News from
Sporting Excellence Photo: James Crawley (Saint Ronan’s), Daisy Rex (Wellesley House), Edouard de Vitry d’Avaucourt (Ashdown House), Allegra Hinds (Highfield), Fred Sharp (Junior King’s), Callum Morris (Holmewood House), Grace Murray (Windlesham House), Flora Brett (Junior King’s), Jen Wilson (Head of Elite Development)
“It’s all about what goes on behind the results.” “It helps you to avoid injuries.” “You get to choose your sport for one to one coaching.” “I’ve really enjoyed the programme.” These are some of the comments made by Year 9 members of the Sports Excellence Programme, Triple Olympian Jen Wilson who runs the programme,
explains how it works: “Pupils join either as a result of Sports Scholarship results or as part of our ongoing selection process. We currently have nearly 60 pupils enrolled across the school. We run two group sessions each week which focus on the physical aspects and help individuals develop into elite athletes.
Additionally pupils have an hour every week for a one to one session with one of our expert coaches inthe pupil’s chosen sport.” The enthusiasm which Jen and her team engender in the pupils is palpable. As one commented: “You have to work hard, but we are very lucky to have a programme like this.”
London Reception
Great Debating King’s teams achieved the high honour of competing in both the Cambridge Schools’ International Finals and Oxford Schools Competitions whilst Josie Patterson (Junior King’s) and Eóin Pickstone (New Beacon) were crowned London South regional champions in the International Competition for Young Debaters. Eóin was singled out as one of the top five individual speakers in the competition and the pair went on to the finals at the Cambridge Union. Mike Cox, Head of Debating, puts down this year’s success in great part to “the fantastic foundations laid by Alanna Fraser, who held the post previously”. He adds: “The best thing is to see the huge fun which Debating generates. As well as the academic benefits, it is great to see the sheer buzz generated by going head to head - pupils just love it!” Photo: Josie and Eóin in the Cambridge Union Debating Chamber
Heads and other staff enjoyed a Reception for London Prep Schools hosted by King’s at The Royal Academy in February. In spite of Storm Doris which caused travel disruption that day, 16 schools were represented at the Reception which coincided with the Academy’s exhibition of Russian art from the revolutionary period with some guests taking the opportunity to visit prior to the Reception. A special highlight of the evening was a performance by the A Cappella group. Photo: The Headmaster congratulates our singers: Angus Clews (Dulwich Prep Cranbrook), Louise Gerth (The Chorister School, Durham), Charles Lin (Diocesan Boys Hong Kong), Caroline Loane (Lady Margaret), Beatrice Ninham (Junior King’s), Florence Roberts (Wellesley House), Oscar Saarbach (Ecole Francaise Lausanne), Jeremy Wan (Ying Wa College Hong Kong)
Issue No 4, 2017
New Magazine For Preps
King’s Pupil/Ski Star
June 2017 sees the first issue of “Mind’s Eye Prep”, a brand new magazine for Prep Schools. Anthony Lyons, Head of Creative Writing at King’s whose brainchild it is, explains: “It aims to provide a vehicle for Prep school pupils’ writing and to give them a voice about any aspect of the world they choose. Subjects range from sporting heroes to the environment, space, art and emotional issues, and many more besides. The idea is to give freedom of expression to young writers and I am very excited by the wide interest shown so far.” The new publication, which is modelled on Mind’s Eye, a yearly magazine written entirely by pupils at King’s since 2011, will be distributed in June. Anthony hopes that Mind’s Eye Prep will develop in the future: “This is just the first year and I hope that more and more schools will want to contribute once they have seen this first edition.”
EP
PR
2017
Bully Victims
How
Global g Warmin it s is Ta ki ng
Must Not Suffer in
e Silenc
toll
lity
The Futi of th eVietna
War
m
World Peace?
What u G ive
Yo Wou ld for
Mind’s Eye Prep | 2017
1
Millie Knight (Northbourne Park) has very much made her mark since she first came to national prominence representing GB at the Sochi Paralympics in 2014 aged just fifteen. A whole string of successes followed and in March 2017 her gold and two silvers at the World Championships in Italy with her guide Brett Wild, underlined her calibre. Now Millie looks forward to the South Korea
Paralympics in 2018. In the meantime she is working very hard for her A level Photography and her BTec Sport (equivalent to 2 A levels). A key question is how Millie manages to fit her school life in with her skiing career. “It’s certainly been very hard work to keep the balance as a full-time student and full-time athlete. The school has been great and has really helped me. I communicate with teachers by email and there have been Skype calls too. Northbourne Park was such a good preparation for King’s - I learned a good work ethic there which made the transition very easy.”
Geologically Active
Millie now looks forward to the 2018 Games before she goes to Loughborough in autumn 2018 and jokes, in typically modest fashion,“if selected”! Millie adds that in the meantime, once her During the Spring holidays A level geologists enjoyed an excellent visit to Dorset’s Jurassic coast. The focus of the three day 6B expedition to the Lulworth Cove area was the geological history of Britain and provided essential context for classroom and exam work. The Dorset expedition complements a further trip to Tenerife in 6A. A week’s stay during the Autumn half-term to look at a whole range of volcanic features on and around Mount Teide, rounds off the coursework element of the A level. Under the guidance of Mike Mawby, Head of Earth and Planetary Sciences (as Geology is now
coursework deadlines are out of the way, “I want to really enjoy my last term at King’s. I have loved it here and want to make the very most of it before I leave.” known), the subject is a popular option with a good take-up at A level and university. GCSE Geology is also being trialled this year. As Mike explains, Geology is thriving at King’s because “It’s not just about rocks, but is a great opportunity to combine all the Sciences and has a whole range of applications to today’s world”. Dorset Geologists: Miss Kendrick, Patrick Prince (Saint Ronan’s), Olly Moore (Wellesley House), Will Oates (Junior King’s), Will Edgar (Junior King’s), Velvet Grainger (Cumnor House), Charlie Jessel (Wellesley House) Ed Birrell (Worth), Antonia Marsden (Broomwood Hall), Mr Mawby
Edited by David Hopkins, Head of Prep School Liaison (dnh@kings-school.co.uk)
Kings News 2017.indd 2-3
08/06/2017 14:07