-term the Kingswood U13 girls and boys took on The Banda, a touring school from Kenya. Despite the hot weather for England (which the Kenyans found cold) the girls match ended in a very fair score of nil all. However, the boys were not so lucky and lost 3-2. I am sure everybody enjoyed themselves thoroughly. I personally enjoyed myself as it was my old school. Thanks go to Mr Opie and Miss Wright for organising this event and for hosting all the children.

How did you manage to feed so many, Mrs Opie !!!

Sienna Dennis, Year 9 (ex Banda pupil) 48 Kingswood in Focus

Sixth Form Ceilidh Early in the autumn term, the lower sixth were welcomed to the Sixth Form with a lively Ceilidh – a Scottish dance. In a wave of do-si-dos, name tags and dynamic dancing, new pupils to the School enjoyed breaking the ice with existing Kingswood students. All the L6th and many U6th took part, and after a tentative first number, the evening progressed energetically, and enthusiasm ran high. Smiles could be seen all round after a thoroughly successful evening.

Mr Burgon provided fantastic accompaniment on the accordion, whilst Mrs Best MC’d the evening, instructing us ambitiously, but generally successfully - though a few of the final numbers consisted of some energetic freestyling!

Camille Wratten (new Lower Sixth)

'Festive Fun' Santa at Christmas lunch

Nihoko Higuchi The school was very pleased to welcome Nihoko Higuchi from Japan.

Ms. Higuchi, a trained musician and Japanese language teacher, enjoyed all aspects of the school. One evening a week she offered a few parents and staff the opportunity to acquire some useful Japanese, sample green tea and try their hand at calligraphy.

Nihoko also taught Duke-sensei’s Japanese activity on Fridays after school. She worked hard on improving the ten regulars’ pronunciation and she produced some very enjoyable and polished lessons on greetings, pets and countries of origin.

The pupils enjoyed the exposure to Japanese from a native speaker and they became more proficient at using the syllabary known as hiragana. They had to quickly learn the correct posture and great dexterity demanded by the meditative discipline of Japanese calligraphy.

Ms. Higuchi’s arrival coincided with the Piano Week and she impressed an audience with a piece by Debussy. Ms Higuchi observed teaching in many different subjects and returned to Japan having acquired many new teaching strategies for which she was most grateful. The Japanese activity will run again in September.

Valentine Supper

さよなら ロデリクデュ～ク

“over £300 was raised for the house charity, Health Help International...”

The Hall Valentine’s meal was a great success and raised over £300 for the house charity, Health Help International (charity for aid in Zambia and India).

For one night only, the Hall Common Room was turned into a classy restaurant. The most professional waiters from Years 10 and 11 were hand-picked and excused from a night of prep, to provide the Valentine couples with extraordinary service. The Year 9 boys were also involved in the ‘wings,’ organising the clearing of plates and cutlery, etc.

The 14 couples arrived into the pool room/ turned bar where we got to socialise until the head waiter, Mr Raymond Lam, announced that “dinner was served” (it only took about 4 times to get it just right

for the school DVD!). The couples were each assigned their own waiter and were led to the romantic candle-lit tables.

Mrs Westcott’s delicious food was enjoyed by all and even Alasdair Maspero’s cheesecake went down a storm!

Thanks to everyone involved for making it such a great night. A special thank-you must go to Mr and Mrs Westcott and all the Hall boys who helped ‘wait’. I can only hope that this Valentine’s event will continue in years to come and I encourage any Sixth Form couples to go next year.

Tim Hamilton (Hall House, Upper Sixth) Kingswood in Focus 49

Senior School Visit Ten years old Lola Young's reflection on life at the Senior School...

Kingswood?

I have heard many interesting stories of this stately place, Kingswood School. I am excited about our first meeting and yet apprehensive as I am unsure what I will discover. It is said to be beautiful and to stand tall amongst vast areas of luscious grounds, but does it have a heart? I will be the judge of how wonderful it truly is.

I was extremely excited - today was the day when I was going to see our Senior School for the first time! We arrived at the Dining Hall where there were many tables and paintings of the Wesley brothers, among others. Mrs Carlton-Porter greeted us and gave us a small talk about the school.

After that we were shown into the Theatre where we would be doing our assessments. It was surprising seeing it again, for the last time I’d been there was when I’d been in last year’s Prep School musical.

Next was the JO Heap library. It was astonishing! It was the best library I’d ever been in. Finding the book you were looking for was easy, and there was much else to find as well. Lastly we were shown around Westwood, our house for the next two years. It was really good.

All in all I’m feeling very excited about moving up to Kingswood.

I’m really looking forward to the experience.

Charlie Pope (Year 6)

I greet the school with a smile, and feel as though it smiles back at me. It certainly wears a grand façade, but it is the inside that interests me most. I feel I am slightly out of my comfort zone, everything is so different to what I am familiar with.

As I get to know Kingswood and acquaint myself with it, gradually tearing away the outside layers, unearthing its crest, I begin to discover its friendliness and charm. This charm is partly created by the children within. Their happiness and laughter.

At first glance the buildings may seem a little imposing and gray but really it is bursting with colour and although everyone is uniformed each child is free and utterly unique.

As I have spent time with Kingswood it has offered me many great opportunities and opened many new doors, some still yet to be opened.

I am having the time of my life and I feel the school was made for who I am.

The heart of Kingswood is so inviting and I have been truly welcomed by its warmth. I am now where I belong, in the comfort of my school. Full of content. And Kingswood has become my true friend!

Lola Young (Year 6)

A 'Taste' of Things to Come?

Even though it was quite some time ago, I do have memories of the feelings I experienced as a ten year old school girl when it came to ‘leaving school’. The idea of moving on to the ‘big school’ where I didn’t know any of the teachers, where I didn’t know my way round the huge buildings, where there were going to be lots of much older pupils than me and, worse than that,…. not all my very special friends were going to the same place was scary! It filled me with dread and was a very anxious time for me and my parents.

For this reason, in January, we decided to remove all those fears and worries for any of the children who were considering Kingswood as one of their options for senior school education, and invited them to come in for a special day of ‘getting to know us’. We arranged a ‘snap shot’ of different types of subject-based activities and lessons, including a KS lunch and some time in the junior house ‘Westwood’ which will become the new ‘home’ for many of the children who were taking part.

Our staff very much enjoyed the chance to get to know the children and it proved to be a very positive experience for us all. Now September doesn’t seem so scary after all and the real ‘warm welcome’ that is Kingwood’s reputation will be something to look forward to with confidence.

Angela Carlton-Porter (Director of Admissions & Public Relations) 50 Kingswood in Focus

Out and About

Years 8 & 9 Visit Bruhl At five o’clock in the morning sixty-six of Kingswood’s Years 8 and 9 pupils arrived at school.

Despite waking up so early, the pupils were high spirited and looking forward to the journey ahead of them. After an extremely long coach journey and an hour long ferry ride, and plenty of sugar, we arrived at our hotel, “Bon Prix” in Bruhl. After the excitement of being given room card keys we settled down for the night. Early next morning we were awoken by the knocking of teachers on our doors. Girls tried frantically to get ready on time.

Our first stop was the Olympic museum where we were able to have a go in a boxing ring, a running track and a football pitch. After that was the infamous chocolate factory which, as you might guess, everyone loved.

The chocolate museum gave us an insight into how chocolate is made. After a whole hour, and many free chocolate covered wafers later, we were ready for the boat trip. This took us down the famous River Rhine. Everyone enjoyed the whole jam packed day but there was still bowling to come.

Following a good dinner that everybody needed we went ten pin bowling.

Fun was had all round, and this included the teachers who became quite competitive.

The second day was a trip to Phantasialand. Everybody was very excited and when we got there it was even better than expected. People had a lot of fun going on many rides varying from the log flume to the black mamba.

After a long day we were ready to go, but the day wasn’t over yet. Even more sugar beckoned! We set off for the Italian Ice Cream parlour. We were able to choose from a wide selection of ice cream. Even the teachers were excited by the array of ice creams and sundaes.

On the last day you could tell that everyone was very tired but we all had a good time improving our knowledge at the history of Germany museum.

After the museum we were taken in to the town. This was fun; we were able to go around the city in groups and we had to meet various challenges such as buying a postcard and stamp and finding out what movies were on in the cinema. We had to speak in German for most tasks to get what we needed.

We also did a questionnaire, where we had to talk in German to the people of Bonn on the streets and in shops. Surprisingly this was quite fun and we did enjoy ourselves. We even learnt a bit. After completing activities for most of the day we were allowed to go around the town and do what

we wanted. As you can imagine, the girls were running around the shops.

After a tiring day, we arrived back at the hotel. After another very good meal and a half hour session of work booklets, we had the task of packing.

Everybody was extremely sad to have to leave but we had one stop left. As we were passing through Belgium to get to France we stopped in Brugges, a city full of chocolate shops and cafés. It was a great end to an enjoyable holiday.

Germany was a fabulous trip and everybody loved it. It was an excellent start to half term and on behalf of everybody who went. We would like to thank everybody who made Germany such a good and memorable holiday, all the teachers who made sure we were always having fun and a good time and, especially, a big thank you to Mr Duke for organising the whole holiday.

Georgina Frude & Georgina Burgess (Year 9)

Latin Trip to Chester March 10th-11th 2007 It was an early start that began with a three hour coach journey to the Roman town of Chester (‘Deva’ in Latin) situated in the north west of England near Liverpool. On the way there, we played games and quizzes that involved using our general knowledge skills.

When we arrived at the youth hostel we deposited our luggage. Mr Adams then realized that he had left his goofy bag on the coach, so we had to walk to the bus park to collect his stuff!

Seeing as we were early, we had an hour’s shopping time in Chester’s famous two-floored shopping levels.

Afterwards we went to the Grovesnor museum. We learnt about the Roman army and we also saw a mini Senate House. We then visited the Roman amphitheatre which had a legion of Goths in it! Archaeologists have recently dug up evidence showing that gladiators fought there against wild beasts. In the late afternoon, we walked around the fortified walls of Chester - which was really good. Then we went back to the youth hostel and had, as Mr Adams would say, ‘a slap-up nosh-up feed’ (translation – have supper)! Then we went to the cinema for an educational documentary on the police!

Following an eventful night in the youth hostel, on Sunday we went to the Deva Experience, a place to sample the sights, sounds and smells of Roman Chester. Some students also dressed up like Roman soldiers. We then had a couple of hours to explore Chester for ourselves. Then it was back to Kingswood after a fun and memorable trip!

By Matthew Holdsworth, Chris Riley & Harry Clark (Year 9)

Stages, Swindlers & Snakes The Drama Students go to London When students of Drama first embark on their A Level studies they are often surprised by the range of topics the course will cover.

They are sometimes a little overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content that the subject potentially covers.

In an attempt to introduce our drama students to the world of theatre, Ms Rowe, Mr Harding and Mr Brodie ventured to London on the first weekend of the autumn term.

been produced outside of England during the twentieth century. However, Nicholas Hytner’s revival brings the play to life again in spectacular fashion and the two lead actors – Alex Jennings and Simon Russell Beale – gave fantastic performances as Subtle and Face, out to swindle a wide variety of people in as many ways as they can.

"...there is something very special about standing in such close proximity to the action on stage."

When most students are busy coping with the demands of their new courses and spending their first weekend sweating away over the first influx of prep, 30 Drama students left for London. Having walked along the South Bank to get to the hotel some people were already in awe of the sheer vibrancy of our country’s capital – and as one student eloquently remarked ‘It’s very different from Chippenham’! First stop was The National Theatre where we were treated to a backstage tour of the Lyttleton and Olivier theatres. The backstage areas were most impressive – the sheer scale of it made us realise the effort and work that go into producing the sets for plays played in repertory at London’s most iconic theatrical space. After the tour there was time to visit the excellent bookshop (I think many of us could have spent all night, not to mention a small fortune, there!) before the start of the first preview performance of Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist.

After a good night’s sleep and an early but hearty breakfast – for which, miraculously, everyone managed to wake up in time – we set off for Covent Garden and the Theatre Museum. This museum has been improved a great deal in recent years and nowhere are the depth and breadth of British Theatre more apparent. There were two very interesting temporary exhibitions – one on the Redgrave family and the other on the creative explosions of the 1950s and 1960s.

The underground let us down for the first time on the way to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. St Paul’s station was closed so we had a longer than expected walk from Bank. However, we still managed to walk across the Millennium Bridge to experience one of the most amazing views in London – that of the imposing Tate Modern on the right side of the bridge and the small but equally impressive Globe nestled to the left.

After a tour of the theatre we had a short time to visit the exhibition and grab a quick lunch before the afternoon’s performance of Anthony and Cleopatra. We watched the show as ‘Groundlings’ – standing right in front of the stage. In no other theatre space can you have quite the same experience and there is something very special about standing in such close proximity to the action on stage. However, my experience has proved to me that standing for three hours can be quite an ordeal if the play is not that good so it was with great trepidation that I took up my space at the very front. I need not have worried – the play was fantastic and the general consensus was that Francis Barber as Cleopatra must have given not only the performance of her life but surely we had witnessed one of the greatest Shakespearean performances of our time.

The Alchemist is one of Ben Jonson's more popular comedies.

In general, his plays were not well received by audiences, but The Alchemist appears to have been more popular than most, probably because of its topic – ‘cony-catching’ or ‘swindling’ (a cony was another word for dupe, gull or victim) which was as popular in the seventeenth century as it is in the twentieth first.

At the end of the performance we made our weary way to Paddington – with plenty of excitement to keep us on our toes with the Circle line being closed completely!

As we sank into our seats, well stocked with doughnuts and cookies, we reflected on our time in London – three stages, stories of swindlers and Egyptian Queens and – oh yes – snakes. Live ones, according to the sign on the Globe door. Whether that was true or whether it was a fib to make us nervous, the power of suggestion certainly worked and the audience held its collective breath when Cleopatra removed the lid of the basket!

The initial popularity of The Alchemist diminished in subsequent years; by the eighteenth century the play was rarely being produced.

As is the case with most of Jonson's plays, The Alchemist has rarely

As a drama teacher it is moments like that which remind me of the magic of theatre. I look forward to taking a new generation of drama students to similar great moments in the future.

52 Kingswood in Focus

German Exchange On a misty Tuesday morning, eight Kingswood pupils, Mr Duke and Mrs Bradbury set off on the German exchange to Münster.

Having been kindly dropped off by Mr Sims, our driver for the day, and after hearty breakfasts in the airport we were ready to board the plane for Düsseldorf; however, the ladies in our group had to be called by the tannoy as they were too busy shopping with Magnus. This was to be a theme of the trip! The airport in Düsseldorf was very modern with the skytrains operating on time! After a train journey lasting nearly two hours we arrived in Münster. Mr Duke seemed amazed that a whole journey had gone without a hitch unlike previous years when he claimed “Every time I normally go through an airport I get frisked.” At the train station we were warmly met by our partners and headed off. I soon discovered that free periods in German school were good. I really don’t know what I would have done if I had needed to wake up at 6.30 (5.30am GMT) on my first day; luckily, first period for me was free so I could have a “lie in” until 7.15.

"I would recommend the exchange to all pupils studying German in Year 10 and above."

Wednesday consisted mainly of an orientation and a tour of Münster with the Royal High Girls on the exchange too. We visited several historical monuments and the famous “Weihnachtsmärkte”. Whilst in Münster we experienced one of Magnus’s “magic moments” as they were to be dubbed. As we were walking down one of the streets in Münster, he absent-mindedly turned and said “I wonder why there are so many Germans in Münster?”

Travelling to school in the mornings, I was amazed at the sheer number of bikes in Münster. Apparently, there are one and a half bikes to every one person in Münster which was good for me because I needed to ride one to school. Münster, I was surprised to find, is probably just as big, if not bigger, than Bath with many department stores including a “Woolworth”!

It was quite an experience to go to German lessons although it must be said the whole experience was spoiled slightly by the German teachers as almost all of them could speak English and tried to involve us (in English) in the lesson.

That evening my partner and I and several other English guests and their hosts headed into town to the cinema. “Mein Name ist Bond… James Bond” was just about the only line comprehensible since the film was all in German. No subtitles, nothing. The popcorn and Cola somehow made the whole experience worthwhile.

Friday was spent in Osnabrück with Herr Hehmann and Herr Meier exploring the history of the Saxon city. It is here that I enjoyed my first döner kebab in Germany. Not too dissimilar to Münster, Osnabrück is a town rich in culture. Osnabrück was founded in 780 by Charlemagne, king of the Franks. It was in Osnabrück that we caught Magnus shopping (again!) with Katie and Sophie.

Saturday and Sunday were spent alone with the host families to experience some more German culture. Some even took the train to Holland to go swimming with their partners. Our last full day in Germany was spent in Essen,. We explored a former Synagogue which was destroyed during the Second World War. The Jewish community was annihilated between 1933 – 1945, but has grown again recently.

Before we knew it, we were at Düsseldorf airport and then in the air waving goodbye to Münster and our partners and heading home to Bristol where Mr. Garforth was waiting in the school minibus. All too soon we were back at school and heading home to enjoy the rest of the holidays. I would like to thank Mrs Bradbury for accompanying Mr Duke, and to thank Magnus for keeping us thoroughly entertained. I would recommend the exchange to all pupils studying German in Year 10 and above.

Richard Evans (Year 10)

French Exchange For the first time ever in the Easter holidays of 2007, a group of Kingswood pupils arrived at Gatwick Airport with bags in their hands, and under their eyes!. They were about to embark on Kingswood’s first ever French Exchange to Toulouse. After having hosted their exchange partners in March, it was time for the English pupils to enjoy some French hospitality and it was nicely timed to make sure that everyone could practise for their orals before going back to school…

It was a shame after a late-ish night en famille that everyone had to be up bright and breezy (again) to go to the Lycée Saint-Sernin to see at first hand what life in a very large city school was like. However, all these thoughts were very much regretted and immediately brushed aside when the party saw the splendour of Toulouse, la ville rose: the place du capitole lined with cafés, the banks of the river Garonne and the many different buildings which contribute to a beautiful skyline. In the days that followed, we travelled to see mediaeval castles at Carcassone, le seuil de Naurouze (a UNESCO world heritage site where rivers meet canals) and to the cité de l’espace with its planetarium and IMAX theatre.

All in all, everyone enjoyed having the opportunity to visit this beautiful part of France and to be able to experience life à la française for themselves. It is clear that our spoken French is now much better and we can understand more than we ever thought imaginable.

Everyone would like to say a big merci to Miss Beale for being such a great help to everyone on the trip. And of course, thanks go without a doubt to ‘Mother’ Brown for organising the exchange.

I would encourage anyone studying French in years ten, eleven, twelve and thirteen next year to take part – you really will get to speak and hear lots of French!!

Hattie Richardson (Year 10)

Ten Tors Training Dartmoor - February Half Term Over the Feb Half Term break 24 pupils from Year 10 and Year 12 stayed at Bellever Youth Hostel on Dartmoor and spent three days training for the Ten Tors Expedition which takes place in May. The group self-catered with expert and generous help from Mrs Lemmy and Mrs Lockhart who managed to feed hungry pupils and staff very successfully.

The weather was very unkind, nothing unusual for Dartmoor, but provided excellent conditions for practising navigation and testing equipment. The pupils walked for a total of fourteen hours in three groups and visited three different areas of the moor including many Tors frequented by the expedition routes.

Great progress was made in developing the necessary skills for self-supported travel in wilderness areas and the pupils showed great potential. My thanks to all the staff for their help.

John Davies

Biology Department go out and about!

Field Trip On the U6 Ecology field trip in September the students studied succession on the sand dunes at Braunton Burrows, as well as using various sampling techniques, in Woodford Meanders and the grasslands at the Nettlecombe Court Field Centre.

"These talks encouraged the students to think beyond the AS specification."

The L6 spent the day at a conference entitled ‘Deciphering DNA’. This was organised by the Wales Gene Park in Cardiff and various University lecturers spoke on topics ranging from the structure of DNA, forensic Science, using DNA in conservation and genealogy. These talks encouraged the students to think beyond the AS specification.

Ski Fun in Vermont The ski trip to Stowe, Vermont was one of the best school trips I have ever been on! We all thoroughly enjoyed the skiing and benefited from the instruction given. We took part in a range of activities. My favourite was the disco at the Rusty Nail where we all had a great night dancing, including Mr Allison! We all learnt some great dancing techniques from Ms Cooper and Ms Buller. Another activity was the karaoke, where Mr Redman did an impressive Elton John impersonation.

Seeing Boston and visiting Quincy Market was also a marvellous experience. Vermont was a beautiful part of America to visit and I would love to go back there some time. Overall the ski trip was a fantastic experience and having my 18th birthday in Stowe made it a very memorable occasion.

Rebecca Simpson (Upper Sixth)

Our Trip to Caerleon Roman Fortress We looked at Roman artefacts in the museum.

The most interesting artefact I saw was the helmet because it had been into real battles. I also liked the skeleton because it might have been a soldier from a battle. The helmet was very rusty and old and had a lot less detail than the reconstructed one but I definitely preferred it.

The skeleton was broken into pieces and a bit green, but it was amazing to actually think that it might have been a soldier.

In the afternoon we visited the ruins of the amphitheatre and the barracks. I enjoyed this part of the trip because we got to march around the amphitheatre and pretend we were in a real battle. The amphitheatre was dug up by archaeologists, the roofs of all the rooms and entrances had crumbled and some of the walls had crumbled a bit, too.

Isabel Street (Year 4B)

Hindu Temple & @ Bristol Trip On Friday 9th February 2007, Year 5 went on a trip to the Hindu Temple in Bristol in the morning, and @ Bristol in the afternoon. After 45 minutes on the coach we arrived at the Hindu Temple. It appeared to be a converted church. We all walked inside. There was a canopy of leaves above us forming a ceiling that hung midway between the floor and the roof. We took off our coats and shoes and then our guide told us something about the temple. He explained that he worshipped there every day, both morning and night. After answering our questions he took us upstairs and told us stories and facts about the gods.

In groups we looked at the statues of gods and various pictures. Then we went downstairs and took part in a Hindu festival dance. We were shown how to move in a zig zag pattern in time to some music.

After that we danced with small sticks, moving from partner to partner in a circle. Then we returned to the coach and ate our snack while on the route to @ Bristol. (Bertie)

Mountain biking in the Forest of Dean

"We took part in a Hindu festival dance."

4th February

Our first activity at @ Bristol was to have lunch. Up next was the Planetarium. Various constellations explained were, Taurus, Orion, The Seven Sisters, The Plough and the North Star. The sizes of the Earth, Saturn, the Sun and the biggest stars in Orion were compared. Soon, we had a look at the main exhibits.

The Water Works were spectacular. It was powered by up to two people. The brain testing games were fun. There was a pipe organ which you played by using mallets made out of foam. My favourite however was the Play TV. Our class did a version of ‘Stars In Their Eyes’. On the first act, the background came up as a Tarantula! I also cued the wrong song. Apart from that, it was fine!” (Leonard)

Mr John Davies

Leonard Budd and Bertie Wilson (Year 5) Kingswood in Focus 55

The Classical Civilisation Trip Day 1 - The Departure We all got to school for eight in the morning; once we had said goodbyes we got on the bus and headed for Heathrow. After a couple of hours driving we arrived in Heathrow, excited and ready to get on the plane. One person was even looking forward to the on-flight food!

Once we arrived in Athens a bus took us to our hotel – Hotel Candia.

This was in central Athens. After we had unpacked thoroughly we went down to dinner for a traditional Greek feta and spinach pie. After our meal we were ready for bed. We were looking forward to our first full day in Greece.

Day 2 - Monday After meeting our tour guide, Lula, our first stop was the first Olympic arena of the modern era, built for the 1896 Games. However, even though the Acropolis was behind us and the arena in front of us we were transfixed by what looked like a dead dog! Luckily it wasn’t, but simply one of the many strays sunbathing. Our next stop was the Acropolis. This was amazing. We all enjoyed looking around and learning interesting facts about the Parthenon.

Many photos later we headed down to Athens where we were able to witness the changing of the guards.

We also had the typical tourist experience of having our photos taken with the pigeons on our hands or even heads. Not very hygienic but luckily we had handy wipes to pass around! By this time we were all hungry so we went into the plaka to have some lunch Greek style. After a well deserved lunch we went to have a look around the plaka where were able to buy souvenirs and were treated to an ice cream by Mr Lloyd.

After the walk back to the hotel and dinner we were assigned the task of re-enacting famous Greek myths including Antigone, and Theseus and the Minotaur, which we were to prepare for performances later in the week.

"We all had a fantastic trip, learning so much and enjoying ourselves enormously..."

Day 3 -Tuesday We were lucky to have a lovely sunny morning, so being typical tourists we put on our sunnies and shorts even though the Athenians were wearing long trousers, jackets and even scarves. Today was the visit to Delphi to see Apollo’s temple and the oldest sports track in the world.

After a long drive through lovely Alpine scenery and many olive trees later, we got there! Our first visit was the museum where we all learnt a lot about Greek history. Lula was very informative about everything in the museum. Then it was time for a good climb up to the track. Luckily it was a sunny, warm day so walking around was enjoyed by all. A few minutes down the road was the restaurant where we stopped for lunch the views were spectacular so we had to take a few photos. Then we drove back to Athens and the hotel where we had dinner, worked on our plays, and Mr Lloyd led us in a Greek architecture masterclass and a competition to depict the best Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns.

56 Kingswood in Focus

Day 4 - Wednesday The weather wasn’t quite as good, but that did not stop us from enjoying the famous acoustic of the open-air theatre in Epidaurus, where the likes of Callas and Pavarotti have performed. We tested out the acoustics ourselves, it was stunning. For lunch Mr Lloyd took us to a fine restaurant which he discovered last year, where we tried the local blood orange juice which we all enjoyed along with the local moussakka.

Afterwards we went to the fascinating ruins of Mycenae and the tomb of Atreus, Agamemnon’s father (yes, he of The Iliad – or Troy, if you prefer the more popular!) which was extremely spooky. We also went to see the Corinth Canal, a tourist attraction in itself; it was phenomenal. In the evening we performed our much worked on plays and we even had an audience, some of the hotels customers, who thought we were students form a performing arts school!

Day 5 - Thursday Again it was sunny; we went to Poseidon’s Temple on the Aegean Sea. Even though there wasn’t much of the temple left it was still hugely impressive with its magnificent columns and the background was stunning. After a look around, we went down to the beach for a dip; although the water was freezing, being English we went in and it wasn’t long until a sand fight started.

Then we went back into Athens and were dropped off by the coach to have a quick lunch and change for there was a very big walk ahead of us up to a beautiful Greek Orthodox church built on the top of a hill overlooking Athens. It was great to finally get to the top after a steep climb to get there. We had a look around the church and then walked back down to the plaka for yet another ice cream, courtesy of Mr Lloyd. After a good meal we went up to the rooftop to play a bit of ‘40-40 In’ and hide and seek. Then it was off to bed for our last night in Athens.

Day 6 - Our Last Day Friday We were all allowed a slight sleep in and after we had packed our bags and put them in the lobby, we went for our last visit to the plaka for last minute shopping. Many football shirts were purchased as well as two Spartan helmets and a couple of pairs of good quality sunglasses!

We stayed until lunch; luckily it was a lovely day.

We got on the plane a few hours later, put our earphones in and our chairs back and said goodbye to Greece.

We all had a fantastic trip, learning so much and enjoying ourselves enormously, a trip which wouldn’t have been as great without Mrs Best, Mr Adams and of course Mr Lloyd who organised the whole visit superbly. Thank you so much for a trip we will never forget.

Georgina Frude and Georgina Burgess (Year 9)

Boarders Caving Trip 19th November 2006 Some of the Year 10 and 11 boarders had their first experience of caving in Goatchurch Cavern at Burrington Combe in the Mendips. They all coped very well with the confined space they found themselves in with no claustrophobic panic attacks!

Mr John Davies (Senior Housemaster & Outdoor Pursuits Co-ordinator)

Boarders Visit the Forest of Dean Saturday 16th September – Sunday 17th September 2006 22 boarders from year Camping at the Biblins campsite on the banks of the river Wye. BBQ, open fire on the Saturday evening and then Kayaking, Caving, Canoeing and Climbing on Sunday.

9.

St Fagan’s One grey Sunday in the second half of the spring term, Westwood boarders visited St Fagans, the Welsh National History Museum near Cardiff. Despite torrential rains, the boys and girls, along with their drivers and tour guides, Mrs Bland and Mr Sims, enjoyed a couple of hours exploring the miners’ houses and other historical buildings in the 100 acre grounds of St Fagans Castle.

"Never a dull Sunday when you are a Westwood boarder..." ...someone was heard to say as the minibus pulled out of the museum parking lot onto the long and winding homeward road. ‘Hear, hear!’ came the enthusiastic response from the enriched and happy children.

Kingswood in Focus 57

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