Kingswood In Focus 2021/22

KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS

2021/22

KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | HEADMASTER’S WELCOME

HEADMASTER’S WELCOME As the pages in this edition of Kingswood in Focus will attest, this was the year when the school life that we know and love came roaring back to something approaching normality.

Dear Parents and Friends

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t is always a privilege as Headmaster to pen the opening words to this impressive magazine, and it feels especially so as I come to the end of my second year at the helm, having now experienced the great spirit of our pupils in action, and had a chance to meet many of our parents and alumni who are so supportive of our efforts.

If the greatest commandment is to love, it follows that the most important school rule is to be kind.

Given the success of the class of 2021, whose excellent grades were surpassed only by their success in securing places at first choice universities, we certainly began the 2021/22 academic year with a spring in our collective step. The class of 2022 fed off this energy because, in a remarkable achievement, they have bucked the national trend and achieved Kingswood’s best ever A Level outcome. We are very proud of our young people who have showed characteristic ambition and resilience to achieve such excellent results, despite the disruption they have experienced in their Sixth Form years. Moreover, they flourished and exhibited the virtues that made

them such fine role models to the younger years, embracing the many activities on offer which give all our pupils a sense of challenge, a sense of purpose, and an opportunity to grow and develop themselves.

The pages that follow are brimming with pictures and stories of young people developing their existing talents and taking advantage of the many opportunities to find new ones. This is all facilitated by our talented and committed staff who make such a generous contribution to the co-curricular life of the School.

There are so many highlights of the year, but the rugby season produced a story that for me exemplifies the Kingswood spirit and all that sport and competition teaches about life.

All season, our 1st XV played with grit, determination, and an indefatigable team spirit – despite this, match wins remained elusive. Our U15A and U16A teams meanwhile exhibited the very same qualities, and, in contrast, both enjoyed unbeaten seasons.

This vignette is a microcosm of so many areas of school life; it’s not the winning or losing that is important, but the content of your character and how you play the game, and these two contrasting stories hold the same core truth, exhibited by Kingswood teams, about the importance of winning with humility and losing with good grace.

If the greatest commandment is to love, it follows that the most important school rule is to be kind.

It is heartwarming to lead a community where this is so hardwired into everyday life and, to this end, it was a pleasure to be back in our

lovely chapel this year with our new chaplain, Rev Katy. She has challenged our pupils to develop a philosophy that looks beyond the self and responds to the needs of others.

I always maintain that a school that sings is a school at ease with itself, and I was delighted to see the quality of congregational singing improving over the year as our pupils made up for the lack of music and singing that was a feature of the pandemic years.

This was also a year of some very significant farewells and I hope that our leaving staff depart safe in the knowledge of just how grateful we are for the amazing contributions they have made to school life. I must make a special mention of Mr and Mrs Opie and Mr and Mrs Hollywell who between them clocked up an incredible 113 years of service to Kingswood. It has been a great blessing for me to have had Mr Opie working alongside me as Senior Deputy during these last two years.

The positive impact Gordon has had on the lives of so many individuals is the stuff of legend. Thank you.

Kingswood in Focus 2021/22 is a lovely record which highlights the breadth, balance and joyful nature of a Kingswood education. After a well-deserved summer break, I feel sure that this community will once again commence the new academic year with a spring in our step.

Every good wish to you all.

Mr Andrew Gordon-Brown

CONTENTS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

CONTENTS HEADMASTER’S WELCOME

2 4 6 10 12

COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION From the Chaplain Diversity, Equality & Inclusion Fundraising Model United Nations Sustainability

13 17 19 20 22 24 26 27

ACADEMIC Science, Computing & Mathematics Modern Foreign Languages Classics, English & Library News Humanities Examination Results 2022 Prize Giving 2022 Careers Academic Enrichment

Editor: Theresa Faux | Cover Photo: Tom Button (Year 13)

HOUSES

28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42

Westwood Fonthill Hall Summerhill Middle School Upper Boarding

44 47 50 56 58 64

CREATIVE ARTS Art Design & Technology Drama Theatre Tech Music ‘KATS’ Music & Drama Awards

66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 81 82 84 86 87

SPORT Girls' Hockey Rugby Netball Boys' Hockey Cricket Girls' Tennis Boys' Tennis Orienteering Cross Country Swimming Athletics Athletic Development Football

88

OUTDOOR PURSUITS

94

ASSOCIATION CAFÉ

96 98 100 101

STAFF & LEAVERS Head Girl & Head Boy Reflections Leavers' Dinner Teaching Staff & Governors List Staff Farewells

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION

FROM THE CHAPLAIN Kingswood’s Chapel is a beautiful sacred space, a place of calm that can be accessed by staff or students at any point in a busy day. Whether you seek warmth and shelter on a wet and windy break time or a cool retreat on a hot summer’s day, it has been a place of solace, decision making or personal prayer. It is also where we gather the community for reflection, worship and celebration.

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t was a joy to celebrate the Chapel’s Centenary this year joined by former students, Governors, and staff, some of whom travelled a distance to be there. Many alumni responded to the invitation to write about the Chapel and, amongst the mix of funny and poignant memories, one thing that stood out was the love of music that began there. At the service we were treated to uplifting songs by KPS Singers as well as a beautiful piano duet performed

by Alyssa Chu and Gordon Tse (Year 10).

When Reverend Marshall Harvey spoke at the opening service and Dedication of the Chapel on 16 June 1922, he said, “The Chapel would be the Lord’s classroom; worship was the gathering ground of grace, spirit and strength, in which their daily life should be lived.” Although students no longer go to Chapel every morning or on a Sunday,100 years later, I believe that the Chapel continues to be a gathering ground of ‘grace, spirit and strength’ that sustains the ethos of the Kingswood Community, rooting young people with a deep sense of love, kindness and service.

COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

...the Chapel continues to be a gathering ground of ‘grace, spirit and strength’...

The Chapel is an inclusive place where all are welcome and simply invited to come with openness and curiosity to reflect on the Gospel values of Kingswood and our founder John Wesley. This year in addition to Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter and Pentecost, we explored themes of Trade Justice, Homelessness, Sustainable Eco Fashion, Refugee Week, the life of Desmond Tutu, the Queen’s Jubilee alongside messages of Hope, Peace, Forgiveness and Grace. During Lent, the whole school was challenged to express 40 days of Gratitude, something that was not only good for others and the whole community but also for our own wellbeing.

The Chapel is also a Grade ll listed War Memorial having been built in memory of the 116 old boys and three former staff who died in the Great War. The vestibule contains several moving war memorials including one for Hardy Falconer Parsons, awarded the Victoria Cross. He left Kingswood in 1915 but died in 1917 protecting his comrades. The family of Hardy attended the opening service where Buglers of the Somerset

Light Infantry sounded the Last Post. The most poignant service of our year is Remembrance Day when the whole of the Senior School gathers below the Chapel accompanied by members of the Royal Forces, where a cross is placed for each of the students and teachers lost in conflicts to this day.

One of the most special times of year in Chapel is Christmas. Unable to invite families to St Stephen’s due to Covid, we had a smaller Candlelit Carol Service for Westwood in addition to the annual Candlelit Advent Service for Boarders in the Chapel. There were lots of KPS Carol services too and Reception children sang their hearts out to teary eyed parents! It is lovely that the Chapel is very much a focal point for the whole Foundation.

Even the nursery children came in during the year and were so excited to talk about weddings!

Finally, the Year 6 and Year 13 Leavers’ Services were both moving and joyous, celebrating all that has been achieved but marking those moments of significant transition. Mr Opie, who was also

leaving, spoke to Year 13 of what he had learned at Kingswood both as a student and as a teacher.

He said that the Chapel had been a significant place and encouraged us to live our lives being open to a spiritual journey.

Rev Katy Thomas (Chaplain)

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION

DIVERSITY, EQUALITY & INCLUSION At Kingswood we firmly believe that diversity and inclusion is a collective responsibility.

There is a call to be transparent and open about our efforts to improve, as well as to share our successes.

Our aim is to ensure we embed Diversity, Equality and Inclusion into every young person’s educational, cultural and personal development, as well as in the working environment.

In order to support this we have staff and students on the body of two working groups which support the DEI lead and help to develop appropriate actions.

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t the beginning of the year we gave every member of our community – parents, staff and students – the opportunity to participate and engage with the DEI groups by completing an audit, the results of which will direct us in understanding and supporting our wider community and embrace the differences between us.

AFFINITY @ KWS This year at Kingswood we also introduced a growing number of affinity groups.

Students who share a particular identity or protected characteristic are able to gather and talk in a safe space about issues related to that identity, and transfer that discussion into action that makes for a more equitable experience at school. The groups are student-led with senior students overseeing, and pupils are encouraged to share with the rest of the School through assemblies and tutorial sessions.

The affinity groups currently at Kingswood include: Pride, Black Students of Kingswood, Neurodiversity Forum, and Junior Cultural Discussion.

Mrs Janine Solomon-Gardner (DEI Lead)

BANES EQUALITY CHARTER Kingswood Senior School has now signed up to the newly developed BANES race equality charter.

In line with our school ethos and commitment to equality, this charter will aim to make us accountable for our actions and ensure we continue to follow anti-racist practice. The charter encourages us to challenge incidents, champion equality, enable and empower communities through education, teach a diverse curriculum, and ensure we manage good practice whilst ensuring equality for all.

Scan the QR code to find out more, or alternatively, visit: https://thehub.bathnes.gov.uk/ Services/6444

COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

NEURODIVERSITY FORUM

PRIDE Our Pride group has been very active and have been able to meet in person every week.

“At Kingswood we have attempted to create a space where LGBTQ people can raise issues and discuss topics for improvement in the world around us, but first and foremost we have tried to achieve a space where LGBTQ students at Kingswood can feel safe and comfortable to be themselves. It’s also been an important space for younger students to have the chance to ask questions about LGBTQ issues and experiences, and have those questions answered by someone close to their age who knows them. So far, the club has worked on raising awareness of this group and creating an information board in a classroom where there are posters explaining some more common questions asked about the LGBTQ community, and also where/when/what KWS Pride is and does. For the future, the club is working on fundraising ideas for Pride month, including assemblies to educate the wider student body, and a bake-sale, with a few more ideas in motion which involve Kingswood students further. We are also working on meeting other schools’ LGBTQ groups in the area, and on being a key part of the Bath 2023 Pride celebrations.”

Student

Neurodiversity group has been an important forum for people from a variety of experiences and differences to come together and create a shared, creative and collaborative space.

While it is still in the early stages, the group has already been able to create an environment in which people can be free and open to share their feelings in a constructive manner. Attendants have spanned several year groups, and have included a multitude of neurodiverse individuals and a variety of experiences. Recently, some topics that have been discussed include: extra time and issues surrounding the way in which this is managed; how classrooms can become a more inclusive space to those who may be struggling; and the underlying challenges that neurodiversity brings. It has been excellent to be part of a group that is passionate about campaigning for change, acceptance and joy, and I am proud to be surrounded by such positive and wonderful individuals. Lily

CULTURAL DISCUSSION GROUP JUNIOR This group gives our Westwood pupils the opportunity to chat about cultural issues that interest them. We meet as part of the activity program and share experiences, ideas and cultural examples then share them with the rest of the community.

BLACK STUDENTS OF KINGSWOOD CLUB (BSK) In April, we started the Black Students of Kingswood club (BSK) to provide a safe space for the Black community in school and celebrate our varied cultures and histories.

We intend to educate, empower, entertain and engage our members.

We have weekly meetings with members ranging from Years 8 to 12. We had a small celebration for our Year 11s for their hard work in preparation for their GCSEs and to wish them luck. We are looking forward to celebrating our independence days together and educating the Kingswood community on the diversity of our African and Caribbean cultures. Zenzi and Fade

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION

FUNDRAISING Here is a just a small sample of the charitable work carried out at Kingswood this year: WESTWOOD BAKE SALE In November, Mrs Ward’s Westwood tutor group arranged a bake sale to support Holly Hedge Animal Shelter in Bristol.

BIKES FOR JULIAN HOUSE Thanks to kind donations from the Kingswood community, the Bike Maintenance club were able to refurbish and donate 20 bikes to Julian House who combat homelessness, addiction and longterm unemployment by selling used bikes.

BATH FOODBANK Mr Castrique’s tutor group unveiled the “Westwood House Foodbank Collection Point” and urged everyone to donate.

CHARITY BRIDGE DAY With the help of student volunteers, Kingswood hosted the annual Charity Bridge Day in aid of Open Arms, Malawi.

Over £1500 was raised which will pay the final part of Felista’s Nursing degree, one of the charity’s orphans.

Y9 FOOD POVERTY AWARENESS DAY During PSHCE classes, Year 9 learned about the role of our Founder John Wesley as an agent of social change in Bristol 275 years ago, helping to feed some of the neediest members in society.

Highly engaging speakers from Genesis Trust, Julian House, FoodCycle and Rubbish Science, who are all focused on addressing food insecurity, outlined their work in the community here in Bath and more widely across the UK. Students then created a series of elevator pitches outlining ways in which Kingswood could further support local organisations through fundraising and making the School more sustainable.

FONTHILL CANDY CANES In December, girls from Fonthill House sold and delivered over 1,000 candy canes to pupils and staff. The House raised £677 for Restart Kenya.

GENESIS TRUST PACKAGES Summerhill collected, packaged and delivered 215 care packages for Genesis Trust.

COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

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BIG BATH SLEEP OUT KINGSWOOD TOUCH RUGBY FESTIVAL In May, the Kingswood community came together to play in a Touch Rugby Festival in support of Masiphumelele RFC in South Africa. Sixteen teams took part with our largest ever attendance: around 250 members of our Kingswood community!

On a chilly Friday evening in March, 11 of the Kingswood Sixth Formers braved the cold and damp by spending the night in Alice Park at the Big Bath Sleep Out in support of Julian House.

GRAND JUMBLE SALE

YEAR 9 CHARITY GAMES NIGHT Year 9 enjoyed evening entertainment with an inflatable assault course, human table football, rounders, ultimate frisbee and dodgeball, before rounding off the evening with a well-deserved BBQ and raffle.

Over £700 was raised for charity projects in Malawi.

MORE WESTWOOD BAKE SALES!

FONTHILL ICE CREAM WEEK

Miss Tamblyn’s Westwood tutor group raised £144 for Young Minds, selling nearly 300 bakes, and Ms Lowe’s Year 7 tutor group raised £142 for Cancer Research UK.

Fonthill Ice Cream Week was perfectly timed with the arrival of very sunny weather and the end of internal and external exams. Fonthill Year 12s and Year 10s were selling two times per day with a total of over 650 bought and consumed in just 4 days!

The total raised was £798 which was split between the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, Malawi and the Bath Foodbank.

MIDDLE HOUSE FUNDRAISER Middle House organised a boot sale, selling outgrown and donated boots to raise money for Paul’s Place and the Jemima Layzell Trust. There were a large number of rugby, football and walking boots for sale, as well as a few other attractions and competitions on offer in the Middle House garden.

Organised annually by our former Head of Biology, Mrs Opie, the Grand Jumble Sale returned in March after a couple of years out due to Covid. The community was incredibly generous with their donations and a number of people baked delicious goods for the bake sale. The event raised over £2000 which was split between charity projects in Malawi and the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

SOLIDARITY LUNCH In March, we had a wholesome response from pupils and staff opting for a Solidarity Lunch in support of those in need of humanitarian relief.

Those who chose to sacrifice their usual full course lunch were served soup and bread from our catering team and the community raised £800 for the Disaster and Emergency Committee appeal.

SCHOOL HOUSE PINK DAY School House students made and sold cakes in support of Breast Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden Hospital. The last day of term was ‘Pink Day’, where pupils wore an item of pink to boost the fundraising further.

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION

YEAR 10 AND 11 CHARITY BALL

The annual Year 10 and 11 Charity Ball took place in March. The Ball Committee did a fantastic job organising the seating plan, laying tables and decorating the Dining Hall, and a number of Sixth Form students and members of staff gave up their time to help serve the food, sell raffle tickets and clear tables.

Kind donations of raffle prizes raised over £700 which was shared between charity projects in Malawi and the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

SIXTH FORM DINNER Led by Sixth Form student Angus Duncan, the Sixth Form came together to socialise as one group in March. They enjoyed a three course meal in the Dining Hall with delicious food provided by the catering team. A charity raffle during the evening raised over £1000 for charity projects in Malawi and local charity, Paul’s Place.

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION

MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2021-2022 As we emerged from Covid restrictions, we were delighted that our students were able to take part in ‘in person’ MUN events once again, with the return of the weekly school club.

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tudents met to discuss a range of global affairs issues, including the plight of women’s education in Afghanistan, global terrorism and the Yemen Civil War. In November, Sixth Form and Year 9-10 students took part in Kingswood’s COP 26 MUN style event. Working as delegates of 19 different nations including Saudi Arabia, China, the USA and the Marshall Islands, students worked together to research their country’s stance on climate change. Delegates then debated key issues such as climate change finance, ocean pollution and sustainable city development, with each fighting for their country’s position. In the end, delegates successfully drafted and passed a very ambitious Kingswood Climate Accord.

In January, a team of Kingswood students took part in the ‘Good COP Bad COP’ international MUN Conference, looking at the issue of climate change. The conference was organised by Engage with China. Kingswood was one of many schools taking part from across the world, including students from Ireland, China and Australia.

For some of our students it was their first MUN event, whilst for others it was an excellent refresher and preparation for our own BISMUN conference in March.

Well done to Eloise Wilson, Oli Williams, Hari Master, Ethan Wong, Bea Davies, Oscar McGurdy, Kelland Li and Gala Marrack. A special well done to Freddie Williamson who was the lead ambassador for Nigeria and delivered an excellent opening speech.

2022-23 will see the return of MUN trips, including the residential Sixth Form trip to Oxford in November.

Mr George Newbould (History and Politics Teacher)

As students gathered in the theatre for the Opening Ceremony of BISMUN 2022, thoughts inevitably began to turn to the events of exactly two years previously. Covid had cast a long shadow over the 2020 conference, with a number of schools pulling out only days before as the disease had started to tighten its grip.

COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

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BISMUN 2022

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he first national lockdown had been just a matter of days away, and few if any could have anticipated then what lay in the future. Now, finally, life was at last beginning to return to normal.

The presence of hundreds of happy and excited delegates packing the theatre was yet another sign of that, and as I watched the ceremony get under way, a simple thought was uppermost in my mind – it was good to be back.

Not that my sense of relief wasn’t mixed with a healthy dose of anxiety. A break of two years meant that none of our chairs had had experience of leading a committee at a live conference. The MUN apostolic succession – the process whereby the Lower Sixth chairs learn their craft by observing their more experienced Upper Sixth counterparts, before taking on the leadership roles in their turn – had been broken. True, they had had experience leading the online event we hosted in 2021, but the question remained – how would they cope?

As always, my fears proved entirely groundless. Elli Duke and Rose Bates proved outstanding Secretary Generals, the powerful speeches they delivered at the Opening Ceremony setting the tone for two days of first rate debate. Chairing an MUN committee requires a range of skills. Not only do you have to be able to communicate clearly and stay calm under pressure, but you also have to display a mastery of procedure, the capacity to deal with the unexpected, and the ability to defuse the conflicts that inevitably arise between delegates. All of the 2022 chairing teams rose admirably to this challenge, with head chairs Elli Duke, Rose Bates, Jacob Fadipe, Naomi Waheed, Aaron Wright, Eloise Wilson, Ollie Williams, Freddie Williamson, Leyla Aysan and Dan Zukas proving especially impressive.

The conference agenda reflected the contemporary concerns and preoccupations of the international community. Russian forces had invaded Ukraine just days earlier, and the war loomed large

in everyone’s minds. Few will forget the Ukrainian student who addressed the General Assembly on the Sunday afternoon, asking us all to keep his country in our thoughts, and it was fitting that everyone stepped out of their assigned roles to stand for a minute’s silence in solidarity with those caught up in the conflict. A powerful moment, and a reminder that the issues we were debating are all too real.

As always, the success of BISMUN 2022 was very much a team effort.

Thanks to Mr Francis and his crew for their technical support, the catering and caretaking teams, Mr Newbould for his advice and wisdom, and the Friends of Kingswood for their help in running the tuck shop over the conference weekend. Lastly, particular thanks must go to Mrs Davies for the many hours she spends answering emails, making badges and drawing up lists – truly, a herculean effort!

Mr Craig Woodgate (Head of Sixth Form)

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | COMMUNITY & WORLD ACTION

SUSTAINABILITY In the wake of COP26 the environment, climate change and sustainability in general is rightly high on the School’s agenda.

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he School’s Sustainable Development Committee works to address the School’s own environmental footprint and with a Climate Emergency declared, the committee has been looking at ways to plot our path to net zero by 2030. This has included the planned installation of 45KW of new solar photovoltaics on the roofs of Biology and the Sports Hall. Education and awareness of the issues we face and the urgency needed to tackle them is perhaps our greatest role as a school and, as with past years, much has taken place in this regard. We ran two mock COP26 events for over 100 students in November; we have had two beach cleans in November and June; joint sustainability projects between Science and Geography for Year 7 and 8 students; weekly student-led activities; the start of a new Year 9 course on Global Goals; a Year 9 Sustainability and team working day; and several whole school assemblies.

Sustainability is rightly on the school’s agenda. We can do more and should do more.

COP26

ACADEMIC | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

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ACADEMIC NEWS SCIENCE, COMPUTING & MATHEMATICS BIOLOGY OLYMPIAD CHEMISTRY OLYMPIAD

A group of Upper Sixth Biologists took part in the annual National Biology Olympiad, along with over 10,000 students from 700 schools worldwide.

Grace Ardus

COMMENDED

HIGHLY COMMENDED Marnie Lister Kitty Ho

BRONZE MEDAL

GOLD MEDAL (Top 5% nationally) Hiroki Nishimura Alex Sedcole

Gold medal winners

This year the Chemistry Olympiad coincided with the Year 13 Chemistry mock exam, so we only had one entry from a Year 13 student and all the rest were from Year 12. This makes their success even more amazing as this is a very hard paper even if you have been taught the Chemistry, let alone if you have not!

COPPER AWARD

BIOLOGY CHALLENGE RESULTS Year 10 students took part in the online Biology Challenge competition.

Over 10,000 students took part from 700 different schools worldwide. 18 Kingswood students were commended and 15 highly commended. Medals were awarded to the following students: BRONZE AWARD Terence Beekma Unnav Gurung Kara Kirkham Mambwe Mulambya

Alma Bode Amelie Hockey Kelland Li Orla Reddin

George Cardwell Eleanor Hurley-Land Izzy Milborrow

SILVER AWARD Evie Brown Gaby Davies James Prowse

Evie Campbell Oscar Easen Haydn Watts

Cyrus Chan Oyin Obe Crystal Yu

Grace Cardwell Lainee Weng

SILVER AWARD Kitty Ho

GOLD AWARD

INTERMEDIATE BIOLOGY OLYMPIAD A group of Lower Sixth Biologists took part in the International Intermediate Biology Olympiad, along with over 12,000 students from 608 schools worldwide.

HIGHLY COMMENDED Kacie Ku Sienna Websper Hanya Wang Emily Watkins

SILVER MEDALS Manaka Koreyasu Grace Cardwell

Charlie Hollywood Charlotte Nicholson

Naoyoshi Ueda

Ten Kingswood Year 12 students took part in the 2022 Physics Olympiad Senior Physics Challenge competition. They were alongside 7000 students who were among the most able from a range of schools worldwide. Students were asked tricky questions requiring deep thinking and advanced problemsolving skills with the additional challenge of time pressure.

COMMENDED Jack Byrne Anouk Caney Rohan Harvey Alex Keogh Yamato Miyamoto Ricky Wong

Ai-Ling Crossley

BRONZE MEDALS Connie Slater Florence Burton

Manaka Koreyasu

PHYSICS OLYMPIAD

GOLD AWARD Matthew Wadsworth

COMMENDED Bryan Au-Leung

Anouk Caney Zara Kellagher Bryan Yeung

BRONZE AWARD Eddie Wong Zara & Phoebe

GOLD MEDALS

Zara Kellagher

(Top 5% nationally) Phoebe Hill

Toluwani Lawai

GOLD AWARD Naoyoshi Ueda (also in the top 9% of students)

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | ACADEMIC

BIG BANG STEM COMPETITION Three teams from Kingswood, consisting of Year 12 and 11 students, were selected for the Finals of the national STEM competition, The Big Bang. This prestigious event takes place at the NEC in Birmingham and, over three days, attracts over 80,000 visitors.

The Year 11 team, ‘Cocoon’, consisting of Emily Hersch and Jamie Phillips, was nominated for The Army Humanitarian Aid Award with their concept of a highly portable emergency shelter which has a pop-up design.

The shelter utilises smart alloys to deploy the shelter when required and uses recycled material from discarded festival tents.

KINGSWOOD SCIENTISTS WIN MAJOR PRIZE AT NATIONAL FINALS OF THE BIG BANG AT THE NEC! Year 12 team (Alberta Fryer, Sophie Farmer, Florence Burton, Phoebe Hill and Manaka Koreyasu) ran a project they called ‘Girls into School: leak free for you and me’ which produced reusable sanitary pads for Kenyan girls and women who cannot afford disposable pads, and therefore cannot attend school whilst menstruating, disadvantaging them severely.

One Year 12 team (Jackson Byrne, Anouk Caney, Grace Cardwell and Rufus SokellThompson) were up for the Stantec Developing Future Communities Award.

They came up with an idea for turning common airborne pollutants – the Isocyanides – into harmless chemicals which could fertilize a plant.

The team were chosen for two special awards: the Stantec Developing Future Communities Award, and The Army Humanitarian Aid Award. After two rounds of online interviews and exhibiting at the NEC, the team were thrilled to WIN the Stantec Developing Future Communities Award which is a huge achievement.

Scan to view The Big Bang Competition 2022 Award Ceremony (see it at 7mins).

BEBRAS COMPUTATIONAL THINKING COMPETITION 398 Kingswood students took part in the annual International Bebras Computational Thinking competition.

Computational thinking involves using a set of problem-solving skills and techniques that software engineers use to write programs and apps. The Bebras challenge promotes problemsolving skills and Informatics

concepts, including the ability to break down complex tasks into simpler components, algorithm design, pattern recognition, pattern generalisation and abstraction.

The highest achievers in each age group were:

Joshua Barnes – Year 7 Ernie Padfield – Year 8 Olly Cory – Year 9 Alfie Bassett-Flowers – Year 10 Harry Rawlins – Year 12 George Lowes – Year 13

ACADEMIC | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

EMPOWERING WOMEN IN STEM TALENT PROGRAMME Over six months, Anouk Caney, Grace Asplin and Grace Cardwell (Year 12) have been involved in the Empowering Women in STEM talent programme, having been selected from over 600 applicants from all over the UK.

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he programme aims to teach skills such as public speaking, networking, and building personal brand, all important for a career in STEM. These skills are part of the wider project goals: to increase the confidence of girls, provide them with a forum of around 100 like-minded people, and ultimately to empower women and gender fluid students with a future career in STEM. These students engaged in online calls involving panel talks, listening to inspirational speakers addressing issues such as imposter syndrome, and working in a small mentoring group with a female mentor currently working in STEM. The programme was sponsored by companies including Facebook, Google and UCB, so it was inspirational to be advised by these high achieving women.

UKMT SENIOR MATHS CHALLENGE A group of students took part in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge in the Autumn term.

There were many Bronze and Silver awards as well as the following Gold awards: GOLD AWARD Perry Chiu

Alex Keogh

Manaka Koreyasu

Yahato Miyamoto

Andy Wang

Lainee Weng

Ricky Wong

Evie Bradley

Colby Chu

Arthur Darwish

William Farmer

Haru Ishizaka

Hiroki Nishimura

Naoyoshi Ueda

Shinnosuke Yoshiki

UKMT INTERMEDIATE MATHS CHALLENGE Some of our best Middle School Mathematicians in Years 9, 10 and 11 took on the annual UK Maths Trust Intermediate Mathematics Challenge. As well as 30 Bronze and 24 Silver awards, 12 of our students achieved a Gold award.

GOLD AWARD

In March, the girls travelled to the London Institute of Engineering and Technology to take part in the programme’s graduation event, and to meet the mentors and other students in person. The event included a panel talk from some of the mentors, including a civil engineer and project lead of UCB, as well as a talk from Sonya Barlow, an award-winning entrepreneur, TEDx speaker and founder of the Like Minded Females Network. The event included an awards ceremony and the girls each won an award: Grace C. and Anouk for Self-Development and Grace A. and Anouk for attendance.

They all found this programme really insightful and now feel more at home in the world of STEM as part of an inclusive and empowering environment.

Women make up only 28% of the STEM workforce, and this programme is an opportunity to challenge the stereotypes and barriers that women face in school lessons, degrees and the workplace.

Charlie Barton

Ivor Branigan

Arcus Chim

Adam Estcourt

William Greig

Hannah King

Felix Leung

Jago Neech

Jamie Phillips Olly Cory

Best in Year 9

Jiwoo Yang

Best in Year 10

Emily Hersch

Best in Year 11

Emily was also within the top 500 of all Year 11 entries nationally so was invited to participate in the Maclaurin Mathematics Olympiad where she received a Certificate of Merit.

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JUNIOR MATHS CHALLENGE GOLD AWARD Benjamin White Best in Year 7 Mathijs in Der Rieden Best in School Spike Salkeld Ernie Padfield Oscar McGurdy Ethan Hay Wing Wong Lexi Nwabueze Eddie Barbato Ethan Yui Long Wong

HACK:JAM In April, nearly 50 Year 7 to 9 students took part in Kingswood’s third hack:jam.

Students were set the challenge of coming up with a solution to design a concept to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The judges were impressed with the creativity that was demonstrated throughout the event and how students applied their computational thinking skills to develop a range of solutions.

BRITISH MATHEMATICS OLYMPIAD Seven of our best mathematicians were entered in the British Mathematics Olympiad, following their impressive performances in the Senior Maths Challenge. The Olympiad consists of six gruelling questions that require extended solutions and rigorous explanations, justifying why a candidate comes to the solution, and why it is the only or best solution.

CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION Perry Chiu Matt Miyamoto Ricky Wong CERTIFICATE OF MERIT Shinnosuke Yoshiki Haru Ishizaka CERTIFICATE OF DISTINCTION (Top 500 students in the country) Manaka Koreyasu Naoyoshi Ueda

ADVANCED MATHEMATICS VISUALISING INEQUALITY COMPETITION Ksenia Morozova and Oyin Obe (Year 10) won the National Advanced Mathematics Visualising Inequality Competition.

Their task was to take a nondescript pie chart representing the distribution of wealth in the UK and turn it into an emotive piece of art. Ksenia and Oyin wrote the following to accompany their entry: Each person is a representation of a quintile in society, the poorest on the left and the richest on the right. Above the people

is a shelf, and each section contains a 'stereotypical' use of disposable income for each quintile. The task of retrieving the object becomes harder the further right the person is. Each person, except the poorest one, has some sort of item that helps them reach the item on top.

The judges commented ‘This is a very detailed and thoughtful submission! I noticed even more

clever details after reading the write-up.’

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MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES MFL VISITING SPEAKERS In March, Year 10 MFL pupils enjoyed a talk given by Florence Broderick (Chief Marketing Officer at CARTO).

F EAL: INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VOICE In November, Janice Cheng, Maria Rozhkova and Alena Yu attended the annual interschool speaking competition - “International Student Voice”. Competitors gave speeches on a topic of their choice in front of an audience of fellow students and teaching staff. All three gave very engaging speeches, and Janice Cheng finished as runner-up of the competition, speaking about the history and ethics of ‘utilitarianism’ using visual aids to educate and inform her audience.

LINGUISTICS OLYMPIAD In February, twelve pupils in Years 11-13 took on the Linguistics Olympiad, involving over two hours of problem-solving and de-coding languages from all over the world. As well as being exceptionally challenging, the Olympiad also gives us an insight to the fascinating world of languages.

Particular congratulations to the following pupils who received awards: BRONZE AWARD Grace Asplin Oscar Power SILVER AWARD Aoife Targett

lorence was born and raised in Somerset and went on to study Spanish and French at Southampton University.

She has worked all over the world and during her talk she urged pupils to embrace language learning as a door opener to other cultures and ways of working.

Pupils were also given a talk by three language graduates from Bath University. They were given an insight into what studying languages beyond school could be like and where it could take them in the future. What was particularly insightful was the diversity of potential careers one might have having studied a language or more beyond school.

KS5 FRENCH DEBATING CLUB Well done to the following students for their enthusiasm, good humour and contributions in our successful French A Level Debating Club.

Florence Burton Romy Sloane Amelie Girdher

Emily Watkins Alex Kellagher Polina Akimova

Fade Alayande Jago Neech

Topics were varied and largely influenced by students’ personal interest.

This year, they debated on the following topics: • Les réseaux sociaux influencent-ils les jeunes à pratiquer de la chirurgie esthétique?

• Notre personnalité est-elle innée ou influencée par notre environnement?

Nature vs nurture • Pour ou Contre le mariage homosexuel et l’adoption?

• «la Cancel Culture/Culture de l’effacement»

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MANDARIN Year 10 Mandarin students each researched one of the major cities in China and gave fabulous presentations, exploring the different cities, cultures and interesting facts.

The presentations were very enjoyable and educational! They finished the presentation week by having a taste of different types of Chinese Bubble Tea!

FROM THE GERMAN DEPARTMENT This year, as schools returned to normal, German classes were able to revisit and experience some of the activities that we had looked forward to so much, and that have been missed greatly over the past few years.

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ur pupils in Year 8 were treated to a German breakfast whilst studying the topic of food and daily routine in lessons and were able to sample an authentic breakfast picnic while using their language skills to describe their experience in German. We were also fortunate enough to have been put in contact with some pen friends in a German school in Münster, and some pupils have made connections with pen pals. We very much hope that we can stay in touch with them in the next academic year, and we plan to have a joint lesson online when we are back after the summer break.

Mandarin students learnt about the traditions and customs of the Chinese New Year including the legend of the zodiac animals.

They engaged in different Chinese art forms such as calligraphy and paper cutting, and all enjoyed the special cultural experience as they celebrated the Chinese New Year!

POETRY TRANSLATING Students in Year 7 to 13 took part in translating poetry, and literary non-fiction. Year 7 translated La Lune by Maurice Carême and looked at Apollinaire’s calligrams; Year 9 had a go at translating Liberté by Paul Eluard; Year 10 and 11 looked at street poetry and translated a poem about Black Lives Matter; whilst Year 12 and 13 rendered some excellent translations of the first stanza of L’Albatros,

by Charles Baudelaire.

We had a visitor from Bristol University who works for the world-famous Goethe Institut, who gave a talk to all Year 10 German pupils about her pathway into languages. Iris, a current student of German and Spanish who works as a volunteer for the ‘Goethe Young Ambassadors’, delivered a very insightful talk on the benefits of learning German at GCSE and A Level, and further beyond.

On a misty Thursday morning in early May, Year 10 and 12 Germanists made the journey from Kingswood to London Southbank at almost the break of dawn. After a weary start, we were treated to a guided tour of many of the most iconic sights in London, before arriving at the very impressive British Film Institute for a day of workshops focussing on German culture and identity through the medium of short films. The workshop started with an introduction from a German lecturer from Goldsmith’s University who led an engaging range of activities based on the five films discussed. We were shown a short, animated film on a Hungarian girl’s experience of German New Year traditions, a moral tale of a big businessman and a homeless man, a look at the future of technology seen through the eyes of a group of young film makers, and finally another animated film looking at the future of the world from the perspective of two stone age characters made of rocks. It was very impressive to see such engagement and discussion taking place in German amongst Kingswood pupils, with a range of complex ideas on film analysis being discussed. Some exam style questions were also tackled with ease, and it was good to hear lots of excellent German being spoken. In the afternoon, we were shown a screening of ‘Berlin 39’; a very moving tale of two young women’s experiences of training for the Berlin Olympics in 1939, under Nazi rule. This was a fascinating story to watch unfold, and the cinema screen often broke into rapturous applause as the story developed.

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SPANISH A LEVEL TAPAS TRIP OXFORD UNIVERSITY ANTHEA BELL PRIZE FOR YOUNG TRANSLATORS

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tudents studying French took part in the Oxford University Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators 2022, joining over 3,200 submissions from more than 260 schools across the country. Emily Watkins (Year 12) was awarded a Level 4 commendation for her translation of an extract from the novel L’Art de perdre by Alice Zeniter. The novel tells the story of a family who moved to France following the Algerian War of Independence.

A Level Spanish pupils enjoyed a tapas evening in Bath. It was great to see the pupils enjoying some authentic food and even get served by a Spanish waiter!

CLASSICS, ENGLISH & LIBRARY NEWS CLASSICS TRIP TO THE ROMAN BATHS In the Autumn term, Year 11 and Year 10 Latin students visited the Roman Baths. Whilst on route, they learnt about the history of Kingswood and analysed the finer points of our world-famous Georgian architecture.

YOUNG AMONGST OLD

ENGLISH TRIP TO JANE AUSTEN CENTRE Year 12 English students enjoyed a visit to the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, where they listened to some wonderful talks from actors embodying characters from Austen’s novels and explored artefacts from the time.

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ressing up in regency costume was a highlight of the trip, as was finding out that cup and ball was one of Austen’s favourite games as they aimed to beat her score of 100 in a row!

After a break for coffee and book-buying in Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, a visit to Persephone Books followed where students received a talk from the founder Nicola Beauman. She was a fierce and inspirational speaker who made them examine the value of the literary canon.

Minerva purses her lips, as a gaggle of visitors explore the Baths around her. This statue was one of the early indicators to those excavating the site in 1727 that Bath was not just a typical Roman settlement.

Statues like this are rare finds, and only two other fragments have been discovered in Britain.

Oliver Hewitt (Year 10)

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SPELLING BEE Lily Foster, Lexi Nwabueze and Elfriede Wong took part in a Bath Schools’ Spelling Bee at Hayesfield School.

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ily and Elfriede did very well and Lexi just missed out on first place having got through to a ‘sudden death’ final round. He tripped up on the word ‘diarrhoea’ – which is acknowledged to be one of the hardest words to spell in our language!

WORLD BOOK DAY 2022 YEAR 7 BOOKMARK COMPETITION The library ran a Dewey Decimal bookmark design competition in the Autumn term.

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he results were really impressive, with lots of brilliant entries, but particular congratulations go to the following winners:

Sophie Laugharne Sunday Johnston Sofie in Der Rieden Hugo Astin Annika Gurung Emmy Toft Tom O’Driscoll

Will Butterworth Tanwen Jefferson Freddie Hockey Reuben Crow Noah Stacey George Allibone

On Thursday 2 March we celebrated World Book Day!

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e were delighted to host Year 6 from KPS for a range of activities including redesigning book covers, matching keywords to books and even a treasure hunt! We also hosted a literary quiz for all our KWS bibliophiles in the afternoon where the teams put their book knowledge to the test with some very tricky questions. The victors went home with their very own trophies and some book-themed prizes.

WESTWOOD CENTURION READING CHALLENGE Over the Spring term, pupils in Years 7 and 8 read over 200 books as part of the Westwood Centurion Reading Challenge.

There were 6 titles to choose from and prizes for reading 2, 3 and 6 books. 93 prizes were given out in total with 10 pupils receiving their pin badges for reading all 6 books.

HUMANITIES PHILOSOTHON In March, Kingswood’s team of 10 students participated in the country’s first Philosothon UK National Final, held at Stowe School.

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opics for discussion included: Fast Fashion; Freedom of Speech; Vaccination Conundrums; and Is eating Steak a free choice? Animal Imperialism and Veganism.

Continuing in the spirit of mutual respect and friendliness, critical thinking; questioning; and reflection was aplenty.

As expected, the level of discussion and reasoning across the competitors was high, with Kingswood participating fully and impressing across all four discussions.

Rubysha Malla, Ivor Branigan, George Cardwell, Orla Reddin, Clemmie Coxen, Freddie Williamson, Lily Saunders, Rory McLeod, James Eayres and Niamh Weldon once again flew the Kingswood flag and engendered praise and admiration from judges and onlookers. The competition concluded with an awards ceremony, which saw another strong, collective performance

from Kingswood. The team were awarded 2nd place overall, marginally behind the eventual winners, South Hampstead High School. In the process, Kingswood were able to fend off strong competition from schools including Brighton College, Bristol Grammar School, King’s College Taunton and New Hall School. To finish second in the country is a wonderful achievement!

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GEOGRAPHY TRIP TO GLASGOW In October, Sixth Form Geography students visited Glasgow to support and enhance their understanding of the A Level course.

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hey visited the Field Studies Centre in Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae before spending four days exploring a range of geographical themes in the area.

The students then visited Glasgow where they were able to explore topics including inequality and the impacts of rebranding. A highlight of this day was gathering primary data from local people which gave students a rich and valuable insight into these topics.

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EXAM RESULTS A LEVEL RESULTS In August, our students celebrated outstanding A Level results, with 67% of all grades at A* or A, 88% at A*- B and a 100% pass rate.

...showed characteristic ambition and resilience to achieve such excellent results...

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n a remarkable achievement, this fine cohort has achieved Kingswood’s best ever outcome, considerably ahead even of the results achieved in 2020 and 2021.

We are very proud of our students who have showed characteristic ambition and resilience to achieve such excellent results, despite the disruption they have experienced over the last few years.

Amongst the many high achievers, particularly commendable results were awarded to Hiroki and Alfred with 5 A* grades, and a further thirteen students who achieved 3 or 4 A* grades. We are equally delighted for our BTEC Sport cohort who all achieved Distinction and Distinction* grades in this qualification.

With 88% of all grades at A*-B, across a wide breadth of subjects including the arts and humanities, our students who applied have overwhelmingly gained acceptance at a university of their choice, despite increased competition this year, as well as access to competitive apprenticeships.

They now finish their Kingswood education well-equipped with both excellent qualifications and, more importantly, with the skills and personal qualities that enable them to be a powerful force for good in the world.

"I am immensely proud of all that these students have achieved and full of admiration for our dedicated teachers under whose guidance they were so well prepared. I look forward to hearing more about their journeys as they move onto the next stage of their lives; I am confident they will achieve great things and will continue to make a difference to the lives of those they meet. As a cohort, they have been wonderful role models across all areas of school life, and living proof that at Kingswood pupils learn as much outside the classroom as they do within it. I am grateful for all their acts of service and the way they have enriched our community over the recent years.”

Andrew Gordon-Brown (Headmaster)

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GCSE RESULTS Students celebrated very strong GCSE/IGCSE results this year.

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ith 56% of all results awarded at grades 9 and 8, and 76% at grades 9-7, students achieved very highly across both GCSE and IGCSE examinations.

The picture is an excellent one across the breadth of the curriculum with the Sciences, Humanities and Creative Arts all enjoying stellar results.

Amongst many excellent individual performances, we saw seven pupils securing a full set of grade 9s.

In addition, 25 students (nearly a quarter of the year group) achieved straight 8s and 9s, while pupils across the year group can be very proud of their results, which is a testament to their hard work and the support of our staff.

“Our Year 11 pupils have achieved a most excellent set of results. It is no mean feat that the cohort outcome is in line with last year’s best ever

results and I could not be prouder of their efforts. I take my hat off to Leyla A, Aoife T, Adam E, Emily H, Hannah K, Isobel M and Jamie P for their exceptional achievement of ten GCSEs at grade 9 and I am immensely proud of all our Year 11, who are now well placed for further success in the Sixth Form. For this multi-talented year group, these qualifications are a further accolade adding to the success they have enjoyed in sport, drama, music and outdoor pursuits. This is a wonderful example of great teaching and great pastoral care working together to enable our young people to be the best versions of themselves in all things, including examinations. I so look forward to watching this cohort develop as leaders and role models in the Sixth Form.”

Andrew Gordon-Brown (Headmaster)

I am immensely proud of all our Year 11, who are now well placed for further success in the Sixth Form.

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PRIZE GIVING & FINAL ASSEMBLY 2022 The annual Prize Giving and Final Assembly ceremonies always serve to mark a set of crossroads in the rich history of Kingswood School.

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hese are ceremonies where we look both forwards and backwards, celebrating all that our Year 13 Leavers have achieved throughout their Kingswood career, whilst also acknowledging the many talented young people following in their footsteps from the years below.

July 2022 stands out in the memory as being a crossroads moment of particular merit: it was the first time we had held the full ceremony since the beginning of the Covid Pandemic; it was the first time in a few years that we had been able to gather the whole school together in a single venue; it was the last time that a number of long-serving colleagues would attend the events, not least the Hollywells and the Opies, who shared some thoughts and feelings about their Kingswood journeys with the students.

In a break from tradition, the Upper Fields played host this year, providing a generous and picturesque setting via a large marquee surrounded by the beautiful Lansdown countryside.

Uncharacteristically for the Upper, we were blessed indeed with the weather – perhaps even a little too hot for those sat under the transparent plastic skylights – and it was

something truly edifying to look out on our fully assembled community: a group of people pulled this way and that through years of Covid restrictions yet held together by a set of shared values and traditions.

We all need moments such as these to remind us just how special it is to be part of the Kingswood community.

The Prize Giving ceremony celebrated the usual eclectic mix of achievements that take place during a typical Kingswood school year.

Academic departments awarded their prizes for Attainment, Effort and Highly Commended as they usually would, yet the incredibly high level of these young people’s achievements felt even more remarkable this year considering what they had navigated to meet such demanding academic standards. The students given attainment awards this year have reached notably high levels of performance, but it is easy to forget that, for several years, their progress has been hampered by circumstance.

In many ways therefore, every award was about character - a recognition of the stoicism and commitment that each young person has shown to continue their pursuit of outstanding educational achievement even when

the world around them spins at a dizzying rate.

As is tradition, both events were deeply enriched by performances from some of our senior musicians and artists. Colby Chu gave a characteristically virtuoso rendition of ‘Beethoven’s Romance in F’, the music seeming to suffuse the hushed silence of the marquee air with an additional poignancy as it dawned on us that it might be the last time we would hear him play without having to purchase a concert ticket beforehand. His performance was spellbinding, and a fitting parting gift from such a wonderful talent.

Another talented individual, Tom Button, shared his technical expertise with us via a truly remarkable video project, which combined his own video footage with virtual reality imagery; a knowledgeable parent commented that Tom’s final product was of a professional standard.

Indeed, the juxtaposition of classical music and virtual reality animation served to emphasise the primacy of both the traditional and progressive arts at Kingswood.

Our ‘special prize’ categories help to encapsulate the Kingswood vision of what excellence looks like

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when we think about great education. The special prizes range widely, including prizes for: Exceptional Sports Achievement (Patience Rhodes), Drama and Theatre (Ted Nightingale and Tom Button), Science (Haru Ishizaka), Fine Art (Eloise Weinberger), Charity and Service (Bea Meadowcroft), ‘Unsung Hero’ (Grace and Emily Ardus), Community Spirit (Larissa Man) and Leadership (Niamh Weldon), amongst others. The eclecticism of the awards speak to the breadth of vision for education that we hold so dearly at Kingswood. Although in many ways our world is much changed and more complex than that of Wesley, his vision for a Kingswood education, subsequently shaped by those who have followed in his footsteps, is still urgently relevant today – indeed, the real ‘prizes’ we celebrate are the young adults we send out into the world with the commission to be people of virtue and character, change-makers, who might just help save us all.

PRIZES FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCHOOL The Heart of Westwood Award

Emily Ballantyne & Ethan Y Wong

The Charlotte Hecquet Butterfly Award for Fine Art

Eloise Weinberger

The Duchars Award for Art

Tom Button

The John Allison Memorial Award for DT

Eloise Weinberger

The Sullivan Award for Drama

Ted Nightingale

The “Golden Mask” Award

Tom Button

The Jean Pratten Award for Music

Colby Chu

The Dikran A. Knadjian Award for Medicine

Larissa Man

The President’s Prize for Contribution to Science

Haru Ishizaka

Of course, both events were also opportunities to say farewell to long-standing members of staff, who collectively have shaped and enriched the lives of countless young people over the years. Mr Thatcher, Mr Burton, Mr and Mrs Hollywell and Mr and Mrs Opie were all rightly honoured for their longstanding commitment to the mission of education at Kingswood. The ceremony was filled with the kind of feeling one would expect at the parting of friends: a deep sadness encircled with joy and thankfulness.

The emotional tenor of the moment confirmed in us what we believe to be true about Kingswood, that those who give more than they take find themselves irrevocably bound to a powerful community and ethos, their lives deeply enriched in the exchange.

The E.P. Thompson Award for History

Rex Evans

The Model United Nations Award

Rose Bates & Elli Duke

The Grove Award for Sport

Emily Ardus & Grace Ardus

The Sandy Burgon Award for Sporting Commitment out of School

Patience Rhodes

The Jo Heap Award for Contribution to Sport

Rex Evans & Madi Sayce

The Warmann Shield for Team Sport

Boys 1st XI Hockey

The Juba Award

Marnie Lister

The Richard Neal Memorial Award

Emily Ardus & Grace Ardus

I emerged from the marquee into the squinting sunshine emotionally exhausted, uplifted, thankful, humbled, and excited about the future of our school – I wondered what the next set of crossroads would bring in a year’s time, and what challenges we might have overcome together in the journeying to get there.

The Friends of Kingswood Award for Community Spirit

Larissa Man

The Gary Best Travel Scholarship

Emily Ardus

The Rebecca Bleathman Travel Scholarship Award

Emily Watkins & Florence Burton

It was absolutely fitting that the final prize of the ceremonies was a newly-commissioned one: the Opie prize. Gordon and Jenny had given much thought to both the nature of the prize and its intended recipients for this year. Characteristically, their prize sought to highlight and celebrate perhaps the greatest virtue a Kingswoodian should embody: kindness. It was a prize that the Opies could offer with absolute integrity, having modelled this virtue so consistently throughout their time together at Kingswood. The inaugural ‘Opie Prize for Kindness’ was awarded to Rex Evans and Thea Bailey, two outstandingly selfless young people who, we are sure, will continue to live Wesley’s values as they continue their lives beyond Kingswood.

The Burns Family Leadership Award

Niamh Weldon

I cannot think of a better road to travel.

The Chaplain’s Award for Charity

Bea Meadowcroft

Mr John Davies

The Opie Kindness Award

Rex Evans & Thea Bailey

(Deputy Head Academic)

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CAREERS 115 Year 12 students take part in a plethora of work experience in a wide range of sectors from local to national employers.

This annual programme allows our Sixth Formers to learn about specific industries and job roles. Opportunities like these provide our students with a hands on approach and independence to form their own choices about their future.

Thank you to all the employers who supported our students.

Oli learnt about Dispute Resolution, Personal Injury & Clinical Negligence at Forrester Sylvester Mackett Solicitors. Oli worked under the wing of Partner & Litigation Solicitor, Jeff Williams in Trowbridge and plans to go to Exeter University after Kingswood.

‘It’s been an eye-opening and engaging experience. I am looking forward to learning more about the law.’ - Oli

Grace, an A Level computer science student, spent time with a software engineer at EZ Education, an Ed Tech company based in Central Bath who created Doodle Maths.

Grace enjoyed working on the company's website and creating new content.

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ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT

Claire Danson

Sir Alan Yarrow

Alun Cairns

...inspire students to follow their subject above and beyond the confines of the curriculum.

Cameron Parker

We have had another bumper year of speakers for our enrichment programme, which has been a hybrid of live and remote speakers.

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ith the inception of platforms such as MS Teams, the future is exciting for the speaker programme as they are able talk to us from anywhere in the world!

and then spent an evening being questioned by Mr Woodgate for a hybrid live and remote audience.

It was such a pleasure to welcome Mr Cairns to Kingswood for the first time and enjoy his expertise.

Sir Alan Yarrow, former Lord Mayor of the City of London, was first on the programme for this year.

He talked about ‘Big Finance’ and what we all needed to know about how the economy worked. He then enjoyed a lively Q and A as students, parents and teachers all wished to know more.

Claire Danson, sister of Olympic Hockey Champion Alex Danson, told her personal story of how she was paralysed by a freak accident and then bounced back quite extraordinarily. Claire was run over by a tractor when out for a cycle ride and almost lost her life, but has managed to reset her goals and ambitions and achieve great things.

Recently, Claire completed a 255km triathlon, which highlights what real resilience and grit are, and our audience learnt a great deal about how to set goals and how to reflect on those goals.

Alun Cairns MP, former Secretary of State for Wales, did a triad of activities for our community. He did a Q and A with the A Level Politics students, had supper with younger students with a passion for Politics,

Cameron Parker is a motivational speaker who really engaged with his audience. Again, he spoke brilliantly about what it is to be resilient, how to set targets and that people should not be afraid of working hard! We were fortunate to also welcome Cameron to talk to our Year 12 students during General Studies as he helped them reflect on their goals for the future and how they could realistically achieve them.

Aside from the Wesley Society talks, many enrichment talks have been held on a departmental level. These are all crucial adjuncts to our guest speaker programme and inspire students to follow their subject above and beyond the confines of the curriculum.

Mr Ed Allchorne

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FONTHILL HOUSE Our year started in the Summer holiday, as ‘Fonthill and Friends’ (Jas, Thea, Precious, and two from other houses) took on a 5km Pretty Muddy for Cancer Research. With Head of House, Grace (who completed her run whilst abroad), we raised over £1000.

Grace

Olivia

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nspired by the house motto, ‘Be the Change’, charity initiatives were always at the forefront this year. Candy Canes and Fonthill Elves were back by popular demand, bringing the usual Christmas fun, and we also ran Ice Cream Week in the Summer. In total, we raised £2557, making donations to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, The Restart Centre in Kenya (continuing to support the education of Ken Kobe), charities in Malawi and also the Bath Foodbank. An amazing achievement from just one house.

Term started with the House Performance, held on the Astro!

With ‘brothers’ from Hall, and the Upper Sixth leading, the Year 9s enthusiastically learned a dance routine for ‘It’s Raining Men’, putting in an energetic performance, despite

not winning. Head & Deputy Head of House, Grace and Liv led from the front, putting in their all, as they would all year.

Lari organised the Ningwa ensemble piece superbly, including members of all year groups - not just the best musicians - and we came a very close second. Music remained a real house strength overall. Senior Musicians and Scholars, Lari, Izzy V and Emily W were involved in almost every Music concert, with Lari ‘instrumental’ (!) in organising the Sixth Form Showcase. At KATS, Lari won the Muso’s Muso Award, and Izzy won Outstanding Contribution to Music. Both gave very powerful vocal performances in the Summer Concert – a fitting end to their school musical careers. In other year groups, Clemmie ED stood out in Night at the Musicals, and Snow and Alyssa (the former achieving Grade 8 during the year) wowed us with their piano pieces. Alyssa’s duet with Gordon was performed in the Chapel Centenary Service – a beautiful piece that helped mark a very special occasion in Kingswood’s history.

Members of Fonthill also shone on stage this year. In February, we watched the Senior Production of Antigone, with Lower Sixth Phia performing powerfully and gaining a KATS nomination for Best Individual Performance. In the Summer term, the Year 9s and 10s put on DNA, with many members of Fonthill involved. School newcomer, May proved her Drama Scholar credentials, along with Clemmie ED, Daisy W and Oyin. Year 9 Matilda also showed great versatility, taking on an extra role at last minute.

In GCSE Drama we saw the skills of the Year 11s both on stage and off, with memorable costume and make-up designs by Maisie and Scarlett, and Monica nominated for Best Scripted Piece performance.

In the sporting calendar, the Year 9s were victorious in House Hockey, with A team players Iona, Ella, Clemmie ED and Soph playing strongly. Despite not winning their Hockey, the Senior team’s definite highlight was a goal scored by Jess B against a Summerhill side including nearly the entire School 1st XI (!). Not to be outdone, the Year 10s edged a close win in their Netball, led by Oyin and Daisy N and

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supported by the enthusiasm and energy of Chloe, Kristy and Crystal.

All these also willingly participated in other house competitions such as Swimming and Cross Country, and by the end of the year most had been awarded their House Colours, along with Rosie who showed perhaps the greatest house spirit of anybody, volunteering at the very last minute to run in the Cross Country Relays which we later won due to the fact that other houses entered pupils in the wrong year groups. Other notable house sport performances came from Lauren B in Swimming (competing in, and winning more races than anyone), Masha’s powerful serve and ground strokes in Tennis, and also Sports Day when Iona and Oyin broke records, and the Inter and Senior 4x 100m Relay teams both won – the latter made up entirely of Upper Sixth Athletes (Zoe, Lari, Maya and Liv) in their last ever competitive event at Kingswood.

Throughout the year, Fonthill members were prominent in many other events. In the BISMUN Conference, Molly and Ningwa chaired committees, and Rubysha and Clemmie C were in a Philosothon team who competed at national level. Bert and Florence helped a group of Lower Sixth Scientists to another national win – in the Big Bang Science Competition – and Molly’s essay on Sudanese refugees achieved second place in the HART (Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust) competition. Year 9 Abi received her Gold Chief Scout Award, and Rubysha won a golf tournament.

Many helped with school charity events such as the Year 10 and 11 Ball and the Malawi Jumble Sale (especially Dipti and Noelina), and we were well-represented in the Ten Tors teams (Tilly and Evie tackling the 35mile course, and Tobina the 45 mile). All this proves the breadth of Fonthill’s talent and interests, living up to our other motto: to be Principled and Passionate in all that you do.

In the boarding house, it was an easier year for the overseas students and their travel (to Karina’s relief!), and so much better that year groups could socialise without ‘bursting’

Head of House: Grace Ardus Deputy Head of House: Olivia Taylor Head of Boarding: Ningwa Chemjong

bubbles. Head of Boarding, Ningwa proved good at creating a strong sense of family, and we had the usual fun with large spiders, strange bathroom incidents, cheese boards and bacon sandwiches, film nights and our (now customary!) win in the Bake Off. In house staff news, Fonthill ‘lost’ Miss Morris who returned as Mrs Meredith following her wedding, and also gained a new baby, when Miss Bowman’s Raffy arrived at the end of the year. We also said goodbye and good luck to Mrs Lopez as she left to become Senior Houseparent of Summerhill.

Finally it was the end of the year, with house awards and goodbyes to our leavers. Ningwa was the

Senior Prefects: Thea Bailey Jasmine Harvey Larissa Man Aunam Shah Olivia Taylor Izzy Vaughan

Spirit of Fonthill, Grace quite rightly won the Sergeant Leadership Award for being an outstanding Head of House, and Noelina was a deserving recipient of The Wright Way. We all giggled at the Upper Sixth’s baby and first day at school photos before Liv and Grace’s emotional, tearful and heartfelt goodbye speeches.

These two led the house superbly this year, and they have left big shoes for Tobina and Alberta to fill next year. We will really miss all the Upper Sixth – they were a year group with great positive spirit, enthusiasm, energy and humour, and throughout their time gave a huge amount to the house. 2022-23 will not be the same without them.

Mrs Juliette Mainwaring (Senior Houseparent)

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | HOUSES

HALL HOUSE As ever, there has been much for Hall House to celebrate this year. A return to something approaching normality enabled us to recommence House Entertainments with Fonthill and all House competitions starting with House Music on the first weekend back. you will read more about them and the fantastic contribution they have made to Kingswood elsewhere in this magazine.

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ob and Ted have led the House superbly and I am indebted to them both for the fantastic role models they have been. The boarding house has been looked after and kept in order by our team of Housekeepers: Denise, Grace and Rubens, with support from Bex. Both Denise and Grace have been with me throughout my time in charge of Hall and they have been quite phenomenal at ensuring the boarders have immaculate rooms and living areas. Sadly, Grace leaves this year and we wish her every success on the next part of her journey. Hall boys know our tutors are the best and Messrs Chua, Moat, Reeman, Smith, Edgell, Davies and Peerless were all thanked at the end of the year for the superb way they have guided our boys through the last year. We say goodbye to Mr Shah, Mr Burton and Mr Snell and

After ten years looking after Hall House it is also time for me to say farewell. I spoke to the boys collected together one last time in Hall on Wednesday 6 July and said the following words: Ten years ago I became Senior Houseparent for Hall House. I was 43 years old and my kids were 4, 6 and 9 and Mrs Harding was….ten years younger.

At the time, I was Head of Drama, Activities Co-Ordinator and Assistant Houseparent in Westwood living on the top floor of the house with my family. The interview was conducted

by Mr Morris and Mr Opie and I was very fortunate that I was selected to run Hall. At that point, Hall was based where Summerhill now have their home in Main School above the Headmaster’s office and Dining Hall.

A lot, an awful lot, has happened in that time: house move into a brand new building, winning House music, being robbed in House music on

numerous occasions, ice skating, Jimmy’s World Grill, Dodgeball, inflatable games on the Dixon Lawn, tug of war, Bath Half Marathons, Valentine’s Dinners, sporting success, sporting failures, academic success, academic failures, snow days, fans in bedrooms to cool them down, walking through the car park and not using the zebra crossing, Covid-19, quarantine, isolation, house kit, tutors coming and going, babies arriving, marriages, retirements, pool, monopoly, chess, cards, darts, being woken up with water pistols, being woken up with stink bombs(!), practice fire alarms, real fire alarms, Frankie and Liam, Nhyiraba making a huge dent in the wall (still not sure how!), noodles, mango chicken wraps on a Saturday, takeaways on Friday, Dominos (not the game), barbecues, PlayStation, FIFA 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, football on the lower astro, football world cups, Euro 2020, deer, foxes, squirrels, mugs, cufflinks, tears of sadness, tears of laughter, #hallhouseheroes I have always believed we are the sum of our parts. Everyone who is in Hall represents Hall and, as a consequence, when one of us achieves, we should all feel pride.

HOUSES | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

I know I certainly do. We have had international sportsmen, outstanding musicians and performers, outrageously clever academic students who have gained amazing results in examinations and inspirational teachers and tutors who have guided our boys through Kingswood via Hall.

BUT, I am most proud of us when a member of staff tells me about a selfless act – “I saw one of your boys offer to help one of the Support staff carry some books across to the Ferens the other day”; “The boys in your house are reliable, I know they will be in chapel or assembly on time and looking the smartest” or one of the best things I ever heard (and it was from Mr Opie!), “It was a testimony to him and your boys that they came in during the school holidays to help out at the memorial service even though they didn’t even know the person and was even considerate enough to wear their school uniform as a mark of respect”.

Being kind is at the core of being at Kingswood and I would add to that – respect one another and respect yourself.

I am going to miss being Hall’s Senior Houseparent but I know you are in very good hands with Mr Brown taking over and the majority of tutors staying. Please always remember, be kind, be respectful and always be #hallhouseheroes.

Farewell to all of our leavers and the very best of luck in where your journey takes you next.

Mr Darrell Harding

HALL HOUSE PREFECTS

(Senior Houseparent)

Head of House: Robert Wilson Deputy Head of House and Head of Boarding: Ted Nightingale Senior Prefects: Thomas Button Jacob Fadipe Rory Ferguson Derek Ho Freddie Robinson Alex Sedcole Aaron Wright

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SUMMERHILL HOUSE We kick started off the year with winning the House Music and ensemble.

The great enthusiasm shown from the House prefects, expertly led by Rose and Rex, made this event a real highlight of the year. and Drama, and it was a delight to also see the talent of so many at the Art and DT summer exhibition.

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ur winning streak continued with being victorious in the House Cross Country, Senior House Debating competition and the Senior and Year 10 House Hockey competitions. The new year also saw the first editions of the ‘Summerhill Sum Up’, set up by Zara, which is the termly House newsletter.

We had girls in Years 9-13 involved in Drama performances including DNA, Antigone and the Year 10 devised assessments which starred our very own Dasha, Harriet, Kim, Florencia, Cecilie, Elsa, Praeasha, Katya, Bea, Lala and so many more!

Within the Music Department there were so many things for people to get involved with. Summerhill was represented in choir, KJO, orchestra rehearsals, the Abbey Carol Service, Spring Concert, Mid-Somerset Festival, lunchtime concerts and many more. One of the highlights was the Summer Concert in which we enjoyed individual performances from Polly, Elsa, Anna, Naomi, Eloise and Niamh. We also heard KJO play which included Mary, Polly, Elsa, Poppy, Phoebe H, Charlotte, Phoebe, Poppy and Anna.

To bring these two Art forms together, we had our glamorous KATS awards.

The evening didn’t fail to match the vibrancy of the outfits. Phoebe, Dasha and Ayomikun won and presented awards, and we were treated to acting and singing performances from Summerhill pupils. It has been such a successful year for both Music

It was amazing to see the number of Summerhill girls involved in both School and House sport. In the hockey term, we had an impressive cohort of Year 11s in the 1st team.

Not only did we make up most of the team, it was captained by our own Phoebe and Ciara D, with Anisha in goal. We also had Ciara O and Mia representing the 1st Netball, Rose captaining the 1st Tennis team, and Anisha the Swimming team.

This talent was summed up in our great success at some of the House matches. Finally, the Summer term saw numerous girls step up for the House gala, with the inter girls excelling, despite having only three swimmers for a four-woman race!

We then had a great turn out for the infamous Cross-Country Relay.

Summerhill is known for its compassion and generosity and the House always shows this through the charity work we do. We made

well over 200 Christmas care packages for Genesis Trust. On top of this there have been amazing individual charity efforts: Marnie with her 5-hour Spinathon, raising money for Cancer Research; Bea completing the Mallorca312 bike ride in aid of Mind; the Big Bath Sleep Outs with both Niamh and Sophie getting involved, as well as the whole House helping with Open Arms Malawi events.

We can’t talk about the successes of this year without mentioning the tremendous work from all the tutors, duty staff, matrons and of course Mrs Matthews; she has been the beating heart of Summerhill and has embodied what Summerhill stands for, celebrating achievements large and small, and finding opportunities to help and support others whenever possible. She is going to be greatly missed in the House but we know it is in very capable hands with Mrs Lopez and her team.

Rose Bates and Niamh Weldon (Year 13)

PRIZE WINNERS • • • •

Good Egg Award: Aoife Targett & Ayomikun Thomas Perseverance Award: Bea Meadowcroft & Coco Cox Summerhill Dragon Award for Sport: Gaby Davies & Poppy Squires Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Award: Niamh Weldon

HOUSES | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

FAREWELLS AND THANK YOUS Leaving poem from Mrs Matthews to all in Summerhill, July 2022 I am glad I have been your Houseparent I’ve come to know you so, I can’t believe the end is here I’m sad to see you go I’ve watched you learn and grow And change from day to day, I hope all the things we’ve done Have helped in some small way We’ve done so much together We’ve laughed, cried and learned I feel privileged to have been part of your journey Now enjoy the summer break you’ve earned.

Remember to come and visit There will always be biscuits and a cuppa, I would love to hear your news And we can have a catch up and good old chatter.

So it’s with happy memories that I send you all out the door, With great hope and expectations For what the next few years hold in store.

Remember all the good times we’ve had In all the things we’ve done, Thank you everyone here today For making my time so fun.

Keep being Summerhill stars And helping each other out, I will always support Summerhill And in House events continue to give you a big shout.

From myself to you I wish you the best, Please always remember Courage and kindness will be your keys to success.

I wish all the leavers the best of luck in their new adventures and massive thanks goes to Rose and Niamh for all their hard work in making sure the House ran smoothly.

A big thank you to Miss Robinson who has been a tutor in Summerhill for 12 years. She is someone who has always been there for her tutees. We wish her every success in her new role in the Prep School. We say goodbye and a huge thank you to Mrs Herlinger from the tutor team, as she takes on her new role as Head of Middle School. Big thanks also goes to Miss Elliott for all her help with boarding duties over the last 7 years as Resident Assistant. We are so grateful for all her support she has given the boarders that have come under her care. And finally to Mrs Opie who, after 30 years, is leaving Kingswood. She gave so much to Summerhill over the last 12 years, and we thank her for always being so caring, kind and supportive. Mr and Mrs Opie will be massively missed and we wish them well in their retirement.

Mrs Alex Matthews (Senior Houseparent) Head of House: Rose Bates Deputy Head of House: Niamh Weldon

Senior Prefects: Ciara Dyer Anisha Gofton Phoebe Hall Marnie Lister Madi Sayce Naomi Waheed Eloise Weinberger

As Head of Boarding, I found myself in House most evenings listening to all kinds of stories which never failed to entertain!

From fajita nights, rounders, karaoke, Just Dance, BTS, boarders’ bake off, as well as many trips and our awesome Christmas dinner, this year has really emphasised what boarding in Summerhill is all about! Niamh

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MIDDLE HOUSE Although the year was busy and full, it was so nice to return to some relative normality and be able to experience all the best of what Kingswood has to offer.

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he start of the year was an opportunity to welcome the new boys to the House as well as new tutors: Mr AlliesCurtis and Mr Gordon. The latter we welcomed to the position of Assistant Houseparent and it has been so nice for the boys and my family to get to know him better.

The first significant event for us was the House Performance competition, something that Middle now has some pedigree in. It provides an opportunity for the new House leadership team to take charge along with their Summerhill counterparts.

Head of House Angus Duncan, Deputy Head of House Rex Evans and Head of Boarding Vas Alexeev all galvanised the House well and set the tone for the remainder of the year. We were also fortunate enough to have Alex Kellagher in the position of Deputy Head Boy and, as a seasoned veteran, he was certainly able to offer his guidance and expertise to our rendition of Waterloo by ABBA. The first term is also busy for sport and the House contributes a large number of rugby players to teams right through from Year 9 to 1st XV level. In the senior side we had a large number of regular representatives and Ollie Ellis and Tom Roach shared the captaincy. Middle boys also made up a significant number of the undefeated U15 and U16 rugby sides, not to mention they were both coached by Middle tutors, Mr Gordon and Mr Webb. The Christmas Concert is a big highlight

Vasily

in the end of term events and so many Middle men have now made an appearance in this through KJO and smaller music groups.

After we returned from the Christmas holidays we learned that Haru Ishizaka and Arthur Darwish had secured offers from Oxford and Cambridge Universities respectively. Competition for places at these two particular universities is exceptionally high nowadays so this represents a notable achievement.

Many of our Year 13s have also secured offers from top universities and we wish them the best of luck as they wait for their results and hopefully embark on their chosen courses. Hockey has provided Middle with two internationals with both Ollie and Toby Day getting national honours. Both boys are set to become an integral part of next year’s senior hockey side. The footballers also enjoyed success in their fixtures with a number of Middle boys representing both of

the senior sides and the 1st XI being captained by Jack Gould. The CrossCountry teams also had a significant Middle House representation across the teams. Seb Crow and Tom Meier deserve particular mention for their impressive performances in the Bristol Half Marathon, as does Charlie Haines for finishing in the top 40 at the English Schools Cross-Country Championships.

Elsewhere, Callum Voisin impressed in his season in the British F3 championships and he has enjoyed working with his team Carlin this season, whilst William Paice managed to get in the top 8 at the National Fencing Championships in the Epee.

In the Summer term, Cricket, Swimming, Athletics and Tennis all provided sporting distractions for the boys, whilst KATS and the Summer Showcase celebrated those of the boys who have artistic talents.

Particular Cricket highlights were Toby Eayres who notched up two centuries throughout the season, as well as brother James captaining the 1st XI. Noah Davies also continued to impress for both school and

HOUSES | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

Head of House: Angus Duncan Deputy Head of House: Rex Evans Head of Boarding: Vasily Alexeev

Senior Prefects: Freddie Baker Colby Chu Will Farmer Theo Gooding Alex Kellagher Max Waring Jack Wheaton

...experience all the best of what Kingswood has to offer.

Somerset. Bruin Ward co-led the boys’ Athletics team and managed to mastermind an excellent Sports Day performance from the House.

However, we were without star athlete Charlie Haines who was representing Avon in the final week of term. He gained an excellent third in the final of the Junior boys’ 800m at the English Schools Athletics Championship. Away from sport, my personal musical highlight was seeing Alex Kellagher and Colby Chu perform Me and My Shadow at both the Summer Showcase and the Final Assembly.

The Summer term also saw Middle House turn its attention to raise

money for the House charities: Help for Heroes, the Jemima Layzell Trust and Paul’s Place. Freddie Stockton did a great job ‘drumming’ up interest and raising nearly £1000 by having his ‘Lockdown locks’ removed. Earlier in the term, it was the Middle House Boot Sale and 1000 mile challenge that raised a similar sum whilst providing some great entertainment and pizza.

The end of the year culminated in other House events, including the waterslide for House Entertainment.

It was also great to be back in the Middle House garden for our Final House Assembly of the year. As well as giving out various awards,

we also gave thanks to the brilliant tutor team and the matrons: Timi, Mel and Monika. We also said farewell to our Year 13s and some of the Year 11s. Sadly, we also said farewell to Mr Mansfield, Mr Brown (DT) and Mr Brown (PE). Mr Mansfield takes up a position in a new school closer to home, whilst Messrs Brown (DT) and Brown (PE) become Houseparents of Hall and Upper respectively. We wish them all the best of luck, thank them for all they have done for the House and hope they take a little piece of Middle with them into those new roles.

Mr Steven Smyth (Senior Houseparent)

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SCHOOL HOUSE A near normal year – hurrah! The Autumn term started with nervous anticipation from the powers that be, waiting to see what Covid would bring next.

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hankfully school life returned to the ‘old ways’ with mock exams for the Year 11s and 13s coming very soon after half term and into the Spring term, and the real things looming large at the end of the year!

My final year in School House was a wonderful celebration of what School House stands for. We have enjoyed numerous successes in the InterHouse competitions, winning Senior Sports Day, House Netball and House Cross Country. But this has been mainly down to those School House stars who step in to fill in the gaps, to swim the one length of butterfly, don the goalkeeping kit for the first time ever (!), run the 100m or throw a shot put. This is what makes School House so special and something I do hope continues to flourish.

As well as our achievements on the sports field, we have seen many School House girls strut their stuff on the boards with some fantastic performances in Antigone and in the A Level and GCSE performances, as well as some fabulous musical numbers throughout the year.

We have had representatives in the Empowering Women in STEM Talent Programme and in the Big Bang competition – all successful in the way they have participated, competed and shared their knowledge and experiences. School House girls have supported and participated in the Pride Club and in the Neurodiversity and Equality clubs, showing wonderful inclusivity and understanding for all.

We managed to fund raise over £1,000

Haysley

for Breast Cancer Care and the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity thanks to everyone’s efforts in baking and donning pink and running the House Cross Country – all for such an

important cause.

The Upper Sixth this year have been marvellous. They have led by example and have embraced all that Kingswood and School House have to offer. Their end of term quiz before the Easter holidays was one of the best ever.

We got back on the ice and Bulf was thoroughly kissed at the end of the year! I think the Upper Sixth’s biggest regret was that we did not manage to hold our annual Wide Games… that challenge is for a new generation.

My thanks as ever to my terrific prefect team, ably led by Annie and Evie. Thanks too to the matrons, Jayne and Caroline, who always provide care and support for the boarders, and lastly to my tutor team. I am indebted to them for their amazing care and guidance in working with me and the girls in School House. We say goodbye to Miss Sutherland, who will be much missed and wish her all the best in her new job. Good luck to Miss Bond in her new role as Deputy Houseparent, I know the girls are delighted that she will continue to be a part of School House. To Mrs Musgrove who is taking on the role of Senior Houseparent, good luck. School House is in safe hands and I wish you all the best.

I have loved my time in School House and it was wonderful to see old girls and staff who took the time and trouble to come back and share in a BBQ together with many memories.

Here’s to the next generation of School House girls - #SchoolHouse4ever!

Miss Una Paver (Senior Houseparent)

MISS PAVER School House has been so fortunate to have had Miss Paver as Housemistress over the past ten years.

She is incredibly compassionate, caring and understanding and always makes time for anyone who needs advice or just a friend to listen.

Joining senior houses in Year 9 can be a daunting experience but the support of Miss Paver and her warm guidance through the important years of personal growth makes all the difference. She always sees the good in everyone and encourages us all to be the best versions of ourselves.

Her house spirit and enthusiasm is unmatched, encouraging us all to get involved with any events and competitions which has led to many happy memories. We are so grateful to Miss Paver for all she has done for us over the years and we can’t thank her enough for all her dedication.

She has been an inspiration to us all and an amazing role model to look up to. She will be greatly missed as Housemistress.

Annie Davis (Head of School House, Y13)

HOUSES | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

SCHOOL HOUSE COLOURS AWARDS • Lily Bradley • Lexie Game • Aurora Vergani

• Lottie Dodge • Honor Sokell Thompson

SPIRIT OF SCHOOL HOUSE AWARD • Emily Ardus • Hannah Gatehouse

• Annie Davis

PREFECTS Head of House: Annie Davis Deputy Head of House: Evie Bradley Head of Boarding: Haysley Ng

Senior Prefects: Emily Ardus Vicki Baldwin Bels Barry Hannah Gatehouse Kitty Ho Issy Johnson Holly Mann Edie Morris Mia Randolph

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | HOUSES

UPPER HOUSE After almost two years of Covid restrictions, it was a fantastic relief to get the whole House together in the Spring of 2022! The morning gathering of pupils and tutors and the happy sound of conversation and activity had been missed by both the staff and the pupils alike. and School Houses taking to the ice. In the Spring term, the Upper Sixth Prefects did a wonderful job of bringing together the Easter Quiz which they prepared and delivered in a very professional manner in the school theatre.

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he ten minutes before registration provides a period for the tutors to chat about any prominent issues that need to be dealt with and, just as importantly, an opportunity for a bit of fun together. I was particularly happy to be able to resume the presentation of our Upper “Man of the Week” award, during our Friday House Assembly. This is presented to an Upper pupil for displays of Upper Spirit whether it be acts of kindness, helpfulness, sporting success or just willingness to get stuck in.

It has been wonderful to see that the Upper House Spirit is as strong as it has ever been with much activity in every respect. Oliver Lechmere and Alexander Bushell have played a big part in helping to organise the House and we have enjoyed their end of term summaries.

In September, we welcomed a big Year 9 group to the House and Miss Murtagh to the Year 9 tutor team. The first event of the year was the traditional House Music Competition which was held outside on the Lower Astro due to Covid restrictions. Nonetheless, the event was as energetic and enjoyable as ever and School and Upper achieved a creditable second place with an enthusiastic performance.

In November, the Victoria Park Ice Skating Trip proved again to be a nice entry into the Christmas period, with almost all pupils from Upper

In sport, we had an extraordinarily successful year, winning House Hockey, and both Year 9 and Year 10 Intermediate in the Cross-Country relays. We were also winners of the Intermediate Swimming Gala.

Jamie Wright made a notable impact at the House Cross-Country competition with an impressive win in the senior race. Sports Day again proved to be another successful event with many participants from every year. School and Upper were winners of the event, overall. Upper had a great many representatives at all levels in every sport with success at U16 level in rugby and in hockey. Upper was also one of the main contributors to the Senior Tennis Teams. Ollie Yates in Year 10 made a substantial impact and will be a key player in future years.

Terence Beekma’s boxing career made a great start with two wins in his first two bouts – a pugilist to look out for. As normal, the table tennis table got plenty of use with boys from all Houses. The enthusiasm for the game transferred into successful matches against local opposition.

In the final of the Upper table tennis tournament, played in front of the whole House, Charlie Woodward was the deserved victor.

In Music, we were represented

by Louis Record, Joe Randolph, Alexander Kirkwood and George Greenwood. Alexander impressed all of us with his performance in a Whole School Service this term.

In Drama, Dan Zukas, Oscar Bankes, Avery Trotter and Kes Joffe all made fine performances in the school production of Antigone. Avery won the KATS award for the Best Scripted Drama Piece and Joe Randolph, playing the cello, won the award for the Most Outstanding GCSE Musical Performance.

At the end of the Summer term, Upper and School combined again for a lovely evening of fun in the sun after Sports Day. In our Final House Assembly speeches, I thanked all the tutors, and bid farewell to Mr Hollywell and Mr Musgrove and our leavers from Year 11 and the Upper Sixth. I wished the best of luck to the House, the new prefects and to their new Houseparent, Mr Brown. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be Senior Houseparent of such a historic part of Kingswood.

Mr Roger White (Senior Housemaster)

HOUSES | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

Head of House: Oliver Lechmere Deputy Head of House: Alexander Bushell

Senior Prefects: Leo Barnes Caleb Bond Jonny Lester Fergus Matthews Thomas Prowse Jamie Wright

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | BOARDING COMMUNITY

BOARDING AT KINGSWOOD It has been fantastic to offer our boarders a full range of activities this year without Covid restrictions, enabling them to fully enjoy everything that goes on at Kingswood.

Here are a selection of photos from the Senior and Westwood boarding houses giving a taste of what we have been up to…

BOARDING COMMUNITY | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | CREATIVE ARTS

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1. Emily Gordon-Brown - Y11

14. Millie Hawking - Y11

2. Hattie Hawtin - Y13

15. Sofiia Shliakhova - Y13

3. Eloise Weinberger - Y13

16. Eleanor Reilly - Y11

4. Stan Wood - Y11

17. Wendy Wang - Y13

5. Jim McAllister - Y13

18. Tsering Sherpa - Y11

6. Holly Robinson - Y11

19. Tom Button - Y13

7. Ryan Leung - Y11

20. Freddie Williamson - Y11

8. Hayley Crowhurst - Y11

21. Aaron Wright - Y13

9. Izzy Evans - Y11

22. Madi Sayce - Y13

10. Vicki Baldwin - Y13

23. Ian Wong - Y11

11. Emelia Denman - Y11

24. Jamie Phillips - Y11

12. Jemima Balgarnie - Y13

25. Lucia Batters - Y11

13. Amelie Cardy - Y11

26. Honor Sokell Thompson - Y11

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CREATIVE ARTS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF THE DT DEPARTMENT

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | CREATIVE ARTS

CREATIVE ARTS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

In November, Year 10 and Year 12 DT students visited the Design Museum in London, enjoying workshops hosted by resident designers and producing their own designs based on set briefs.

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | CREATIVE ARTS

DR AMA GCSE and A Level Drama students have enjoyed creating and performing Drama as part of their curriculum. Students can be assessed as either designers or performers, and Kingswood Drama students created many memorable pieces this year. Here are a few highlights from the year.

CREATIVE ARTS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | CREATIVE ARTS

ANTIGONE T

here’s a special type of nervous excitement around a school production. However, the production of Antigone was particularly special, as it had been such a long time since Kingswood School had been able to celebrate the talents and creativity of its Drama students with a live audience! In March 2020 theatres went dark and, although the creative arts were on the curriculum and small-scale events continued, Kingswood hadn’t been able to welcome the community into the theatre since their performance of A Christmas Carol in 2019.

The story of Antigone and her famous father, Oedipus, was picked up by Sophocles in 441BC, after being handed down from generation to generation. It is incredible when you think about how long the story has survived.

CREATIVE ARTS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

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There is a reason that this Greek legend has been told over and over; the ideas Sophocles presents in Antigone have such relevance in today’s world. The themes of gender equality, democratic voice and religious faith still resonate, loudly, today. Antigone shows the strength women have in the face of male authority. She is strong, passionate and full of love; sometimes to a fault. She feels a heaviness of duty to her family name and the Gods. A fearless risk taker, empowered by her defiance, a work of female rebellion. The audience could not fail to admire her loyalty to her brother and her strong beliefs. Equally, watching a man fall from greatness, his blindness and unbending resolve, to stick to his beliefs, a stark lesson in the abuse of power.

The appeal of Greek theatre is its colourful, vivid characters and how their stories can be brought to life on a modern stage. We wanted to update Creon’s kingdom to a corporate environment where the conflict could play out amongst a familiar background. Contextualising Antigone for modern times helps us to think of the difference between moral, divine and political law. We can see these echoed daily, playing out in the corridors of power. Antigone is timeless and relevant to us all.

Antigone is timeless and relevant to us all.

The cast, design team and crew were fantastic throughout rehearsals, and we are so lucky to have some very talented designers, performers and technicians amongst the student body.

It was a real pleasure to encourage those not taking Drama as a subject to get involved too, making it a real, whole school event. Putting on a production doesn’t happen without a huge give on top of the busy, regular school day; excellent humour, energy, commitment and resilience were all in play here. I hope that we were able to create some enduring memories for those involved.

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | CREATIVE ARTS

GRIMM TALES

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There were six Grimm Tales in total performed by a cast of Year 7 and Year 8 pupils. Here are some highlights.

• Hansel and Gretel

• Golden Goose

• The Hare and the Hedgehog

• Blue Beard

• The Emperor’s New Clothes

• Ashputtel

This production was performed by a cast of Year 9 and Year 10 pupils. Here are some highlights.

CREATIVE ARTS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

TRIPS With restrictions lifted, Kingswood Drama students have enjoyed watching live theatre again!

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ear 10 GCSE Drama students saw the legendary Blood Brothers at the Theatre Royal Bath, giving them opportunity to see their GCSE set brought to life.

Year 12 A Level students travelled to London to watch the epic, four-hour production of Our Generation at the National Theatre. This was an astonishing new verbatim play that captured the experiences of a generation of teens.

Created from five years of interviews with 12 young people from across the UK, Our Generation was a captivating portrait of their journey into adulthood that inspired and moved both the staff and A Level cohort.

The Drama Department are looking forward to the Easter 2023 trip to New York.

Ms Jo Brayton (Head of Drama and Theatre)

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AN-TECH-O-NE We thought this might be a good opportunity to reveal some of the secrets to the theatrical design and tech processes. There are many complex and stressful phases to this, starting with, “How are we going to…”, passing through, “Oh, I dunno...” and, “here’s a dodgy idea, but…” to get to a final design.

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his year’s senior show started with a discussion about how it’s so exciting to be back doing live theatre in front of real live audiences that we should do something fun, uplifting, positive and life-affirming. We settled, of course, on Antigone - a Greek tragedy full of death and misery.

The design brief started with adjectives such as ‘imposing’, ‘modern’ and ‘corporate’ which eventually led to our impressive set. We decided to work with monochrome so key moments would really stand out with colourful lighting. We wanted Creon to hold the most powerful positions on stage so we put his office upstairs with a view over the whole space. We had planned a set of double doors early on and Dasha had the idea of using frosted

perspex for depth and silhouette which eventually morphed into our slick moving doors. We were asked many times how much the electric sliding doors cost us… spoiler alert… it was two hidden sixth formers manually sliding them in time with each other! I must acknowledge the brilliant work of Matt and Jason at Technical Hire Collective for turning the design into reality once again.

We enjoyed adding details to make this more than the average school show. Miss Tamblyn’s excellent logo transformed into huge banners, stealing black and white pieces from the Art department, beautiful costumes including designs from Elsa France and Tilly Bankes, a noticeboard complete with an advert for staff netball, atmospheric sound effects operated by Leyla

Aysan and a veritable catalogue of IKEA office furniture. Then it was time for Tom to add his stunning graphics on the screens and Dasha to work her magic on lights…

Mr Neil Francis (Theatre Manager)

CREATIVE ARTS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

When thinking about lighting design for this show, I wanted to create something that looked very realistic at the start - complementing the simple monochrome office setting, to then evolve into a darker, more mysterious world of Greek tragedy.

Since the very start we were very keen on using a gauze - which is a piece of special fabric we placed in front of the stage, to create a BIG aesthetic opening for Antigone and Ismene’s first entrance. Working with a gauze required a lot of careful thinking and positioning of lighting fixtures, to achieve first a very transparent look, when the audience are able to see right through the gauze and then a solid “wall” hiding the office space behind it, to create a secluded place for the two sisters to meet.

One of my favourite moments to design for was Tiresias’ entrance.

By this point the lighting was no longer as simple as it was at the start, which helped communicate across the change to a more “totalitarian” and “oppressed” State under Creon’s rule. This scene, in my opinion, was the most memorable and to achieve the effect I had in mind and show Tiresias’ power and influence, I spent a couple of hours going “I want that light to do this”, shortly followed by, “that doesn’t quite work, it needs to be bigger”. In the end we were able to produce exactly what I wanted - the room would go into “emergency lighting” after what would look like a power surge, creating a beautiful, punchy and abstract environment which worked incredibly well with other aspects of Tiresias’ appearance, including detailed costume and make up.

Of course lighting was very important for this show, but equally as important and impressive was the graphics design and the way all of these design aspects come together to create the final product.

Dasha Gorbunova

My AV idea that I had throughout the process of design was that I wanted to include some of my unique skills that have never been used in Kingswood Theatre - 3D motion graphics. The key here though is simplicity and thought - not distracting our audience from the rest of the action on stage… this was my biggest challenge.

I also had a couple of moments where I was able to help get some slight laughs from an otherwise dismal storyline with the ‘live video feed’ doorbell.

Otherwise, for the majority of the show, I knew that I wanted to have a few key states, with very slight motion, because that’s harder to make, so must be ‘better’, right?! I wanted to make sure that I was very happy with these states because I knew I would be relying on them for large chunks of the show.

Tom Button (Year 13)

(Year 12)

This year’s senior show started with a discussion about how it’s so exciting to be back doing live theatre... that we should do something fun, uplifting, positive and life-affirming. We settled...on Antigone - a Greek tragedy full of death and misery.

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MUSIC Music was back with a bang this year at Kingswood!

After things went quiet during the pandemic, the musicians bounced back, producing such an exciting programme of events for everyone to enjoy. Throughout the year, each ensemble worked tirelessly to perfect their pieces and the level of musical talent shown across all year groups has been exceptional!

OUTSTANDING EXAMINATION RESULTS The Music Department were delighted to celebrate the following students who achieved their Grade 8 or above this year:

Grade 8 Bryan Au Yeung – Singing with Distinction Izzy Vaughan – Cello with Merit Katie Green – Violin with Distinction Charlotte Nicholson – Trumpet Alex Sedcole – Piano with Distinction

Kitty Ho – Piano with Merit Snow Sun – Piano with Merit Phoebe Hill – Clarinet

ARSM Diploma Mia Randolph – Piano with Merit

CREATIVE ARTS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

MUSIC EVENTS 2021-2022 The renewed vigour of this academic year saw new musical highlights along the way, as well as a welcome return of much-loved events. Here’s a quick roundup of just some of the many concerts, trips and events the musicians have enjoyed: • A Night at the Musicals – showcased the vocal talents of students of all ages, taking to the Theatre stage to entertain with songs from the shows.

The audience gathered to enjoy food and wine, as well as the talented singers performing some of the most memorable show tunes of the past 70 years, with everything from West Side Story to Dear Evan Hansen.

• Hairspray – a rare night off for the musicians took them to Bristol Hippodrome to see the acclaimed tour of this smash hit musical.

• Wells Cathedral School A Level Day – our A Level sets enjoyed the chance to discuss their 20th Century set works in a series of lectures offered at Wells Cathedral School.

• Christmas Concert – the traditional festivities returned with all of Kingswood’s ensembles in full display.

• Carol Service at Bath Abbey – the senior carol service was a triumphant return for the choir at Bath Abbey, after a lengthy hiatus due to the refurbishment works. The service offered a wonderful retelling of the Nativity, including choral works by Malcolm Archer, Dan Forrest and Harold Darke, alongside the traditional Christmas carols we all know and love.

• The Scholars’ Concert – featuring the department’s Music Scholars: Year 7 – Ben Bradford, Sunday Johnston; Year 8 – Beth Dinnis, Leo Muscroft, Santiago Tankard, Elfriede Wong; Year 9 – Alexander Kirkwood, Max Wilson, Jayden Yip; Year 10 – Anna Haldenby, William Greig; Year 11 – Katie Green, Joe Randolph, Aurora Vergani; Year 12 – Freddie Stockton, Emily Watkins; Year 13 – Colby Chu, Larissa Man, Storm Neech, Mia Randolph, Izzy Vaughan.

• Piano & Percussion Concert – including pianists, drummers and percussionists from across all the year groups.

• Christmas Choir Recording Westwood Voices and Kingswood Choir undertook a two day recording session in the wonderful acoustic of Holy Trinity, Bradford on Avon, laying down tracks for their upcoming album which will be on sale this coming Christmas!

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• Cardiff Trip – to support our A Level students, we travelled to Cardiff's St David's Hall to hear the London Mozart Players perform a programme featuring Young Musician of the Year finalist, Isata Kanneh-Mason.

To conclude the concert, the orchestra played one of the A Level set works which gave a real insight into the analysis of the symphony.

• The Spring Concert – a showcase of all the major ensembles, including Senior Orchestra, Westwood Orchestra, Kingswood Brass Ensemble, Kingswood Clarinet Ensemble, Kingswood Strings, Senior String Quartet, Westwood Voices, Kingswood Choir and Kingswood Jazz Orchestra!

• Sixth Form Showcase – entirely devised and organised by the Sixth Form musicians, this evening was a wonderful celebration of the many and varied talents of our senior students.

• The Bath Festival – for the return of the International Bath Festival, Kingswood Jazz Orchestra opened Party in the City with a toe-tapping set at the Assembly Rooms. Just down the road, Westwood Voices performed in the Schools Voices project, singing songs written by all the schools across the city in a wonderful Concert for the People of Bath.

Kingswood’s song Mountains was chosen as one of the final pieces to be performed, alongside Bath Philharmonia and the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines School of Music.

• KATS – the annual Music and Drama awards celebrated the many achievements of the department’s musicians, alongside their dramatic counterparts – read more about it elsewhere in this edition!

• Summer Showcase – to finish the year, Kingswood Jazz Orchestra took the stage one more time with some chart-topping hits, including Moves Like Jagger and Can’t Stop the Feeling, alongside old classics like Billie Jean and YMCA! Not to be outdone, the Year 11, 12 and 13 vocalists were backed by the pro-band and brought the house down with power house performances.

• Lunchtime Concert Series, Whole School Services & Assemblies – a whole host of individual and group performances have provided countless performance opportunities for our musicians to showcase their talent and hone their performance skills.

Well done to each and every performer this year!

CREATIVE ARTS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

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YEAR 13 MUSIC SCHOLARS This year’s Year 13 Music Scholars are a distinguished group of the finest instrumentalists and singers.

• • • • •

Colby Chu Larissa Man Storm Neech Mia Randolph Izzy Vaughan

Over their many years, they have each contributed in hugely significant ways, from performing extensively as soloists and in ensembles, to touring with the department, leading sectionals in rehearsals and being a wonderful influence for the younger musicians. They, along with the many other musicians in the same year group, have been such reliable, goodhumoured and positive students to work with and will be sorely missed!

Mr Andy Barton (Director of Music)

MUSIC TRIP, LONDON Just after the Summer term ended, students from the Music Department took a short excursion over to the capital to take in the sights and explore some of the fantastic musical venues of London, as well as seeing some live theatre.

The trip started at the Musical Museum in Kew, which houses an eclectic and unusual collection of mechanical instruments. The musicians were in awe of the complex and intricate mechanics of self-playing pianos, organs and even orchestras! After some time experimenting with early synthesisers and a theremin, the group were treated to a mini concert by the famous Wurlitzer organ which not only plays itself, but also has literal bells and whistles to accompany the music!

The next day brought a revealing backstage tour of the Royal Opera House. This incredible venue in Covent Garden houses one of the most celebrated opera and ballet stages in the world, with almost everything produced in house including costumes, shoes, wigs and sets. The whole venue is mammoth in size and scale, and as a repertory theatre it is possible to hold seven different productions at once in the 37m fly tower! A chance to see some of the Royal Ballet School rehearsals on stage capped off this incredible experience.

Following some downtime in St James’s Park, the musicians showed their artistic sides, recreating musical scenes that caught their eye in the National Gallery. All of this was the lead up to the main event – an evening watching Dear Evan Hansen at the Noël Coward Theatre. This show, written by Pasek and Paul (most famous for The Greatest Showman), was a true spectacle of singing, acting and theatre production. The group were astounded by the whole show and the emotional impact that moved everyone in the theatre.

The final day of this short jaunt allowed some time to do a spot of shopping at the O2 Arena before hopping across the river to visit the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. One of the world’s leading conservatoires, the group were fortunate to have a tour of the facilities and a chance to meet some of the teaching staff, before observing two rehearsals: a piano duet being coached on some fierce Stravinsky, followed by the final dress rehearsal of opera scenes. None of the students on the trip had ever before ventured into an opera studio and sitting up close and personal on the stage with the powerful singers was truly breath-taking!

A huge amount of fun was had along the way, with team games and quizzes earning points and prizes. Overall, a wonderful cultural visit to round off a busy musical year.

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THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT IN

CREATIVE ARTS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

FULL SWING…

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KATS 2022 In June, the Year 10 to 13 Drama and Music students, plus parents and specially invited guests, gathered in the Theatre Quad for the return of a fulsome KATS Music & Drama awards evening.

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re-dinner drinks were served before the guests took to the red carpet to process into the event. Those gathered enjoyed a fantastic meal and much fun was had in the fancy dress photo booth.

This year, we were incredibly fortunate to have a current parent give the annual after-dinner speech – the fantastic Leah-Marian Jones began the awards ceremony in style with a glorious rendition of Can’t Help Loving Dat Man. Leah-Marian is an international opera singer, having been a house principal at

the Royal Opera House Covent Garden for many years, and she has sung in venues across the world.

In her speech, Leah-Marian lifted the curtain on the life of a theatre performer and gave inspiring advice to follow your heart and seize every opportunity to perform you can.

Mr Harding took up compèring duties once again and the awards began, celebrating the many achievements of the students gathered. In between the award presentations, the audience were entertained with music and sketches. Izzy Vaughan sang Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, stunning the audience with her smooth vocals. Elsa France and Evie Kidd gave a mischievous performance of School Tour; Zenzi Oluoch-Olunya and Ted Nightingale inhabited their roles all too convincingly in a scene called Overbearing Mother, whilst Larissa Man and Niamh Weldon pulled on heartstrings singing For Forever from Dear Evan Hansen.

The evening drew to a close with a slideshow featuring our leavers, for whom this was their last KATS awards evening, and a performance of Shine from our Year 13 Leavers’ Band, who had the audience all singing along, before a final burst of confetti and fireworks.

The full list of nominees and winners (in bold) is reproduced opposite, though congratulations go to all Kingswood creative students, nominated or otherwise!

CREATIVE ARTS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES 2022 OUTSTANDING GCSE COMPOSITION • Katie Green – Twilight • Bea Harding – Battle • Jago Neech – Seasons • Aurora Vergani – Mediaeval Dance

OUTSTANDING GCSE PERFORMANCE • Adam Estcourt – Electric Guitar • Joe Randolph – Cello

• Katie Green – Violin • Imogen Hall – Piano

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC AT KINGSWOOD • Colby Chu • Mia Randolph

• Alex Kellagher • Izzy Vaughan

OUTSTANDING A LEVEL MUSICIAN • Vasily Alexeev • Storm Neech

• Colby Chu

MUSOS’ MUSO • Colby Chu • Larissa Man

• Alex Kellagher • Mia Randolph

DRAMA AWARDS NOMINEES 2022 BEST ENSEMBLE PIECE • 08:57 • An Exhibition of • Antigone Chorus Human Consciousness • Happiness • Mind The Gap

BEST SCRIPTED PIECE • BU21, Ryan Leung • BU21, Dan Zukas • Fences, Monica • The Pillowman, Mimi Mba-Ivina Coles, Ted Nightingale and Avery Trotter

BEST NEWCOMER • Alma Bode • Evie Kidd

• Elsa France • Zenzi Oluoch-Olunya

BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE • • • •

Sam Gearing, Heamon in Antigone Phoebe Gilpin, Ismene in Antigone Phia Jones, Antigone in Antigone Ted Nightingale, Creon in Antigone

BEST DESIGN • • • • • •

Leyla Aysan, GCSE Devised lighting Tilly Bankes and Elsa France, Antigone costume Tom Button, Antigone graphics Scarlett Cunningham, GCSE Devised costume Maisie Ewing, GCSE Scripted costume Dasha Gorbunova, Antigone lighting

TECHIES’ TECHIE • Leyla Aysan • Rex Evans

• Tom Button • Dasha Gorbunova

ACTORS’ ACTOR • Mimi Coles • Lala Thomas

• Ted Nightingale • Avery Trotter

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GIRLS’ HOCKEY

This report is adapted from the end of term speech given by students.

After the long-awaited return to competitive school hockey, it was good to be back.

With this being both ours and Mr Opie's final season of Kingswood Girls’ Hockey, it needed to be a good one and we can confidently say that it was!

129 games were played across 10 weeks, and on Saturdays we had up to 17 teams competing, involving over 200 girls.

The Westwood teams had some strong score lines, showing great progress. Livvy Hicks weaved through her defenders and was a top goal scorer, alongside the skilful Bea Davies. Emily Anderton was the most improved player and Eleanor Linegar's effort was incredible. The U13Bs held an undefeated season, with Kripa Gurung and Jess Hogg being relentless.

Congratulations to the U14As who made it to Regional Finals, highlighting their talent.

Emily Franklin-Adams was a force to be reckoned with upfront and Maddie White was one of the most versatile players we have seen.

Emily Holt for the Bs was an engine in the middle and Sam Brown in goal showed huge progress. The U15s showed fantastic spirit – working hard, and keeping calm under pressure. Anna Allen and Iona Stokes worked so hard on and off the ball whilst Charlotte Shakespeare was dynamite in attack for the B team, often winning her races.

For the Seniors this season Evie Bradley, Lari Mann and Alice Small

all captained their respective teams with maturity and were brilliant role models. The 3rds and 4ths went from strength to strength, gracing the Upper with some excellent hockey and team spirit that made every session enjoyable. The 3rds coaches’ players were Amelie Girdher and Romy Sloane. In the 4ths, Zara Kellagher was effective upfront, with Charlotte Nicholson receiving the coaches’ player. Phoebe Gilpin was involved in many exchanges for the 2nd XI, being pivotal in the middle with slick stamina and skill.

In addition, Alice Small was the lifeline at the back with her calm and collected approach often breaking through the opposition’s press.

One thing that makes Kingswood Hockey standout above the rest is the dedication to the sport. Not just from the players, but everyone involved. We would like to give a huge thanks to all the staff who repeatedly give up their time to coach and umpire matches. A special mention must go to Miss Newman for her commitment to our squad.

1ST TEAM The 1st XI had a competitive season consisting of 17 matches played, winning 11 and scoring 49 goals.

Players pushed each other to the limit during each game and worked the opposition to the best of their ability. With opposing coaches commenting on our work rate more often than not, our strong structure in defence prevented numerous goals from being scored. Rose Bates, Olivia Taylor and Emma Meier played essential roles, with Anisha Gofton saving some extraordinary strikes.

The skilful play of sisters Phoebe and Imogen Hall kept the attackers on their toes in midfield as time and time again they broke through and provided the opportunities for a goal.

The pace upfront often unsettled the opposition’s defence, as the forwards

managed to run circles around them and star strikers Emily Hersch and Ciara Dyer scored a combined five hat-tricks. It has been a pleasure to Co-Captain such a talented group of hockey players, and it will be sad to leave such a strong side behind. However, we are certain this team will continue to grow into an incredible squad as some younger talents make their way up.

MR OPIE This was Mr Opie's final term of Girls’ Hockey at Kingswood after 32 years and it's been an absolute honour to be coached by such an extraordinary player and man. In my 12 years of Kingswood Hockey, nobody quite compares to Mr Opie.

He will be remembered by everyone he has coached for many reasons.

Be it his expertise on the pitch or his general fascination with the world, he is an amazing man with a brilliant heart. If what he says is true, 'that good people do, in fact, make good hockey players', then it is no mystery as to where Mr Opie's talent stems from. It's safe to say that Mr Opie's favourite catch phrase rings true to him. He is an incredible person who has done so much for the School.

We will never forget this season and all the fun along the way.

Ciara Dyer & Phoebe Hall (1st XI Co-Captains)

SPORT | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

1ST XI Co-Captains: Ciara Dyer and Phoebe Hall

COLOURS & AWARDS COLTS COLOURS: Lauren Bailey, Phoebe Gilpin, Imogen Hall, Emily Hersch, Emma Meier HALF COLOURS: Emily Ardus, Grace Ardus, Maya Lane, Tobina Lawrence, Nancy Read, Alice Small FULL COLOURS:

Rose Bates, Ciara Dyer, Anisha Gofton, Phoebe Hall, Olivia Taylor Ciara Dyer (made the greatest contribution to hockey)

GROVE TROPHY:

1st XI 2nd XI 3rd XI 4th XI U15A U15B U14A U14B U14C U13A U13B U13C U13D U12A U12B U12C U12D Bristol Grammar

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Monkton Combe (Cup)

W

L

L

L

L

L

L

W

King's Bruton

L

L

D

W

Cheltenham College

W

D

L

L

Redmaids' High School

W

W

Clifton College

W

L

W

King Edward's

W

D

L

Prior Park College (Cup)

W L

W

W

Sherborne

L

Queen's College Taunton (Cup)

W

Royal Grammar School Worcester (Cup)

L

Dean Close

L

L

King's College Taunton

L

W

Monkton Combe

W

W

Prior Park College

W

W

Royal High School

W

L W

L W

W

D

W

W

L

D

L

L

L

D

L

D

W

W

L

W

W

W

L

W

D

L

W

L

W

W

L

L

L

L

W L

W

W

W

W

W

W W

Dauntsey's

L

W

65%

42%

Overall Win Rate

43%

L

L

L

W

W

36%

33%

60%

67%

L

W W

W

L

W

63%

L

L

Colston's Win Ratio

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33% 56%

L

L

L

D

L

W

L

L

D

L

L

W

L

L

W

L

W

L

W

W

W

W

W

W

L

D

W

22%

83%

80%

50%

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W

W

W

W

W

L

L

D

40%

33%

43%

50%

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RUGBY It was so good to finally see a return to a (relatively) normal season of competitive sports fixtures after such a long break.

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he Westwood teams faced the most disruption with a number of fixtures cancelled due to Covid but we still managed fixtures for A, B & C teams in both year groups and, with both ‘A’ teams managing to finish the season with convincing wins, the future looks extremely promising.

The U14As had an excellent season, losing just two matches with Tom Stappard and Jack Williams shining (amongst many others). The ‘B’ team were even more successful, losing just once, scoring 84 tries and conceding just 13. Charlie Haines finished as the top try-scorer in the school and Theo Eugster, Ivor Branigan and Ted Minor were really impressive up front. The fact that we were able to field a ‘C’ team in this year group that would compete

strongly with most ‘B’ teams gives an indication of the depth of talent coming through. Theo Antoniades, Daniel Gurung and Fergus Keen were all key performers in this side.

The U15Bs lost just twice and there were consistent performances from Terence Beekma, Yannis Paris and Ollie Yates. The U16Bs got going in the second half of the season with Jake Wilson prominent in attack scoring the vast majority of the team’s points.

And then to the two unbeaten teams. 100% records don’t happen unless the whole team commit to preparing week in, week out to perform at their best and that is certainly what happened with these two groups. However, in all successful teams there are those players that set and maintain the standards for the rest of the squad to follow and in Year 11 it has been Leo Palmer and Charlie Ward. Both these players are top performers and their attitude is first class.

For the U15s, James Linegar, Olly Goodall, Teifion Johnson and captain Archie Wake, despite missing much of the season through injury, have been the standard bearers and it’s

This report is adapted from the end of term speech given by students.

100% records don’t happen unless the whole team commit to preparing week in, week out to perform at their best...

really exciting to think what the senior teams might look like in a couple of years when these two year groups combine.

The senior teams had a really tough season but kept going right to the end and produced some memorable moments along the way. Many of them centred around player of the season Miles Deverell, but Tom Roach, Ollie Ellis and Bruin Ward all put in some strong performances along the way. Through it all, Mr Matthews and Mr Reeman accentuated the positives and they, and all the other rugby staff, deserve great credit for the time and attention they gave to their respective teams throughout the Autumn term.

SPORT | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

COLOURS & AWARDS COLTS COLOURS: Jasper Barazandeh-Nejad, Jacob Barton, Leo Palmer, Charlie Ward HALF COLOURS: Will Connors, Ollie Ellis, Louis Kenyon, Bruin Ward FULL COLOURS:

Miles Deverell, Tom Roach

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Ollie Williams PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Miles Deverell

1st XV 2nd XV 3rd XV U16A U16B U15A U15B U14A U14B U14C U13A U13B U13C U12A U12B U12C Taunton

L

L

W

Bristol Grammar

L

L

W

W W

W

W L

W

W

W

BGS (reverse fixture)

W

W

Mount Kelly College

L

Malvern

L

W

W

W

Wycliffe

L

W

W

W

Monkton Combe

L

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

L

L

W

L

W

W

W

W

W

W

L

W

L

L

L

W

W W

W

Blundell's

L

Cathedral School, Llandaff

L

Dauntsey's

L

L

W

King Edward's

L

L

W

Queen Elizabeth's Hospital

L

L

W

Bishop Wordsworth's

L

L

W

W

Bloxham

L

W

W

W L

W

Beechen Cliff

L

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

L

L

W

W

W

W

L

W

W

W

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Clifton College

L

L 0%

0%

100%

75%

100%

75%

80% 60%

90%

50%

75%

L L

W

Millfield Prep Win Ratio

L

W

Monkton (reverse fixture)

Overall Win Rate

L

L

W

W

L

L

L

20%

0%

L 80%

67%

29%

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NETBALL The Netball Club had a very competitive fixture list this year with 158 fixtures across the age groups.

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estwood often put eight teams out and they show huge potential as they start their Netball journey.

Indeed, the U13Ds were unbeaten, and Ruth, Florence and Jewel were all hot shots for their teams with Sophia being outstanding in the Bs. The U12s won the Bath area tournament and beat all their local rivals in regular fixtures. Esme, Freya, Lauren and Tanwen were all pivotal for their respective teams.

The U14 team’s confidence steadily increased with Iona being one to watch out for in the future, whilst Asia has been a great addition. In the Bs, Eva’s commitment has been superb and Amelie has shown huge improvement in the Cs. Daisy’s height was a huge advantage for the 15As and she was pivotal at either end! Gracie has been very consistent in the Bs and Ksenia has made countless interceptions for the Cs. The 4ths had the dynamite of Tobina who covered so much ground and Zenze was like spider-woman tipping ball after ball! The 3rds had four Upper Sixth girls playing; Alice, Elli, Grace and Olivia who led the way for the Year 11s in the team. Sophie became the pick of the players for her athleticism and vision. Jess captained the 2nds with maturity

This report is adapted from the end of term speech given by students.

and both Edie’s and Jess’s experience shone on court. Sophia picked up the most Player of the Match awards across the Netball Club and the team show great potential for their call up next year!

1ST TEAM The first team cemented another strong season with eight wins and only three losses. The team finished second in the County and enjoyed playing in the Regional finals. The shooting circle was lucky to have Lauren, who can play both goal keep and goal shoot. She has the ability to catch almost every ball thrown at her and her calm presence never fails to settle the circle. Bella is the most consistent shooter on the day. She can shoot from all angles and her newest skill of ‘holding’ has added an extra asset to her game which makes her unbeatable.

Every member of our defence this season has been pivotal in our team’s success. Iris brought a much-needed calmness to the court, and it has been a delight to watch her confidence grow. Elsewhere, Issy’s man-to-man marking and her ability to dictate her player’s movement has been key in the mid court defence.

In mid court, Nancy is a reliable and talented player, as too is Ciara who is always available for the ball and makes it look easy. Alice is a game changer on court wherever she plays as her agility and determination are

second to none. Mia’s ability to stand out in both defensive and attacking play has been integral to the team.

I have had the pleasure of playing with Maya for nine years both in school and club netball. Despite only being 4 foot tall, Maya brings so much fire onto the court. Not only has she been a vital player on court, she has been an incredible co-captain and is always there to support anyone on her team.

Annie’s organisation and kindness along with her dependability on court has made being co-captain with her one of the highlights of my final year. Annie is a very special player with the ability to change games with her interceptions and countless tips.

Finally, we have to say a huge thank you to all the staff who gave up their time on a Saturday and helped the 18 teams that often played. Miss Hay is always full of energy and support and is someone the 1st team formed a connection with from the start.

Mrs Sim brings so much positive competitive spirit to every game and ensures that not only do we succeed in our matches, but she encourages us to be kind and supportive athletes no matter the score. She is the spirit of Kingswood netball and never fails to make the hardest tasks seem completely doable.

Annie Davis & Maya Lane (1st VII Co-Captains)

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SPORT | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

COLOURS & AWARDS COLTS COLOURS: Sophia Heath, Alice Wilson HALF COLOURS: Issy Johnson, Ciara O’Driscoll, Mia O’Driscoll, Iris Worley, Jess Bailey, Edie Morris FULL COLOURS:

Lauren Buxton, Annie Davis, Maya Lane, Bella March-Smith, Nancy Read

OUTSTANDING PLAYER AWARD: Maya Lane

1ST VII Co-Captains: Annie Davis and Maya Lane 1st VII 2nd VII 3rd VII 4th VII 5th VII U15A U15B U15C U14A U14B U14C U13A U13B U13C U13D U12A U12B U12C U12D King Edward's

L

W

W

L

L

King's Bruton

W

W

W

L

L

L

L

W

L

L

L

Bryanston

W

W

W

D

L

W

L

D

L

L

W

W

L

L

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

L

L

L

W

L

L

W

L

L

W

L

L

D

L

W

L

W

W

W

W

W

W

L

W

L

L

L

L

L

L

W

D

L

L

L

W

W

W

W

W

W

50%

38%

38%

17%

30%

67%

89%

83%

50%

43%

33%

20%

Clifton College Prep Clifton College Downside Millfield Bristol Grammar

W

L

L

L

Monkton Combe

W

W

W

W

Colston's

W

W

W

Dauntsey's

L

W

L

L

Marlborough College

L

L

L

L

L

W

Redmaids' High School

W

W

Downside

W

Hayesfield Girls' Prior Park College Win Ratio Overall Win Rate

W

W

L

W

W

W

L

L

W

W

W

W

W

W

L

W

W

L

D

W

D

W

L

L

W

L

W

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

Monkton Combe Royal High School

L

L

L

L

L

W

L

L

W

W

W

W

W

W W

L

W

W

73%

69%

69%

36%

25%

W

W

20%

50%

54%

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | SPORT

BOYS’ HOCKEY

Written by 1st XI Captain, Rob Wilson.

It really was another excellent term for the boys’ hockey teams. In just 9 weeks they played over 100 matches, involving over 250 boys and finished with an overall win rate across all teams of 80%.

1ST XI REPORT

T

he U16s finished with a 100% record.

Add to that a hat-trick of County titles for our U12, U13 and U14 teams and a cup run that took the 1st XI to the last 16 of the National tournament, and it all amounts to a very special season.

A huge thank you must go to the group of staff who have given up so much time to enable 19 teams to play fixtures this term. To summarise all the successes this season would have taken up several pages so we felt the best way to do that was for the coaches to select two teams of the season from across the age groups. The first is made up from all of the junior ‘B’ teams and the 3rd & 4th XI squads. The second is made up from our Junior ‘A’ teams and the 2nd XI. Obviously there were a number of strong contenders who just missed the cut and in some cases we have had to be creative with positions to fit all the nominated players in but here are the final versions.

The season started well with the inaugural pre-season trip to Cardiff, where Kingswood comprehensively beat both KES and Dauntsey’s, setting up the season well. A good vein of form continued with progression in the Cup following an 8-0 win over Monkton, much to the delight of the large Kingswood crowd, dutifully led by the people’s player of the year: Freddie Robinson! It wasn’t until the next round of the Cup where Kingswood were truly tested, but we were able to get the better of a close 3-2 result versus Prior Park. The season probably peaked with the performance against King’s Gloucester in the round of 16 in the Cup, seeing us triumph 7-1 in a fluid display of attacking hockey, with Will Shardlow demonstrating his newly found abilities up front, and Freddie Marks running the show in midfield. However, all good things must come to an end, and it was heartbreak for all when we lost to Magdalen College on penalty strokes following an emotional comeback.

A slight dip of form followed which saw a few disappointing results, but we made sure to finish the season well, guaranteeing Mr Opie a win in his final school hockey match.

...good people make good hockey players...

THE ‘B’ TEAM, TEAM OF THE SEASON IS: Goalkeeper Right Defence Centre Defence Left Defence Right Midfield Centre Midfield Centre Midfield Left Midfield Right Forward Centre Forward Left Forward Reserves Coaches

Oscar Powell, U12B Harry Williams, U14B Jacob Barton, 3rd XI Dan Woodward, U15B Seb Easen, U13B Monty Saunders, U13B Ryan Johnston, U15B Jonny Lester, 4th XI Beau O'Mahony, U12B Jack Watts, U14B Ted Weinberger, 3rd XI Rex Evans, 4th XI Mr Stuttard & Mr Hollywell

THE ‘A’ TEAM, TEAM OF THE SEASON IS: Goalkeeper Centre Defence Centre Defence Right Midfield Centre Midfield Left Midfield Inside Right Inside Left Right Forward Centre Forward Left Forward Reserves

Coaches

Rory Bushell, 2nd XI Milo Powell, U13A James Linegar, U15A George Hancock, U14A Noah Davis, 2nd XI Will Butterworth, U12A Charlie Day, U13A Owen Brown, U15A Ollie Yates, U15A Sam Tisdale, U14A Sam Milborrow, U12A Louis Kenyon, 2nd XI Toby Knight, U13A Alfie Marks, U14A Seb Kennard, U12A Mr White & Mr Reeman

MR OPIE It is, of course, a great shame to hear that Mr Opie has decided to throw in the towel following a mere 32 years coaching Kingswood hockey, and it leaves me wondering if I was the straw that broke the camel’s back! But in all seriousness, I cannot express enough how lucky I, and we, have all been to have been coached by Mr Opie. For me, the last four years have seen varying degrees of quality and strengths and weaknesses in our teams, but it is clear to everyone that one thing remains constant. Mr Opie has always instilled a sense of togetherness and desire to do well for each other in all his teams. And I think what makes Kingswood teams so different to other teams is that we truly are just that; a team, not a collection of individuals, and that is all to Mr Opie’s credit. If you have been able to watch this season, or previous seasons under Mr Opie, you will have noticed the likes of Will Farmer barrelling up and down the pitch, desperately trying to win his races and get an advantage for his team. But that is always in the nature of the teams that Mr Opie builds, as he always says: good people make good hockey players, and it is that which has been the key to our success. He will be sorely missed but I am sure the legacy that he has built will continue to go from strength to strength.

Rob Wilson (1st XI Captain)

SPORT | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

COLOURS COLTS COLOURS: Ollie Day, Joe Randolph, Will Shardlow, Joe Watt

1st XI 2nd XI Canford

L

Monkton (Cup)

W

Monkton

W

Dean Close

U16

W

W

W

W

Prior Park

W

W

W

King's Bruton

W

W

W

Cheltenham College

W

W

W

Beechen Cliff

W

HALF COLOURS:

Miles Deverell, Will Farmer, Jim McAllister, Finn Morris

FULL COLOURS:

Ollie Lechmere, Freddie Marks, Tom Roach, Rob Wilson

3rd XI U15A U15B U14A U14B U14C U13A U13B U13C U12A U12B U12C U12D

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W W

L

Millfield Prep

W

W

Warminster

W

W

W

KPS

L

King Edward's

L

L

W

Dauntsey's

W

W

W

Clifton College Bristol Grammar King's (Glos, Cup) Win Ratio Overall Win Rate

W

L

L

L L

W

L

L

W

W

W

W

L

L

W

L

L

L

W

L

W

L

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

L

89%

71%

89%

83%

88%

67%

60%

W

W

W

W 73%

88%

88%

67%

100%

80%

86%

60%

100%

100%

73

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | SPORT

Written by 1st XI Captain, James Eayres.

CRICKET For many of our students, the Summer means Cricket. And this year, largely because of the weather, we had one of the best summers in recent memory, playing loads of cricket and enjoying plenty of success.

COLOURS & AWARDS

We had over 70 matches in just 9 weeks with a win rate of over 70% and a number of internal matches as well. The U13s led the way with a run to the quarter final of the National Cup and a win in the final of the Regional Cup. The U12s also got to the final, the 2nds were unbeaten and the U13 and U14B teams lost just once. But the word SUMMER can help us to explain the cricket season in a bit more detail:

S U

COLTS COLOURS: John Bean, Charlie Ward

HALF COLOURS: James Eayres, Freddie Baker, Angus Duncan, Tom Roach, Elliot Ede, Rex Evans

FULL COLOURS: Noah Davis

THE CRICKET TROPHY FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION: Toby Eayres

M M E R

is for spinners and seam bowlers who influenced plenty of games this year. Archie Baker, Joss Armstrong. Alex Kirkwood, Mathijs in der Rieden and Oscar Salter all bamboozled teams with their spin. The likes of James Sullivan, George Wylie, Jamie Gearing, George Warden, Lexi Nwabueze, Harry Bates, Tom Beveridge, Henry Evans, Owen Brown and Will Shardlow have done it with pace, swing and seam. is for the Upper which has become a fantastic place to play cricket – as long as the wind doesn’t blow! There have been many days with multiple games going on in the sun and credit must go to the groundstaff for the work they have done this season. is for mates. Cricket is one of the best team sports because of the time you get to spend on the sideline or the balcony chatting to team mates and generally enjoying each other’s company. is also for Mr Opie, Mr Hollywell and Mr Ward, who have all given so much to cricket at Kingswood for so many years.

But we should also thank all the staff for the time they give up every Saturday and throughout the week to enable so much cricket to be played. is for excellent fielding and wicket-keeping. These are the players that throw themselves around in the field to save 4 runs, take a brilliant catch or effect a crucial run-out.

Sam Milborrow, Sunny Curtis, Toby Knight, Vivaan Gurung, Theo Eugster, Milo Worthy, and Will Connors are some of the better ones. Ed Armstrong and Joe Randolph are part of an exciting crop of wicket-keepers. is for run machines, like Freddie Stappard, Teddy McCrum, Sam Douglas, Benjy White, Harry Caveen, Toby Eayres and Rex Evans, who led the 2nd XI from the front to an unbeaten season.

SPORT | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

Noah Davis has been exceptional this season with both bat and ball. He scored 786 runs including 3 centuries and 6 fifties and took 23 wickets with his off-spin. The Year 12s made up a large chunk of the side, with a special mention going to Elliot Ede who opened both the batting and the bowling. I have no doubt that these two along with James Stobart, Louis Kenyon, Oscar Power and Harry Charlesworth will guide the side to another successful year. The side also included two Year 10s Archie Baker and Toby, the second best player in the Eayres family! Both showed great maturity throughout the season and an abundance of talent. Three Year 11s also contributed greatly to the side: Charlie Ward, John Bean and Sam Gearing all produced a number of impressive performances.

On to my fellow leavers, Jamie Wright has been with the 1st XI squad for the last 2 seasons, Tom Roach brought a lot of energy and runs when it was needed showing his excellence in the Semi-Final and the Final of the cup with two aggressive innings. Freddie Baker also showed great control and wicket-taking ability and we missed him in the second half of the season. Finally, Angus Duncan, who I have had the pleasure of playing alongside closely for several years now and has been a reliable batsman for the side for a number of years. It has been an absolute pleasure being a part of and captaining the team for the last year and it was so nice to finish the season by winning the Bath Schools T20 in the last week of term.

James Eayres (1st XI Captain)

1st XI Clifton College

2nd XI U15A XI

L

U14A XI

L

L

L

W

U14B XI

U13A XI

U13B XI

W

D

W

U13C XI

U12A XI

U12B XI

U12C XI

W

L

W

Monkton Combe

L

W

Bristol Grammar

W

W

Wycliffe College

W

King Edward's

W

W

L

L

W

W

L

L

Prior Park College

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

L

W

L

W

W

W

Dean Close

L

Colston's

W

Beechen Cliff

L

L

W

W

W

L

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

QEH Wells Cathedral

W

Wellsway

W

Downend

W

Twyford

W

Clifton College

L

W

Colston's MCC

L

Forty Club

W

Kingswood Old Boys

W

KES (Cup)

W

Win Ratio

70%

County Cup Result Overall Win Rate

L

W

W

W

71%

67%

100%

W

Winners

100%

40%

29%

83%

71% Winners 72%

83%

100%

Runners Up

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | SPORT

GIRLS’ TENNIS

This report is adapted from the end of term speech given by students.

1ST VI Captain: Rose Bates | Vice-Captain: Annie Davis

I

t was lovely to get back to a full Netball season this year. Starting off with a few knockout pairs from the lower years, we had Livvy Hicks and Esme Hersch in Year 7, Erin Catt and Harriet Jones in Year 8, Masha Rozhkova and Aimee Webber in Year 9, and Amy Robinson and Anna Haldenby in Year 10.

Altogether, the lower school has had an ‘ace’ season, India Master took the ‘advantage’ as most improved, while Erin Catt ‘smashed’ it as the best newcomer. In the U15Bs Gracie Weston was the pick of the players and Harriet Brown was consistent in the U13s.

In the thirds and fourths, Amelie Antoniades and Jocasta Spooner had the most bagels, and the most hairstyles! Liv Mohr and Grace Wood were always in control, often winning the ‘break point’. Sienna Websper and Katie Green both forced many errors leading them to a high success rate and they show great promise for next season.

As for the second team, Thea’s consistency alongside Romilly’s strong forehand was a recipe for success. Aoife Targett and Martha

Small were a great duo with Martha serving well and Aoife always trying to incorporate new skills into her game. Lastly, we had the feisty third pairing of Charlie Hollywood and Katya Volkova who won lots of close matches.

Rose & Annie

Finally, there’s the first team. The third pair saw Sophie Farmer’s skill at racket high 5s aid her ability at the net, and when paired with the lively Emily Hersch’s skilful slices, it resulted in highly tactful play.

This had been their first season as a pair, but we cannot fault their communication and teamwork.

The second pair saw Holly Robinson serve numerous aces every game. She is an incredibly dependable asset to the team.

Hayley Crowhurst managed to dominate the net and not only is she able to outwit the opposition with her talents, she does so with a constant smile!

Annie and Rose have played alongside each other since Year 9.

Despite their inability to play while laughing, truthfully a common occurrence, Annie has consistently triumphed in her service games

and bested volleyers with a cheeky down the line return of service.

Rose is an incredibly talented player and a strong contribution to any team. Her backhands and volleys continue to amaze and it is always good to be on her side of the net! Not only does she play with skill and fire, she has proved to be a great captain.

Rose Bates (1st VI Captain)

SPORT | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

COLOURS & AWARDS COLTS COLOURS: Hayley Crowhurst, Emily Hersch, Holly Robinson, Aoife Targett, Katya Volkova HALF COLOURS: Thea Bailey, Sophie Farmer FULL COLOURS:

Rose Bates, Annie Davis

THE MOST IMPROVED PLAYER SALVER: India Master THE BLEATHMAN CUP: Rose Bates

1st VI 2nd VI 3rd VI 4th VI U15A

U15B

U15C

U14A

U14B

W

W

L

W

L

L

W

L

Dauntsey's

W

L

L

W

L

L

Dean Close

L

L

W

W

L

L

L

W

W

W

W

L

W W

W

Bryanston

W

W

W

W

L

W

W

Wells Cathedral

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

St Mary's Calne

U14C

Monkton Combe Prior Park College

Win Ratio

L

U13C

W

L

66%

33%

83%

66%

66%

50%

80% 62%

100%

U12B

W L

L

L

L

W

L

W

L

L

L

W

W

W

W 40%

U12A

W

W

Royal High School Overall Win Rate

U13B

W

King Edward's

Clifton College

U13A

100%

40%

W 100%

0%

0%

0%

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | SPORT

BOYS’ TENNIS It was an actionpacked season for Kingswood boys’ tennis, with a wide range of ages and abilities on display.

T

he first half of term was as packed as ever, with matches on Thursdays and Saturdays providing much opportunity for players to showcase their talent on court. Dominant victories against KES, Monkton and Prior maintained Kingswood’s reputation as the team to beat in the local area.

The 1st team enjoyed a very strong season, with talent from a wide range of year groups contributing to its success. Despite only being in Years 10 and 11, Sam Nash and Ollie Brown proved that age is just a number in tennis. The combination of Ollie’s aggressive shot making, and Sam’s leftie confusion factor proved too much for their opponents, leading to an unbeaten season for the pair.

These two proved decisive in our narrow, hard fought victory against fierce rivals Beechen Cliff. Fergus Matthews was an integral part of the 1st team squad, providing unshakeable energy on and off the court. Whilst his standard isn’t quite yet comparable to that of Nick Kyrgios, his level-headedness on court certainly is on par with that of his fellow countryman. Seasonal highlights for the 1st team include a clean-sweep victory against

Written by 1st VI Captain, Alex Sedcole.

Monkton on grass, and Ollie Brown’s audacious between-the-legs shot.

Our strength in depth was demonstrated this year by the outstanding form of the 2nd team, enjoying an unbeaten season. Louis Record was a dominant force at net, whilst Ollie Williams and Ollie Yates were instrumental from the back. With many players jumping between teams due to unavailability, the stalwart constant of the 2nd team was the pairing of Will Farmer and Xavier Gadras. What Will lacks in speed and agility, Xavier more than makes up for with his strong work ethic; many were impressed to see him running for lost causes and unreachable dropshots. Kit Marrack and Fergus Kerr, back from the tennis wilderness, also chipped in with valuable wins and it was encouraging to see the progress of Jacob Barton, Jamie Phillips and Stan Wood.

Fixtures were less frequent for the more junior teams throughout the season, but when called upon, they never failed to impress. Henri Cairns frequently vaporised his opponent’s hopes of winning, with his impressive racket control and feel. Henri and Alex Kellagher were a formidable partnership; Alex’s unflappable

confidence propelling them to many a victory. Alexander Bushell filled in enthusiastically on one occasion, surprising many with his performances, which were impressive and entertaining in equal measure.

As exams loomed and study leave beckoned, Year 11 and 13s became unavailable, allowing many younger players to step up to the senior teams. Year 9s Charlie Barton and Harry Williams put on performances to be proud of for the 2nd team, as did Edward Davey, impressing many with his fierce groundstrokes and high consistency. Ollie Boutin, Archie Tillett and Kian Alizadeh have trained well and possess real potential.

And finally, on to my vice-captain and partner, Shinnosuke. He’s been the perfect complement to my somewhat inconsistent and temperamental playstyle. Dangerous at the net and strong at the back, he’s pulled off some volleys and dropshots that I didn’t think were possible, and I wish him all the best with wherever he takes his tennis next year. With such a depth of talent on show this season, the future looks bright for Kingswood tennis.

Alex Sedcole (1st VI Captain)

SPORT | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

COLOURS & AWARDS COLTS COLOURS: Ollie Brown HALF COLOURS: Fergus Matthews, Ollie J Williams FULL COLOURS:

Alex Sedcole, Shinnosuke Yoshiki

MOST IMPROVED SENIOR BOYS’ PLAYER: Alex Kellagher MOST IMPROVED JUNIOR BOYS’ PLAYER: Harry Williams

Prior Park College

1st VI

2nd VI

W 8-1

W 7-2

3rd VI

U16

Win

King Edward's Monkton Combe

W 9-0

W 9-0

Wycliffe

W 7-2

W 6-0

Downside

W 9-0

W 5-1

Dauntsey's

L 4-5

W 5-4

W 9-0

L 3-6

W 9-0 Loss

Warminster Beechen Cliff Win Ratio

Friendly

W 5-4 83%

100%

50%

100%

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | SPORT

ORIENTEERING British Schools Orienteering Championships November 2021

This year the British Schools Orienteering Championships were held in the beautiful surroundings of Stowe Park in Buckinghamshire.

C

old but sunny weather made for excellent running conditions and all twelve Kingswood School competitors enjoyed the experience of competing against schools from all parts of the country.

There were lots of good performances but particular congratulations to Freddie Marke, Alex Lowe, Izzy Tonge and Henry Evans who all achieved top 10 finishes on their courses.

We had complete teams of three finishers in the Year 8 Girls, Year 8 Boys and Year 9 Boys competitions with both of the Year 8 teams gaining podium finishes in 3rd place.

SPORT | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

CROSS COUNTRY There are many wonderful things about Cross Country at Kingswood: the mud; the hills; the gale force winds; the long bus journeys through Dorset; the pain; the victories; the defeats; but the greatest thing is the Cross Country family.

W

e are a cross section of students from Year 7 to 13 of all genders who share in the misery and cheer each other on towards a donut at the end of the race. This season has been no different in this regard and it has been even more exciting given that we have been free to compete on our regular circuit once again.

Indeed, it has been a very successful year with lots of very talented runners across all age groups. Over the course of 10 races, Kingswood has had 5 individual race winners, and placed people in the top three 16 times. We’ve also had 10 team podium places between 4 teams and have also sent 4 of our runners to nationals, which is a record-breaking number for Kingswood with our Inter Boys and Senior Girls teams particularly strong. Captains Seb Crow and Evie Bradley did a superb job in leading from the front and with excellent support from fellow leavers Jamie Wright, Max Waring, Hiroki Nishimura, Emily Ardus, Grace Ardus and Freddie Baker the team atmosphere was something that everyone was proud to be a part of.

Cross Country is not, however, just the reserve of the select few in the Cross Country team, as the 700 students and staff who ran in the House Cross Country at the end of the Easter term can attest. The hoards of supporters who thronged the middle playing field for the House Relays at the beginning of the Summer term to watch the 130 students battle the hill for their houses will also tell you that it can be a very lively occasion.

Cross Country is alive and well at Kingswood - a perfect antidote to our digital lives.

COLOURS HALF COLOURS: Jamie Wright FULL COLOURS: Emily Ardus Evie Bradley

Grace Ardus Seb Crow

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | SPORT

SWIMMING

This report is adapted from the end of term speech given by students.

Boys’ Captain: Dan Adams | Girls’ Captain: Georgie Thompson

D

espite the fact that very few schools still have swimming teams, the Kingswood Swimming Club managed to pull together for galas.

Our standout swimmers amongst the younger years for this season were Year 9 pupils Jack Williams and Annabelle Hicks. Jack had multiple wins in Individual Medley and Freestyle events at Marlborough and Sherborne for the U16 team, and Annabelle had wins in Freestyle and Fly, even when competing well above her age group.

Roger Davis in Year 8 really impressed this year with his 5 wins overall in Individual Medley, Breaststroke and Fly. He broke the U16 Breaststroke record, pretty impressive for a Year 8 student! At the gala against Marlborough he was the fastest IM swimmer out of all age groups. He also competed at Regional and National events.

This year’s Senior House Gala had many great swims with the overall win going to School and Upper. Some of the standout swimmers from students who do not currently do any swimming training in school include: Jacob Barton, Lauren Bailey, James Linegar, Chloe Viner, Louis Barbato, Sam Gearing, Aurora Vergani and Will Shardlow, which shows much potential for next year.

Highlights of the season

This year’s Senior House Gala had many great swims with the overall win going to School and Upper.

included a clean sweep against Dauntsey’s. U16 boys also had wins against Marlborough, Blundell’s and Sherborne, whilst the Open Girls were too good for Dauntsey’s, Blundell’s and Leweston.

Pride of place, however, must go to the Open Boys who beat 5 out of the 6 schools they swam against.

Their team consisted of Will Connors, Will Wong, Dan Adams, Ted Nightingale, Freddie Baker and Alex Kellagher.

LEAVERS Thea trained throughout the year but because she is multi-talented she played tennis at weekends and so was not able to do any galas.

Anisha had been part of the swim team since she joined in Year 7 and always attended early morning swim. She became one of the strongest swimmers and received podium places in all of her events with a win in the Backstroke in our final gala.

Ted didn’t seem too keen on training! Being a boarder, he really had no excuse other than not liking mornings; however he always pulled through in the galas

to secure top places in the Breaststroke and Freestyle.

Ted’s enthusiastic support from poolside will be missed.

Grace and Emily Ardus were two of the most committed swimmers on the team. Even if they had run a record in the cross country the day before, they always turned up to training, and when it comes to galas they have the same very willing attitude. Although they are difficult to distinguish poolside, they have different strengths with Emily’s best results in the Breaststroke and Grace’s in the Freestyle and Backstroke.

Alex Kellagher has shown to be a very impressive all-round swimmer, always willing to take part in whatever event he’s thrown into. He had wins in the Breaststroke and close seconds in the Back and Fly, showing himself to be one of the strongest in the Open Boys team.

Freddie Baker, when able to be torn away from cricket, was a very successful member of the team, gaining first place

SPORT | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

in the Breaststroke against Dauntsey’s.

On to two of our most significant leavers, Mr and Mrs Opie.

Mr and Mrs Opie have been the heart of Kingswood swimming for many years.

Mr Opie liked telling everyone to go faster each week, whilst Mrs Opie always managed to know what’s going on, and was the key organiser and recruiter for the swim team.

Mrs Opie was a key player in all aspects for swimming, whether it was finding new swimmers the day before a gala or organising House galas. They will both be greatly missed.

U16 Girls

U16 Boys

Open Girls

Open Boys

Marlborough 1

L

W

L

L

Dauntsey’s

W

W

W

W

Sherborne

L

W

L

W

Blundell’s

L

W

W

W

Taunton

L

L

L

L

Leweston

L

W

W

W

Marlborough 2

L

L

L

W

Opponent

COLOURS & AWARDS HALF COLOURS:

Emily Ardus, Grace Ardus, Freddie Baker, Anisha Gofton, Alex Kellagher, Ted Nightingale

FULL COLOURS:

Dan Adams, Georgie Thompson

MOST IMPROVED SWIMMER CUP: Theo Pillow THE TENCH CUP: Roger Davis THE BERESFORD SHIELD: Dan Adams and Georgie Thompson

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ATHLETICS

This year the Athletics team thrived through a full-programme of inter-schools meets.

Being the only school in Bath with a competitive Athletics programme meant that each weekend we travelled to away fixtures against some of the strongest schools in the South of England.

T

he Girls’ team enjoyed a range of successes against some tough opponents. We welcomed some new members to the club and it has been exciting to see the interest from the lower years.

The Boys’ team highlight was the senior team winning the highly contested Nitro Athletics meet at Marlborough. This event is an exciting format of Athletics, testing all-round athleticism, tactical decision making, teamwork and grit. It came down to the final event, the Medley Relay, consisting of 2x400m, 2x200m, 4x100m to decide the winner.

SPORT | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

GIRLS

BOYS

Captains: Grace Ardus & Edie Morris

Captains: Oliver Lechmere & Bruin Ward

The Inter and Senior teams have been particularly impressive with their support and performances throughout the term.

The Boys’ team enjoyed their most successful season in recent history, with strong performances across each agecategory. It is impossible to tell all of the individual stories of challenge, failure, discipline and resilience, but we shall focus in on some notable performances.

In the Inter team, Oyin Obe showed great potential in the Shot and Discus and did not look out of place in the relays. Clemmie Coxen impressed with her speed and power in the Long Jumps, Javelin and the Sprints. Both girls recorded podium places many times this season. Alice Wilson managed to compete at the Dauntsey’s meet but excelled in qualifying for the English Schools Competition with her jump of 5.37m. Alice also competed in the South West Schools Heptathlon Championships which took place in tough, windy conditions.

She had a great time and came 4th so has qualified for the Nationals in September.

In the Senior teams, Captains Edie Morris and Grace Ardus led by example. Grace ran a great 1500m smashing the old record, and Edie regularly won the Discus and Javelin in almost every meet this season. They have been hugely grateful for the support shown

by Niamh Weldon who attended almost every training session and meet. Tobina Laurence is one to look out for next year.

She has produced some very encouraging performances in the Triple Jump and her 800m will continue to improve with further training. Grace Cardwell has enjoyed success in the 400m Hurdles and qualified for the Regional Athletics Championships where she performed well against strong opposition.

In the ever-growing Junior team, two boys broke two school records each and consistently put in winning performances throughout the season. Year 9 pupil Joseph Bailey broke the 100m & 200m records in times which put him in the top 5 in the entire school! Charlie Haines brought his cross-country form to the track and improved both his 800m & 1500m times throughout the season, taking both of these School records from the well-known Middle House old boy, Tom Kingsnorth.

Elsewhere in the Junior team we welcomed a number of new athletes to our rank with Tom White and Rupert Rutter winning events despite still being in Westwood!

The Intermediate team fared well throughout the season, using their Athletics to complement their rigorous exam timetables. Joe Watt stepped up each weekend taking home a near maximal amount of points by winning the 100m, 200m, and Long Jump. Jack Beveridge deserves a mention for always making himself available despite his cycling training regime. When not selected for the Millfield meet, Jack used the opportunity to do a training cycle to Millfield to support his friends.

The Senior team put us back on the map with consistent top level performances throughout the season. Joe Dunn didn’t lose many races in the 100m & 200m, and co-captain Bruin Ward remains the fastest sprinter out the blocks in all competitions! Oskar Billett joined the team this year, and his determination in training has seen him run fantastic 400m & 800m times.

Our leavers have played their role well throughout the season. They have committed to attending meets despite writing their final A Level exams. Noah Richardson has competed really well in High Jump, thrown the Discus impressively, and proven himself a capable relay runner. Despite Max Waring being built for arm-wrestling, he cruises a 1500m and has put his strength to use in the Shot Put and Discus events. Finally, co-captain Ollie Lechmere. Ollie is a long-standing member of the Athletics team, and has been a highly valued co-captain.

He has supported the younger athletes, competed admirably in a range of events on both track and in the field, and alongside his fellow captains has facilitated a healthy culture. Perhaps this is best summed up by this email sent to Mr GordonBrown from a Marlborough College teacher: “I just wanted to feedback how impressed I was with your Athletes who came over to Marlborough on Saturday. They clearly wanted to be there, performed well, were tremendous at supporting each other and took time at the end of the afternoon to thank the Marlborough staff for laying on the event.” “A really positive culture in Athletics”.

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ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT This year we eventually saw an easing of the Covid restrictions put in place in both the fitness studio and weight room. Year groups were allowed to mix once more, and we got that healthy “fitness family” feeling back.

T

he athletic development offering at Kingswood is diverse and popular, and we welcomed the ability to make full use of the finite space available.

The Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils continued with their movement literacy classes in their core PE rotations.

These classes provide pupils with the opportunity to develop their fundamental movement skills, learn about physical training methods, and aim to inspire pupils to keep active and enthused about physical activity.

...they celebrate each other’s progress whilst also supporting each other through challenges.

The strength and conditioning club was once again in great demand, with pupils from a range of years training under the guiding principle of “being better people who inspire others”. This has been clear to see in the quality of relationships within the environment and in how they celebrate each other’s progress whilst also supporting each other through challenges. The concept of ‘progressive overload’ which states that one must push oneself just beyond their comfort zone in order to grow, is a concept that I wish for our pupils to take beyond the gym. I am very proud to work with a community of pupils who are making this link.

There are multiple reasons why pupils choose to engage with the strength and conditioning programme at Kingswood. We aim to support everyone on their fitness journey, and we are proud of all pupils who are striving towards their goals. The performance benefits of a

focussed strength and conditioning programme for ambitious sports people is well-covered in scientific literature. Naturally, we have a number of pupils who use the facility in pursuit of these sporting goals.

Of this group, there is yet another tier of ambitious sports people who take their strength and conditioning, recovery, nutrition and analysis to the next level. Many of these pupils are involved in development pathway academies or compete at a national level. I am incredibly proud of their commitment, hunger to learn, and the way in which they invest in themselves. The late nights, early mornings, and the physical, mental, and emotional toll of pursuing optimal performance is not easy. Add in the fact that they are teenagers with numerous social and academic demands, it makes these pursuits even more admirable.

Mr Digby Webb (Athletic Development Co-ordinator)

SPORT | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

FOOTBALL

To see more photos and also some goals from the first team, Kingswood Football team can be followed on Instagram: kws_footballteam

BOYS 1st XI Captains: Johnny Lester & Jack Gould Kingswood football teams have now firmly established themselves as teams to be reckoned with on the local circuit. The first team, coached

by Mr Harding, played seven fixtures this year, winning one, drawing three and losing three, and the second team had their best season in living memory, playing six and winning five of those games. As well as playing opponents we have met before – Beechen Cliff, KES, Wycliffe, QEH and Dauntsey’s – we added Prior Park football team to the fixture list this year and had our

GIRLS The girls’ football activity has been a real success this year, with over 20 girls attending regularly.

In May, we took two teams, consisting of girls from Year 8 to 10 to the U15 BANES festival which was their first competitive fixture.

It was a great competition that the girls enjoyed and we look forward to future fixtures in girls’ football.

first ever home and away fixture against this team.

For the first time in living memory, there was a Year 10 match played this year in which we came away with a commendable 1-1 draw against Beechen Cliff.

It is worth mentioning the Year 13 leavers who have proved to be stalwarts of the first team and played in every match: joint captains, Johnny Lester and Jack Gould (who also played first team when in Year 11), central defender Rex Evans, midfielder Rayan Roubaie and probably the player of the season, Ted Nightingale, our ever dependable goalkeeper. Caleb Bond and Haru

Ishizaka also featured heavily in the second half of the season, in fact Haru ended up being joint highest scorer with Year 11 Jake Wilson, who we will sorely miss as he moves on.

Notably, Jake was unavailable for the three matches we lost.

The second team, coached by Mr Gordon, were well led by Theo Gooding, and Edan Ledbury provided several important goals throughout the season, managing to score with most parts of his body! Zach Hale was crucial to the success of this team as were Max Gooding, Roman Kotciuba and James Eayres. With lots of talent coming through in Years 12 and 11, once again the future looks bright for football at Kingswood.

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | OUTDOOR PURSUITS

OUTDOOR PURSUITS

OUTDOOR SURVIVAL Pupils have enjoyed the Outdoor Survival Club as one of their co-curricular activities this year.

YEAR 7 HIKE JUNE 2022

47 pupils and staff enjoyed an excellent day out on the Marlborough Downs - completing a 9-mile walk taking in Barbury Castle and Avebury. The weather was perfect, dry and not too hot, and everyone walked very well and were excellent company.

OUTDOOR PURSUITS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

YEAR 8 HIKE SEPTEMBER 2021

46 Year 8 pupils enjoyed a beautiful walk over the Mendip Hills in glorious weather.

YEAR 9 HIKE MAY 2022

68 pupils and staff completed a 9-mile circular walk from Priddy in the Mendips taking in the narrow Ebbor Gorge. Everyone walked well and enjoyed the spectacular views over the Somerset levels.

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | OUTDOOR PURSUITS

TEN TORS EXPEDITION

After a very successful training programme including local walks and trips to the Marlborough Downs and Dartmoor, Kingswood pupils were once again able to participate in the Ten Tors Expedition in May after two years without an event due to Covid.

The three Kingswood Ten Tors teams all completed their routes with time to spare. Conditions were near perfect for much of the weekend, although there were a couple of hours of really challenging navigation each morning as there was a thick mist which took time to burn off.

Kingswood A 35-mile team, consisting of team leader Dan Woodward, Charlie Whishaw, Evie Campbell, Gaby Davies, Tilly Byrne and Poppy Squires, reached the finish at 11am having done route J, an anti-clockwise route around the North Moor.

Kingswood A 35-mile team

Kingswood Sixth Form 45-mile team

The Kingswood B 35-mile team, consisting of team leader George Cardwell, Jago Dunn, Max Graham, Barney Leach, Wills Hudson and Archie Hamilton, finished at 12.30pm having completed route K, a similar route but clockwise.

Finally, the Sixth Form team of team leader Rory McLeod, Freddie Stockton, Oscar Lambert, Connie Slater, Grace Cardwell and Tobina Laurence completed their longer 45-mile route U at 2pm, which went as far south as Peat Cot on

Kingswood B 35-mile team

the South Moor and included some really long and challenging legs.

The most pleasing aspect of the weekend was that all three teams finished together as complete teams of six, showing excellent teamwork throughout.

Particular thanks must go to Mr Mansfield for all of his hard work as Team Manager this year and in recent years, which has ensured the continued success of Kingswood teams in the Ten Tors event.

OUTDOOR PURSUITS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD 2021-22 It has been another very successful year for DofE at Kingswood with a total of nearly 200 pupils participating across the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.

Particular congratulations to the eleven former and current pupils who had achieved their Gold Awards this year by the time of writing.

• Former students: Emily Davies, Dominic LambertRose, Joshua Nicholson, Miya Cameron, Elouise Penfold, Max Mohr • Current Students: Emily Ardus, Grace Ardus, Jasmine Harvey, Olivia Taylor, Jacob Fadipe

BRONZE DofE EXPEDITION The Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Qualifying Expeditions took place on the weekend of the 18-19 June, with 93 Year 10s completing two days on the Mendip Hills.

The groups walked one of two routes, but both took in the popular Cheddar cliffs just to the east of Cheddar Gorge, Beacon Batch (the highest point on the Mendip Hills) and the delightful Chew Valley. The Bronze participants experienced varied weather, with mist on Saturday morning, heavy showers on Saturday evening and sunshine on Sunday morning. The groups coped pretty well with the damp conditions and most were able to remain dry in their tents. The steep hill climbs, inquisitive cows and at times intricate navigation also represented challenges. However, all of the participants overcame these and made excellent progress over the two days.

JUNE 2022

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SILVER DofE EXPEDITION

JULY 2022

On the weekend of Friday 1 to Sunday 3 July, 40 Year 11 students embarked on their Silver qualifying expedition to Exmoor National Park.

Walking in groups of between 5 and 7, they tackled the highest point on Exmoor on the first day, Dunkery Beacon.

After the long hill leading up to the beacon, they were met with glorious views over the Severn Estuary towards Wales. They then descended towards Porlock and stayed at a rustic campsite with beautiful views over the coast. Day 2 saw the groups pack away in heavy rain, with most groups then heading West along the coastal path – a route which looked easy on the map, but actually was very undulating with numerous diversions around land slips. Most groups managed to stick to their planned routes and made the long walk to Cloud Farm campsite in the Lorna Doone Valley.

Some arrived with nasty blisters and others with ticks attached, but all were in high spirits and ready to get some rest ahead of the final day. Day 3 routes took them through valleys and up over open moorland where they trudged through deep bogs and heavy drizzle. All groups finished in excellent time and were relieved for the sit down on the journey home.

OCTOBER 2022

GOLD DofE PRACTICE EXPEDITION During the first four days of the October half term four groups of Sixth Form students successfully completed their DofE Practice Expedition in the Black Mountains.

Starting in Tretower near Crickhowell the groups followed a varied route taking in Llangors Lake, Twmpa, Llanthony Priory and Sugar Loaf before finishing on the outskirts of Abergavenny.

The pupils walked and camped really well despite facing some challenging weather and, as a result of recent Covid-19 restrictions and limited expedition opportunities, having less experience than is usual for pupils completing this expedition.

OUTDOOR PURSUITS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

GOLD DofE EXPEDITION During the first week of the summer holidays, 25 Year 12s embarked on their Gold Duke of Edinburgh qualifying expedition.

JULY 2022

The four groups had five stunning days in the Lake District. The first day involved some orientation in the Langdale Valley before a trip into Ambleside to get some supper.

The ‘expedition proper’ then started the following day as all four groups made their way from Langdale to Borrowdale.

Groups faced their first brutal test as they either climbed up to Angle Tarn or over Stakes Pass. On the second day all groups took in High Raise, which at just over 760m, was the high point of the four days for all. On the summit, they were not disappointed by the views of Scafell Pike and most of the central fells.

On the third day groups followed in the footsteps of Wordsworth as they made their way through Grasmere and then up and into Grisedale before camping at the southern edge of Ullswater. On the final day, the groups had the luxury of keeping low and walking along the shores of England’s second largest lake before finishing at Pooley Bridge.

Congratulations to all of the participants for passing this section of their award.

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | ASSOCIATION CAFÉ

ASSOCIATION CAFÉ LAUNCHED This year we celebrated the official launch of the ‘Association Café’ for Sixth Formers, located in our dedicated Sixth Form Centre.

Our students in Year 12 and 13 have had the benefit of having their own dining room for some time but the new addition of this café, with large windows overlooking the beautiful city of Bath, provides a quiet space for students to concentrate on their studies.

Students enjoy freshly-baked cakes made by the very talented Daisy in the school catering team, or a choice of savoury snacks, along with a choice of hot or cold drinks.

The Kingswood Association has helped to make this possible by providing a very generous contribution to the Café, which is the first stage in the planned re-development of our much-loved Dixon Sixth Form Centre.

Pupils are already reaping the benefits of this facility and sharing their views. Some comments from our sixth formers include, “I don’t feel like I’m still in school” and, “The hot chocolate is amazing!”

It is clear that this has created an added benefit to their school life already and we are looking forward to sharing further development plans of the Sixth Form Centre soon.

ASSOCIATION CAFÉ | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | STAFF & LEAVERS

HEAD GIRL & HEAD BOY REFLECTIONS Anisha Gofton, Head Girl I joined this school towards the end of Year 7 and realised that it was where I belonged very quickly.

I started off very nervous about playing hockey for example, but decided to take a challenge and play in goal in Year 8 and have worked my way up into the first team this year, playing hockey to a standard I could have only dreamed of back then and with a group of talented, determined people I love and look up to, with a coach who has really shaped my whole Kingswood journey.

You can’t underestimate the impact of the staff here because they give so much of their time and energy into teaching us skills in and out of the classroom in order to make us better people. The Geography Department has been a second home through the A Level period, and they demonstrate how good people make the best role models. Not only the teachers though, but all the support staff also make this community what it is. From the beautiful grounds we take so often for granted, to the clean facilities, and the tasty cakes we are spoiled with for tea, these people make coming to school here a hundred times better.

I am so lucky to have been surrounded by all the amazing people in our year.

I’m so proud of how we have bounced back from the challenges that we have been confronted with. Whether it’s the group of us that have swum every Friday morning before school since year seven or Jamie, Emily, Alex, and I in our roles of responsibility, we have made such strong bonds within our teams. This last week of school will no doubt consist of a lot of emotion because of all the millions of memories, which have made up who we are today. Thank you so much Kingswood for believing in me.

STAFF & LEAVERS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

Jamie Wright, Head Boy It’s been fantastic to see the Kingswood community return to its usual action packed, nonstop schedule, especially for our final year.

Being able to mix years, spending time together in our respective houses, and having a full range of sports fixtures have been just a few of the things that we have all enjoyed getting back to normal.

Everyone that I have spoken to has said that this has been a great and really enjoyable year.

A few highlights have been the showcasing of the vast musical and dramatic talent the school has had to offer, my favourite being Antigone.

There has also been House Music, House Cross Country, House Entertainment and of course sports day, which I’m very glad to say Upper and School won (obviously).

Kingswood is going to feel very different next year, with both the Opies and the Hollywells leaving, as well as other great teachers.

Everyone would agree with me that they have all made such a difference

• HEAD BOY Jamie Wright • HEAD GIRL Anisha Gofton • DEPUTY HEAD BOY Alex Kellagher • DEPUTY HEAD GIRL Emily Ardus • PR:

Grace Ardus Rose Bates Annie Davis Angus Duncan Rory Ferguson Oliver Lechmere Olivia Taylor Robert Wilson

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to so many people’s lives in so many different ways, and at whatever stage of school they are in. They certainly received a fitting farewell from the school in Final Assembly, with many standing ovations, and I do hope they appreciate the positive impact they have had on so many.

A huge thank you must be said to the Heads of Houses for their tireless efforts around their houses, and the rest of the PR who have helped so much in the wider school with all the behind the scenes work this year. It’s been so great to work with them all this year, and I couldn’t have done any of it without Anisha. She really has been such a strong and confident Head Girl – the perfect person for this role. I am so thankful to have had such a caring person and a close friend, who has always gone above and beyond in everything she does, to work with.

And finally, thank you to all the leavers for making our final year such a great one, and for all the memories along the way. I have enjoyed it immensely. Good luck to all for next year, wherever the world takes you.

And to those still at school, as I said in my final speech – get stuck in to all there is to do here. You will cherish those memories for years to come.

...get stuck in to all there is to do here.

Up the wood.

THE PR

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | STAFF & LEAVERS

LEAVERS' DINNER

STAFF & LEAVERS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

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KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22 | STAFF & LEAVERS

TEACHING STAFF 2021-2022 NAME

JOINED

(SMT members shown in bold)

SUBJECT

NAME

JOINED

SUBJECT

Mrs Alexandra Matthews

23/04/2007

Geography; Senior Houseparent Summerhill

Mr Andrew Gordon-Brown 01/09/2020

Headmaster

Mr Gordon Opie

01/09/1990

Senior Deputy Head

Mr John M Davies

01/09/2017

Deputy Head (Academic)

Mr Ed Allchorne

13/06/2016

Biology

Mr David Allies-Curtis

01/09/2021

Art and Photography Teacher

Mrs Sophie Andell

01/09/2017

MFL

Mr Andy Barton

01/01/2018

Director of Music

Miss Rosie Bond

01/09/2019

MFL

Mrs Abi Bowman

01/09/2020

Psychology

Ms Jo Brayton

01/01/2022

Head of Drama

Mr Barnaby Brown

01/09/2010

Head of DT

Mrs Emma Brown

01/09/2017

Head of English; Head of Gifted & Talented

Mr James Brown

01/09/2009

Head of Boys' Games

Mr Stephen Brown

01/01/2011

Head of Art

Mr Richard Burton

01/09/1999

Head of Physics

Mr James Castrique

01/01/2018

DT Head of Study Support

Mr Jamie Matthews

01/09/2002

Assistant Head (Pastoral); PE

Mrs Lucy Meredith

01/09/2019

Mathematics

Mr Tom Moat

01/09/2017

Head of Geography

Miss Alice Moore

01/09/2016

English

Mrs Rebecca Murchison

01/09/2016

Mathematics

Miss Amy Murtagh

13/10/2020

Humanities

Mrs Sarah Musgrove

01/09/2021

Geography

Mr William Musgrove

01/09/2014

Physics

Mr George Newbould

01/09/2016

History & Politics

Miss Michelle Newman

12/01/2004

PE

Mrs Jenny Opie

07/09/1992

Head of Biology

Mrs Eugénie Pasco

01/09/2014

MFL; Head of Careers

Miss Una Paver

08/01/1990

PE; Biology; Senior Houseparent School

Mr Ed Peerless

01/09/2011

Head of Lower School Science

Mr Stephen Pentreath

01/09/2015

Head of Lower School; Chemistry

Mrs Amanda Phillips

01/09/2016

Classics

Mrs Ilona Chamen

01/09/2017

Miss Charlotte Chua

01/09/2015

English

Ms Emma Prowse

01/09/2020

Study Support

Mr Jude Chua

01/09/2010

Mathematics

Mr Bernard Redman

01/09/2020

Physics

Head of EAL

Mr Timothy Reeman

01/09/1988

Director of Sport

01/09/2010

MFL

Mr Liam Conner

01/09/2019

Mrs Monica Corripio-Lopez 28/01/2019

English

Miss Nadine Robinson

Mrs Nicola Curtis

01/09/2016

PE; Assistant Head of Lower School

Miss Bethany Rolfe

11/04/2016

Head of PSHCE; Biology

Mrs Sarah Dakin

01/09/2008

Head of Classics

Mr Jerome Shah

01/09/2018

Computer Science; Mathematics

Mr Daniel Darwin

01/09/2012

Head of History & Politics

Mrs Victoria Sim

01/09/2012

Head of Girls' Games

Mr John W Davies

01/09/1994

Director of Co-Curricular; History & Politics

Mr Matthew D Smith

01/09/2016

Mathematics

Mr Matthew W Smith

01/09/2016

Head of Mathematics

Mr Roderick Duke

01/09/2003

MFL; Houseparent Westwood

Mrs Laura Smyth

01/09/2011

Biology

Mr Steven Smyth

01/09/2012

Geography; Senior Houseparent Middle

Mr Olly East

01/09/2018

DT

Mr Gareth Edgell

01/09/2010

Head of Computer Science

Mrs Claire Edwards

01/09/2008

Head of Psychology; Assistant Head of Sixth Form

Mr Mark Snell

01/09/2017

Chemistry

Miss Louise Sobey

01/09/2019

MFL

Miss Sophie Elliott

01/09/2015

Art

Miss Charlotte Evans

01/09/2020

MFL

Mrs Janine Solomon-Gardner

01/09/2013

Computer Science Chemistry

Miss Alice Fox

01/09/2017

Mathematics

Mrs Nicki Sparks (Gerrish)

01/09/2013

Mrs Elaine Francis

01/09/2015

Music

Mrs Nat Stewart

01/09/2018

English

Mr Euan Gordon

15/05/2017

Geography

Mr Barney Stuttard

01/09/2018

Geography

Miss Natalie Hannah

01/09/2019

Head of Academic PE

Miss Kirsty Sutherland

17/08/2015

Head of EPQ; Librarian

Mr Darrell Harding

01/09/2002

Drama and Theatre; Senior Houseparent Hall House

Ms Najat Taibi

01/09/2018

Head of French

Mr Matthew Thatcher

01/01/2012

Head of RPE

Mrs Sarah Herlinger

01/09/2012

History & Politics

Mr Phil Hollywell

01/09/1991

PE; Geography

Mr David Walker

01/09/2009

Head of Languages; Head of Spanish

Mrs Sarah Hopkin

01/09/2018

Head of Economics

Mr Andrew Ward

01/09/2016

Games

Mrs Anna Knights

01/09/2004

Mathematics

Mrs Lizzy Ward

01/09/2013

Drama

Mr Jamie Knights

04/09/2006

Music

Mr Paul Watts

02/09/2019

Physics

Miss Felice Laake

01/09/2019

Biology

Mr Digby Webb

01/09/2015

PE

Ms Priscilla Lam

01/09/2017

Head of Mandarin

Mr Luke Lorimer

01/09/2021

Mathematics

Mr Roger White

01/09/2012

Mathematics; Senior Houseparent Upper

Ms Nicola Lowe

01/09/2019

Study Support

Mrs Jo-Anne Wilcock

23/04/2012

Chemistry

Miss Harriet Wilson

01/09/2013

RPE; Head of Activities

Dr Jenny Wood

01/09/2016

Head of Chemistry

Mr Peter MacDonald

01/09/2003

Assistant Head (Academic); History & Politics

Mrs Juliette Mainwaring

01/09/2003

English; Senior Houseparent Fonthill

Mr Craig Woodgate

01/09/2001

Head of Sixth Form; History & Politics

Mr Rory Mansfield

01/09/2017

English

Mr Tristram Wright

01/01/2020

Economics

GOVERNORS 2021-2022 Mr Paul Baines

Miss Beth Garner

Mr Danny Lau

The Revd Dr Jonathan Pye

Mr Chris Stafford

Mrs Helen Bools

Mr Malcolm Gordon

Mr Tim Lindsay

Mr Andrew Tait

Mr Ian Falconer

Mr Robert Hill

Dr Clare Millington

Major General Anthony (Tony) Raper

Mr Peter Freeman

Mr David Humphreys

Mrs Dorothy Nancekievill

Mrs Morag Smith

Mr Otty Warmann

STAFF & LEAVERS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

STAFF LEAVERS Teachers at Kingswood are a very talented group of people. Wesley set the bar high to recruit teachers back in 1748 and we set the bar high today. However, eventually we must say goodbye; sometimes after a short period, other times after decades of serving our community. The following words are an adaptation of the Headmaster’s valedictions to these members of staff.

MR PHIL HOLLYWELL & MRS CERI HOLLYWELL Mr Hollywell started his career here 31 years ago at Priors Court, the historic feeder prep school, and when that school closed and moved to Bath, Mr Hollywell moved as well.

H

e is a born school master and although has a gruff exterior, it belies a heart of gold and a deep care for our pupils. His contribution to Kingswood, in Sport, Geography and in Westwood has been the stuff of legend. The culture of care and kindness starts in Westwood and as Houseparent, Mr Hollywell has given thousands of Kingswood pupils the best start to their school careers.

When Mr Hollywell wrote to me to say he was retiring, there was mild panic in the ranks. Not just because we would be losing Mr Hollywell, but also because this would mean we were probably going to lose his other half (some might say his better half) in Mrs Hollywell. She has been the beating heart of Westwood, the second mum to many, the person who more than anyone else has reunited Westwood pupils with their lost property. Thank you for your huge support to the Westwood team through the years and, of course, for keeping Mr Hollywell on the straight and narrow.

Mr and Mrs Hollywell, thank you for your service to Kingswood and we wish you well.

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MS NADINE ROBINSON Ms Robinson has been a teacher of French and Spanish with us since 2010. She moves to KPS to take the role of Head of MFL there from September but we will see her at the Senior School from time to time. I am looking forward to an ongoing and developing relationship to work on the vision for MFL across the Foundation.

MR DAN CATER Mr Cater has been our Graduate Assistant and has immersed himself in school life this year. He has now secured his first teaching post as a PE teacher, which is about the most competitive teacher market in the UK. He will be missed.

MR PAUL WATTS MR MATTHEW THATCHER Mr Thatcher taught RE from January 2012, and was promoted to Head of the department from September 2013, and Westwood Resident House Assistant from September 2017.

He has been an excellent tutor to Year 7 and Gifted and Talented students. He has made a huge impact on RPE education, planning and delivering bespoke schemes of learning for all in the school, resulting in excellent outcomes in examinations, and organised the Indian Himalayas trip in 2017. He has been someone who gave balance to students’ spiritual experience and he leaves us to take up a Head of Department position at Stonar School.

MR WILL MUSGROVE Mr Musgrove joined us in September 2014 as Teacher of Physics. He has been an inspirational teacher and has engaged many reluctant physicists over the years!

In 2016 he took on the role of Sustainable Developer and World Action Coordinator and he holds the record for leading more clubs and activities than anyone else! His joy, energy and optimism will be missed as he pursues his next path as a consultant in Sustainable Development.

Mr Watts has been a Part-Time Teacher of Physics with us since 2019, after a previous 9 years in a Deputy Head role. His experience meant our pupils were in safe hands. We will also miss his contribution to the football programme.

MR ANDREW WARD Mr Ward has been a Senior School Games Teacher since September 2019, making a huge contribution to the Department. He has co-ordinated the ECA Programme and also taught Games at KPS.

MR JEROME SHAH Mr Shah joined us in 2018 as a teacher of Computer Science and Mathematics and in 2019 decided to focus on Computer Science.

He brought significant subject knowledge and expertise to his lessons, being particularly excellent at coding. Jerome helped to develop the Computer Science curriculum and enhance the co-curricular provision in the Department.

MR RORY MANSFIELD Mr Mansfield has taught English with us since September 2017.

As well as leading the Literary Society, he has also contributed significantly to the cycling and outdoor education with the management of Ten Tors and DofE expeditions.

STAFF & LEAVERS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

MR MARK SNELL Mr Snell originally came as maternity cover in the Chemistry Department in September 2017 and his contract just kept getting renewed for the next few years! He has significant experience and wisdom and has taught with real joy and flair, having so much charisma and energy. This year, he rallied the winning team at the Big Bang Competition and he will be greatly missed.

MRS AMANDA PHILLIPS Mrs Phillips has been with us since September 2016 as a Part-Time Teacher of Classics. She has been a huge support to Mrs Dakin, has helped with EPQ and single-handedly delivered our Greek offering which has enabled passionate classicists to pursue their interests. Mrs Phillips is hugely knowledgeable and is leaving us for a position at Cambridge University.

MRS REBECCA MURCHISON Mrs Murchison joined us in January 2016 as a Part-Time Teacher of Mathematics. She has been a very dedicated and conscientious teacher who is particularly thorough in her preparation. With her husband leaving the forces, they have some exciting plans to make the most of the flexibility this gives them.

MISS KIRSTY SUTHERLAND Miss Sutherland, our much-loved Librarian, leaves us to move back up to Scotland to be nearer to family. She leaves her positions as School House resident boarding assistant, Head of EPQ, tutor, and custodian of the library – one of the great pastoral spaces at school.

We wish you all the best.

MR RICHARD BURTON Mr Burton has been our Head of Physics for 23 years since September 1999 and stood in as our Head of Science in 2012-2016.

He has demonstrated steadfast academic leadership of a highly successful department in terms of numbers and outcomes. He has run subject clinics and helped Oxbridge students. He has been a Year 10 and 11 Tutor in Hall House and has contributed significantly to the Outdoor Pursuits programme in kayaking, climbing, DofE and Ten Tors. He cycles to work it seems every day and is as fit as a fiddle! He tells me that he is now looking forward to going off in search of steep hills to conquer on his bike. Thank you for your many years of service and we wish you well.

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MR GORDON OPIE & MRS JENNY OPIE

It was heart-warming that Mr and Mrs Opie received a standing ovation several times during our end of term events.

M

rs Opie came to Kingswood in 1992 as Teacher of Biology and was promoted to Head of Biology in 2003. It has been a hugely popular department and Mrs Opie has inspired an endless number of pupils to love the subject. She has also made an extensive commitment to co-curricular activities, not least swimming. My experience of Mrs Opie is that she should win the ‘Do all the good you can’ award. Her thoughtfulness and care for the members of this community is legendary. When we arrived at school two years ago, she came around with a whole hamper of delicious homemade goodies that frankly would put Fortnum and Mason to shame, but this wasn’t just a special occasion – she does this for everyone. She has done a huge amount of charity work for projects in Malawi, not least the organisation of the annual Malawi Christmas Market and Grand Jumble Sale and has been our liaison with Malawi schools. Thank you Mrs Opie for inspiring an endless number of pupils to love Biology and thank you for leading our charge as a community to 'do all the good we can'.

STAFF & LEAVERS | KINGSWOOD IN FOCUS 2021-22

2010

2012

2018

MR OPIE’S RULES FOR SUCCESS: 1. If you are going to do a job, do it properly.

2. If you are not early, you are late.

3. Make the most of every day, it is a privilege.

4. No time spent with people is wasted time.

5. Life is a journey.

6. Be kind and have integrity.

M

r Opie was a pupil at Kingswood and returned here in 1990 to teach as Director of PE. He soon became Senior Houseparent of Middle House where collectively Mr and Mrs Opie engendered a unique loyalty from all the boys in their care, both day and boarding. Mr Opie was then appointed Deputy Head in 2009.

Loved and respected in equal measure, it’s impossible to overstate Mr Opie’s contribution to Kingswood. Before you saw him at the crossing at morning drop-off, greeting all the pupils by name, he had most likely already taken early morning tennis, hockey or swimming, overseen the boarders coming through breakfast, popped in to see if the Head was alright, and patrolled once around the school. The rest of Mr Opie’s day always continued in this vein, making time for everyone who asked and being a great standard

bearer for the values of Kingswood.

Mr Opie loves his hockey and he successfully coached the 1st Hockey teams. During the last week of term, over 100 alumni, pupils and parents came along to the Lower Astro to play some hockey to pay their respects, which tells you so much about the high regard in which he is held. There is a new bench, donated by Kingswood parents, situated above the Lower Astro which will have Mr Opie’s name on it. Next time you are watching a hockey match, or indeed any sport on the Lower Astro, rest a while to remember Mr Opie and smile.

We have all benefited from having Mr Opie as a benevolent figure watching over us and doing his best to care for each and every member of staff and all pupils. He certainly is a godly man.

I’m delighted that there are many other staff who have been

Mr Opie, you came here as a boy, worked here as a man, and retire as a legend. mentored by Mr Opie over the years and, despite the fact that we have had to replace him with about three people, I feel confident that Mr Opie’s outstanding pastoral work and general strategic input will live on through other excellent people who are cut from the same cloth.

Mr Opie, you came here as a boy, worked here as a man, and retire as a legend.

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Lansdown Road, Bath BA1 5RG T. 01225 734210 E. admissions@kingswood.bath.sch.uk www.kingswood.bath.sch.uk