Robert Rose Society Lunch 2025 Captain of School’s Speech
Good morning everyone and thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about my time at King’s.
There are so many aspects of S chool life that I could talk about today but I know I have limited time so I will aim to give you a flavour of what it has meant to me to be a pupil here. To be honest it feels strange to be starting to refer to being at King’s in the past tense. I cannot believe how fast the last 5 years have flown by.
Joining as a Shell boarder those 5 years ago could have felt daunting. Yes, of course I had those butterflies and nerves, but those soon passed. We often make a point of mentioning our location, surrounding , facilities and cathedral setting , which are, of course, amazing. I have loved all these aspects but even more important to me from that young, less spotty first year Shell to the 6A pupil of today is that I have always felt part of something , part of a community, and part of an extended family.
I’m sure many of you are familiar with the S chool. If not, and you have the opportunity I would encourage you to take a walk around. There is what I call the natural ‘buzz’ within this special place and it is something I think is underestimated. It’s how pupils and staff interact with each other, how a kindness and consideration permeates through everything we do. Whether that’s in the classroom, cheering on a sports team, attending concerts to support musicians, discussions in the dining hall or joking around with the cleaners in the boarding house. King’s is one of the most prestigious schools in the country, the world even, but it is not at all elitist or selfcentred. To me it has always felt like home.
I have so many fond memories of my time here at King’s. There have been some big events which will stay with me but in years to come, when I look back on my time here I suspect it will be the small, seemingly insignificant things that will resonate with me the most. The continuous fun with friends
in the boarding house, especially during stressful exam periods, like now, socials between boarding houses, singing songs in the changing room after a match and last but not least, the major sporting event which is the mixed staff and pupil darts competition.
As well as the academic rigour you would expect of a school like King’s, it has an amazing array of co - curricular activities to suit everyone. I have always loved sports, particularly rugby and I remember when I was first selected to play for the First XV while I was still a Fifth. I was so proud to be part of the team. The players and coaches made me feel I belonged. We have not been the best rugby school during my time, far from it. We have won some and lost some. But, that didn’t matter. It wasn’t about winning all the time, it was being part of that team that was important.
As you will know, music is a huge part of the King’s experience. We have some amazing young musicians in the School, and they have all the opportunities to develop their skills further and perform at a high level. That said, music can be part of any pupil’s life, regardless of how naturally talented they are. The music teachers here are dedicated and passionate. I play the trumpet and I know I would not have reached my current standard with out them. I currently have braces on my teeth which certainly make it more difficult to play the trumpet. That said my teachers have continued to encourage and push me to perform and develop my playing abilities in many creative ways. Being part of a full symphony orchestra with the whole S chool choir behind you performing Mozart’s Requiem to a full Canterbury Cathedral is an experience like no other.
School trips are an incredible part of life at King’s. I have been fortunate to visit some amazing places during my time here. A combined rugby and hockey tour to South Africa and playing cricket as the sun was setting in the Himalayan mountains with friends, teachers and guides. How do you top that. I still loved our Geography field trip to Swanage. We had such a great time. We even learnt some geography.
I gave a speech to the open day visitors yesterday. One point I made is how well King’s develops and nurtures pupils to shape them into well rounded individuals that are able to take on the opportunities and challenges ahead of them. You arrive as a child and leave as a young adult and King’s provides the perfect environment to navigate these key years in life.
I think if I had to sum up my experience in a few words, which would probably be echoed by my fellow pupils, I would say that life at King’s has been a full and fulfilling one. It is incredibly special to be part of this amazing S chool. I have my hard working parents to thank for that. The vast majority of parents though cannot fund this type of education for their children, especially in the current economic and political climate. It is only because of the generosity of donors to the S chool that it is possible for more children, from different walks of life and backgrounds to have the opportunity to experience King’s as I have been fortunate to do. Whether for bursaries or to support the on-going development of the S chool, donations are a critical part of preserving the S chool for the future.
Thank you to everyone that have made previous donations or are planning to in the future. Hopefully my short speech has provided a flavour of the opportunities that awaits any young person fortunate enough to benefit from your generosity.
Thank you for listening.