The Chronicle 2024 / 2025

THE CHRONICLE

2024-2025

CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 03

The Arts 05

Boarding 25

House Reports 29

Sports 35

Highlights 45

Festival 69

Leavers 73

Cover Art: Betty Graap Intro Art: Oscar Vaughan

Speech Day Prizes 77

House | Boarding | Prefect Photos 82

Looking back on the 2024–2025 academic year, I have been reminded of what makes St Edmund’s such a distinctive community. Speech Day in July offered the opportunity to reflect on the year as a whole, and it was clear that our pupils and staff had approached every aspect of school life with determination, curiosity, and a genuine sense of purpose.

Academically, pupils worked with real consistency. Their examination results reflected steady progress, but just as important was the attitude they brought to the classroom each day. We saw pupils ask thoughtful questions, support one another, and take responsibility for their own learning. These qualities mattered as much as any grade and shaped the tone of the school throughout the year.

The creative and performing arts continued to be an important strength.

The 275th anniversary gala production stood out as a memorable moment, involving a remarkable number of pupils and staff across music, drama, dance, and technical production. What impressed me most was the professionalism and collaboration behind the scenes; it was a project that truly brought the school together.

Our sporting calendar was equally busy. Teams competed well across all age groups, with individuals reaching county and national level in several disciplines. What defined the year, however, was not a single victory or fixture, but the consistent commitment shown in training sessions, early starts, muddy pitches, and the support pupils offered each other regardless of the result.

School life beyond classrooms and competitions was just as active. Pupils involved themselves in charity initiatives, outdoor education, leadership roles, and community events. Our boarding community, in particular, played a central role in shaping the rhythm of the year, contributing energy and maturity that enriched the whole school.

Alongside this, we continued to strengthen our academic and pastoral provision and made progress with long-term developments that will support the next phase of the school’s growth. These improvements have been the result of considered planning and the unwavering professionalism of our staff.

The year was marked by hard work, steady achievement, and a strong sense of community. I remain deeply grateful to everyone - pupils, families, and colleagues - who contributed to such a purposeful and positive year.

Edward O’Connor Head

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Sondheim & Weidman’s

ASSASSINS This has been a wonderfully successful year, both in the classroom and in co-curricular productions. Back in July 2024, the world was gripped by the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a political rally in Pennsylvania by lone gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks. I knew instantly that the time had come to tackle Stephen Sondheim’s lesser-known work, Assassins, known in theatre circles as notoriously 'difficult stuff'.

The show has a great deal of educational value, prompting discussions about history, politics, psychology, and morality, and our handpicked ensemble cast of actors were stretched like never before, their efforts culminating in one of the most thrilling, exciting, mature and challenging nights in the school theatre ever experienced, under the expert musical direction of Victoria Rowcroft.

Mark Sell, Head of Drama

The Cast

Daisy

Joseph

Oscar

Arthur

Sara Jane Moore

Leon Czologosz

President Gerald Ford, President James Garfield & David Herold

John Wilkes Booth

Olivia

Alexander

Lynette’Squeaky’ Fromme

Cesar Proprietor

Genevieve Emma Goldman

John Hinkley

Seamus Lee Harvey Oswald

Fred

Henry

Balladeer

Giuseppe Zangara

James Charles Guiteau

Charlie Samuel Byck

ENSEMBLE ELIZABETH Y STELLA R JODI H POPPY H LOTTIE H BETSY C

Jago Billy

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ST ED’S GOES TO LA The February half term saw Mr Sell, Mr Sykes and Mrs O'Connor leading a school trip to Los Angeles, seeing some first rate theatre, taking part in acting and film workshops, having fun at the best theme parks and film studios in the world, as well as enjoying each other's company, chilling together just soaking up the sights and smells of this incredible City of Angels.

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We arrived to sunshine, palm trees, and “Uncle Sam” at the hotel before heading straight out to explore Universal CityWalk — dancing, shopping, and soaking up the buzz of LA life.

Over the next few days, pupils threw themselves into every activity with enthusiasm and teamwork. Highlights included breathtaking views from the Griffith Observatory, an unforgettable performance of Noises Off by the renowned Steppenwolf Company, and a star-filled visit to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A workshop at the prestigious Stella Adler Academy gave pupils a deep and powerful acting experience that left staff immensely proud.

We enjoyed sunny lunches at the Farmers Market, beach walks from Venice to Santa Monica at sunset, and plenty of laughter along the way. At Sony Studios, pupils stepped behind the camera to see iconic sets and props, and later we joined the excitement of a UCLA basketball game — a masterclass in American showmanship!

Clara’s birthday was celebrated in true style at Universal Studios, with thrilling rides, magic, and endless fun. Our final day at Warner Bros. Studios offered one last dose of Hollywood sparkle, from Harry Potter and Friends sets to famous backlots and movie magic.

The trip ended with cookies at Crumbl, a bit of shopping, and a heartfelt farewell to the City of Angels.

Throughout the week, our pupils were a joy — kind, funny, open, and brilliantly behaved. Huge thanks to them (and to their parents) for making this one of the most memorable and uplifting trips we’ve ever taken.

Year 13 A level pupils undertook all three of their practical exams this academic year, starting with some high level, boundary pushing Artaudian pieces - possibly the best ever - and a fun, mystical Kneehigh-inspired reimagining of 'Blithe Spirit'. In the Easter term they rose to the challenge of performing in two very contrasting styles, one after the other, in front of the visiting examiner.

The performances ranged from rip-roaring ‘Goes Wrong’ comedies in the style of Mischief theatre company, to emotionally charged naturalistic scenes as well as scenes from dark, surreal dramas performed in underground performance spaces.

Everyone performed at the top of their game and we hope their efforts are well rewarded.

In addition our GCSE Drama pupils were doing their practical exams, compromising of scripted scenes and monologues, as well as pieces devised by the pupils themselves. The GCSE syllabus is very challenging and demands hard work, out of schooltime rehearsals, collaboration with peers, the acquisition of high-level individual performance skills - and a ton of bravery. It has been a long road for these pupils and we are very proud of their achievements. All of them rose to the occasion of having a live audience made up of parents. peers and colleagues; for most of them this was a first, never having performed dramatically in front of anyone.

As if that wasn't enough, at the end of the Lent term we put on 'St Ed's Goes Dancing: The finale', a sell out, crowd-pleasing event that the St Ed's community goes crazy for. But that one night, multi media event was months in the creating.

Bravo to both the Music and Drama teams - and a special thank you to ex pupil Mia Jenkinson for her wonderful choreography.

Arriving at the start of the summer term, there was no time to lose and we set off straight away with the L6th who performed their own reinterpretations of classic texts, using a variety of theatrical practitioners from Kneehigh to Frantic Assembly as well as 'director of the moment' Jamie Lloyd. Alongside this, the GCSE and A level pupils were cramming in some last minute revision before their written exams, whilst at the same time rehearsing lunchtimes, break times and after school for the Festival production 'The Canterbury Tales'.

Overall it has been an incredible year watching all our pupils grow, stretching themselves and excelling in ways that they never thought possible.

Well done everyone - now it's time for a rest.

Mark Sell Director of Drama

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STAFF LEAVERS

MARK SELL & HOWARD SYKES MARK SELL Where to start? It is 28th December 1963. Harold MacMillan is Prime Minister, The Beatles were Number 1 and, in South-East London, Mark Sell is born.

Mark grew up surrounded by colourful characters and had an unconventional childhood. Many of the most notorious and glamourous figures of the sixties were close family friends.

Fortunately, for us, he eventually chose the stage over a career in crime or modelling (Mark will tell you both were distinct possibilities).

Before joining St Edmunds in 2008, Mark spent twenty-five years as a professional actor and director, making his mark on British film and theatre with a unique mixture of talent, fierce intelligence, whiplash humour and a skill for chaos management.

He upset some of the nation’s finest character actors, famously clashing with Bernard Cribbens, Brian Blessed and even Gary Oldman on the set of Nil by Mouth when Mark had to drive a car past the camera and catastrophically missed his cue.

At St Edmund’s, he brought all of that energy - and more - to the Drama Department. From the first meeting, it was clear that productions would be ambitious. His planning process, affectionately dubbed “The Stages of Sell,” moves from visionary idea to chaotic expansion, occasional meltdown, and ultimate triumph. Whether it’s a cast of eighty hand-crafted animals in Animal Farm (mud replacing the horse manure, thankfully) or a scaffolding orchestra balcony for a Christmas show, Mark’s productions are never ordinary.

Mark sets high standards - relentless ones. He works himself harder than anyone else and expects the same from those around him. And yet, beneath the tough exterior is a deeply thoughtful, sensitive man who cares profoundly for his students and colleagues. Pupils respond because they trust him, enjoy the journey, and know that he will push them to achieve their best. The results are phenomenal: confident, articulate young people, countless spectacular productions, and a Drama Department that consistently ranks among the very best in the country.

Mark is also endlessly entertaining. From fainting in New York after a pupil collapsed, to getting the St Edmund’s tour group thrown out of a “Walking Dead” attraction in Los Angeles, to countless stories of outrageous antics backstage, his humour, energy, and larger-than-life personality have made every day memorable.

His impact goes far beyond the stage. He has nspired generations of pupils, shaped lives, and left a legacy of excellence, ambition, and

I imagination that will be felt for years to come.

Mark, thank you for transforming St Edmund’s Drama, for your unwavering pursuit of excellence, and for inspiring so many to find their voice, express themselves, and embrace creativity with courage. The stage will never quite be the same without you.

HOWARD SYKES Sometimes, schools get lucky. And we were very lucky indeed… to have Howard Sykes.

Before joining St Edmund’s, Howard was a senior acting coach at RADA, inspiring actors including Gemma Arterton, Taron Egerton, and Daisy May Cooper. From the start, his reputation for exceptional teaching was clear, and it wasn’t long before pupils were lining up for his classes.

Howard combines deep knowledge of acting theory with a classroom approach that is both demanding and supportive. The results speak for themselves: daring, imaginative, and often groundbreaking performances that leave audiences in awe. His visual imagination and gift for staging - whether Henry V, A Winter’s Tale, or a Junior School fairy tale—have consistently raised the bar for Drama at St Edmund’s.

Beyond teaching, Howard’s dedication has shaped every aspect of our productions, from scripts and projections to lighting and technical direction. Pupils - and colleagues - know him for his kindness, dry humour, and insight, which give students the confidence to take risks and discover their own voice.

Howard, it has been an absolute privilege to work with you. Thank you for inspiring generations of pupils, elevating St Edmund’s Drama, and leaving a lasting mark on our school community.

Ed O'Connor

MUSIC The Michaelmas Term started with the annual BBQ for Music Scholars directly after the first Symphony Orchestra practice in early September.

House Singing

Both Senior and Junior School House Singing Competitions were well-received, and the pupils approached both events with a sense of immense energy and spirit.

Whilst the final decisions were being made, a group from Baker house who received the highest individual mark in the House Music Competition, performed ‘Hotel California’. Thanks go to all the performers, staff and the band for making this possible in such a short space of time!

Senior School House Singing Results: Adjudicator – Donna McKevitt (composer and singer) Country Pop 1. Watson – Love Story (Taylor Swift) 2. Wagner – Islands in the stream (Rogers/Parton) 3. Baker – Man, I feel like a woman (Shania Twain) 4. Warneford – Life is a highway (Rascal Flatts) Results for the JS House Singing Competition: Adjudicator – George Inscoe (sub-organist at St Paul’s Cathedral, London) Abba Songs 1. Marlowe - SOS 2. Roper – Money, money, money 3. Becket – Mamma mia 4. Chaucer – Dancing Queen It was also a pleasure to hear the Pre Prep Crickets & Dragonflies sing I have a dream.

Pupils taking Practical ABRSM and Trinity instrumental and singing exams received predominantly merit and distinction results again this year, showing dedication consistently high levels of artistry from our young performers. Two concerts of mock A-level music recitals were given in January and the GCSE Performance Recordings were completed in March.

St Edmund’s pupils continue to have an enviable reputation outside the school; Jasper Gordon and Brandon Elms performed beautifully at a concert for prize-winners of the Kent Festival in June. A good number of St Edmund’s pupils have also performed in the Kent Festival Piano and

St Edmund’s pupils Daisy Baker (soprano), Katie Pennington-Arnold (alto), James Hodgkinson, (tenor) and Frederick Butler sang the solo roles in Hear my words, ye people by Parry. Music staff also demonstrated their professional expertise when Iva Butler, Catherine Futcher, Victoria Rowcroft, Greg Tassell, and Director of Music, Spencer Payne, and pupil Frederick Butler, gave an all Bach lunchtime concert in May. The Lunchtime Concert scene continues to provide a regular platform for young performers and pupils in the Junior and Senior Schools have the opportunity to perform twice each half term. Once more, Ami Watters gave her own 30-minute solo piano

Instrumental Festivals, held at the school in November and March, with Jasper Gordon winning the title of Kent Junior Pianist of the Year.

In Whitstable Choral Society’s Summer Concert,

recital of advanced piano repertoire, including Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and the fiendishly difficult Allegro Barbaro by Alkan. At the start of the day, a programme of performances for Senior

School pupils three times a week before Head’s Line and the two Chapel Services has continued, providing additional performance opportunities. In December, the joint music and drama production of Assassins by Stephen Sondheim was delivered with professionalism and the large, and demanding musical input was skilfully executed by a strong and talented cast.

Choral music is at the heart of the school and worship has been enhanced by the school choirs for the Harvest Festival, Eucharist, Remembrance and Advent Eucharist services. To mark the 275th year of the school, the St Edmund’s Day Service was delivered at the Cathedral this year and former pupil, Freddy Kempf, performed during the service and as part of a special 275th Concert in the evening.

The annual school Carol Service in the Cathedral with choirs from all three schools, including the Cathedral Choristers and Pre Prep, plus members of the SS Brass Ensemble, provided a fitting end to 2024. In October, the Upper Junior School Choir and the choir of Northbourne Park, joined forces with the altos, tenors and basses from St Edmund’s Chapel Choir to perform Evensong in Canterbury Cathedral. We also performed evensong in the Chapel in February and latterly in June as part of the St Edmund’s Festival.

Enrichment continues to further our overall musical experience; there was a piano workshop with Thomas Visek in September and music trips to see the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Marlowe in October and in April, and A-level Performance coaching was given by former parent and international saxophonist, John Harle in February.

In November, the Michaelmas Concert was an enriching and allencompassing event, involving JS and SS Musicians with all the main school ensembles. The Cathedral Gala Concert in March involved performers from St Edmund’s School Choirs, culminating in a joint choirs’ performance of Haydn’s Nelson Mass and we were joined by singers from St Faith’s, Northbourne Park and Spring Grove, amounting to over 200 voices, with pupil soloists Fred Butler (bass), James Hodgkinson (tenor) and Mrs Futcher (soprano) and Dr Rowcroft (contralto). In the first half, Sixth Form performers had the chance to play their final solos in the splendid surroundings of the Cathedral.

In mid-May, we had our annual Junior School Music Festival, with its varied classes and opportunities, supported by Jane Billing, our adjudicator and school governor. The following evening, the main Junior School Ensembles and Festival Prize-winners performed a full Summer Concert programme showing an immense range of talent.

To complete the academic year, the St Edmund’s Festival contained a breadth of musical items by pupils across the school in the Canterbury Tales, a Pupil Cabaret, Festival Evensong in the Chapel and a Lunchtime Concert for our finest instrumentalists and singers, and a Singing Day with Mark De Lisser. The Chorister Celebration event marked our 50+ year association with Canterbury Cathedral and brought together former and current choristers and staff.

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Austrian Adventures: Music, Culture, and Community Day 1 After a long and mostly traffic free coach journey, we arrived, safe and sound at Hotel Josef in Huttau. The pupils had a good splash in the hotel pool before having dinner at 6.30pm, followed by a free evening.

Day 2 – Salzburg After a good breakfast and rendition of happy birthday for Thomas M, we set off for Salzburg in the pouring rain. In good spirits, and after some refreshments, we performed a beautiful programme of sacred choral music lasting half an hour to an appreciative audience in the Cathedral.

A visit to Salzburg is not complete without a visit to the Mozart Museum where we viewed lots of interesting pictures, manuscripts and walked around Mozart’s accommodation. Thankfully, it had stopped raining by the time we returned to the hotel for dinner. In the evening, St Edmund’s pupils won 7-1 in a football match against German pupils, followed by a preparatory rehearsal for the following day and then enjoyed some free time.

Day 3 – St Gilgen After an early start, breakfast and a brief rehearsal at the hotel, we set off on our journey to St Gilgen. Before stopping for lunch, we had a lovely boat trip across the lake, admiring the beautiful view of the mountains. Our performance venue in the afternoon was spacious and covered; a good thing considering the inclement weather. After a rehearsal at the music pavilion, we performed a mixture of orchestral, band, choir and solo items to a good sized and appreciative audience before returning to our hotel for a late dinner.

Day 4 – Merengarten

Days 5 & 6: The Journey Home

After a super early breakfast at 6.45am, we departed the hotel to pick up lunch en route to our final excursion, the Ice Caves at Werfen. The first part of the excursion required us to walk for 20 minutes up to the cable car, then for a further 20 minutes to get to the ice caves. This was an exciting morning, with an hour spent underground admiring the spectacular rock and ice features by lamp light in freezing cold temperatures. After lunch, we travelled to our final concert destination at Merengarten, only to be delayed on the way by dozens of professional cyclists on their Tour of Austria.

The final concert drew a good audience and our varied 1-hour programme of orchestral, band and choral items, was well-received.

After thanking and presenting our tour manager and drivers with gifts, pupils were given honorary awards for their notable contributions to the trip during a late morning breakfast. It was also time to say goodbye to the lovely staff at Hotel Josef.

With the abundance of beautiful scenery around the hotel we will also miss the good food, accommodation and facilities that this great venue has to offer. It is always a sad time when we have to say goodbye to our amazing Upper Sixth, although I am sure that everyone will take away fabulous memories of the trip and we look forward to the next one – watch this space!

Yuki Zhang

ART CERAMICS PHOTOGRAPHY

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Betty Graap

Yuki Zhang

Jennifer Chongbang

ART Alaya Sherry

Irene Liang

Anna Musiiaka Betsy Coulthard

GCSE

Christelle Pineau

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Isla Berry Luca Routh

yaryna keleberdenko Tessa Braithwaite

Yuki Zhang

Betty Graap

A LEVEL

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Oscar Vaughan

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CERAMICS Emily Jackson

Violet Vant

Emily Jackson

Yuki Zhang

Taorui Song

Roya Rahman

Sulochana Jimi

Ines Adwan

Oliver Hissett

Ines Adwan

Samson Buck

23 Ash Crooks

Amelie Madalope Phillips

PHOTOGRAPHY

Betty Graap Cameron McKenzie

Roya Rahman

Charlie Alexander

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REPORTS

SENIOR BOARDING It was with considerable trepidation that I undertook the role of Director of Boarding this year; following the well-liked and very well-established Dr Jones would be no mean feat!

Thankfully both the boarding staff and the pupils instantly made me feel at home (as I literally was).

Welcoming the new boarders in September, making over 100 pupils in the boarding house, made for a busy start to the year and there was no time to reconsider my options.

Big trips were the order of the day in the Michaelmas term, and 86 boarders braved the thrills of the rollercoasters at Thorpe Park. At the end of November, 50 pupils enjoyed the festivities of some early Christmas Shopping in Oxford Street, London. This was followed by Christmas celebrations in house, decorating cookies, putting up the tree and making the Lower Common Room look very festive indeed.

Watching Mr Bonfiglio’s dancing with Matron, was quite a sight to behold!

Lent term began with a celebration of Chinese New Year. In addition, the adventurous theme continued with a hugely successful trip to a local Paintball centre. We also enjoyed seeing many of our boarders perform in the Gala Concert in the Cathedral.

The Summer term saw some cheesy additions to the events calendar in the shape of an ‘International Cheese Night’ and the ever-popular Eurovision competition. Edible cheese and auditory cheese were both hugely popular and look to become firm favourites year after year.

What must be mentioned is the seemingly endless rounds of the card game ‘Taco, Cat Goat, Cheese, Pizza’ in the evenings. If you don’t know what this is, please do yourself a favour and buy a pack. Milk and Biscuits will never be the same!

It has been a wonderful year. I cannot thank the fabulous Boarding team enough. Miss Harding continues to do an amazing job looking after the girls, so ably supported by Mr Bonfiglio and Mr Gartside. Mr Buckingham does a sterling job as my ever-present wingman looking after the boys.

Finally, we said two emotional farewells. First, to Hartley who left the school after over 20 years of service both in Boarding and on the cricket pitch. So many will miss his unique stories, humour and effortless skill. But all these pale in comparison with his immeasurable kindness. He has shaped the lives of many at St Edmund’s, and I know that his positivity and support have rippled around the world from our boarding community. We will miss him.

Second to Carol – our wonderful night matron – as she heads off to enjoy her retirement. She leaves an enormous hole in the boarding community, and it really won't be the same without her. We wish her the very best for the future.

In all, a busy and exciting year: we look forward to the next one!

Mr James Clapp

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REPORTS

SCHOOL HOUSE It’s hard to believe the school year is already over - it really has flown by. What a brilliant year it’s been in the Junior Boarding House. From the first weekend to the last, the house has been full of energy, laughter, and plenty of memorable moments. I’ve genuinely loved seeing each of the children grow in confidence, maturity, and kindness. They’ve done themselves proud, and I couldn’t be prouder of them either.

Life in the house has been just as full. Whether it was football on the astro, a treasure hunt around the corridors, board games, or movie nights with snacks and pyjamas, the atmosphere has always felt relaxed, friendly, and full of fun. One of the best things has been watching how naturally the children look out for one another - welcoming new boarders, helping each other settle, and being great company along the way.

Our weekends have been a real highlight. Sunday brunch quickly became a firm favourite - slow starts, good food, and time to just relax and chat together.

Saturdays, on the other hand, were often packed with adventure. We got out and about as much as possible: from a Canterbury city tour to cycling trips, Battle Blasters, the arcades, bowling, and a fun-filled day at the aqua park. Each trip brought its own moments of fun, challenge, and teamwork, and they’ve given us some fantastic memories to look back on.

What’s stood out most this year is the way each child has grown - not just in independence, but in how they treat others and contribute to the life of the house.

There’s been such a strong sense of community, and they’ve all played a part in creating that.

They’ve each made their mark, and I wish them all the very best for the future.

Mr Potts Acting Head of School House

REPORTS

Choir House

This was always going to be a tough year. On July 13th, we closed the doors to our beloved home for the very last time. It’s been a year packed with memories, music, and, of course, a fair bit of chaos the sort of chaos that makes Choir House the special place that it is.

The boys continued to sing Evensong on Tuesday and Saturday evenings, and Eucharist on Sunday mornings. They also rehearsed on Mondays and Thursdays. The term kicked off with a Scavenger Hunt on the first night back, and the boys enjoyed the mystery of finding clues scattered around the place, and maybe a few sneaky bits of chocolate too.

And if you thought life at Choir House was all about the singing, think again! Between rehearsals, there were plenty of Pizza Nights and - wait for it - Choir House Bingo. Yes, it’s true: the Bingo cards were filled with some of the most random combinations of Choir House events. But who could resist?

In the Michaelmas term, the boys had the honour of singing at the world premiere of a piece composed by Dominique Le Gendre, specially commissioned by Canterbury Cathedral. And of course, there were plenty of services to sing at during the festive run-up to Christmas. Who could forget the Christmas card photo, taken outside Choir House, illuminated by strategically-placed floodlights on wheelie bins? The boys donned their Christmas jumpers, while Miss Morley wore a Christmas dress - naturally.

Throughout the year, we were fortunate to have Mr Southey as our outstanding Deputy House Parent. His leadership, dedication, and patience helped guide the boys through countless adventures. We were also lucky to have Dr Tebbs-Warner join us as a Visiting Tutor and Orlando as a Resident Tutor. Both brought their unique energy and expertise, adding to the Choir House family in unforgettable ways. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to Miss Jane at Christmas, and her absence has been deeply felt by all of us.

Chaplain continued to be a regular visitor, offering help with prep and generally joining in with the fun, including a hilariously chaotic game of Scattergories. Burns Night in January was another highlight, with ex-choristers, Mr. Payne, and Mr. Comfort joining us for a celebratory evening. Yes, we did eat haggis (along with Irn Bru, of course), and Peter delivered the iconic Address to a Haggis with a truly exemplary Scottish accent. Brandon, on the other hand, read the Selkirk Grace with a slightly more ‘creative’ Scottish accent!

Easter Sunday saw the boys take part in a live broadcast for BBC Radio 4, marking the end of Easter Border Choir. Then, in the Summer term, the boys kicked things off with a trip to the cinema to see the Minecraft Movie (cue endless days of singing the Dennis song), and they also took part in a VE Day Service featuring music by Douglas Guest.

The end of the Summer term brought the Chorister Celebration as part of this year’s Festival on the Hill a celebration to remember. Ex-choristers returned to Choir House to bid their emotional farewells, marking the end of an era.

As the doors close on Choir House for the final time, it’s impossible not to feel the weight of all that has passed within these walls. The laughter, the music, the friendships, the shared meals, and the late-night talks that have defined so many of our lives are now just memories we carry with us. Choir House wasn’t just a place - it was home. A home where we grew, learned, and found something truly special in each other. The echoes of voices singing in the corridors, the sound of footsteps on the staircase, and the warmth of the shared moments will always stay with us.

As we say goodbye, there’s a sense of loss that no words can truly capture. The bonds formed here will never fade, and the memories made will always be part of who we are. Farewell Choir House.

Mary Morley House Parent

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REPORTS

HOUSE REPORTS

HOUSE REPORTS

BAKER

It has been another brilliant year in Baker House with many incredible victories, both inside and outside of school.

We have had lots of success on the sports pitch, especially in Hockey and Netball, with some superb team and individual performances. Pupils have tried activities for the first time as well as honed long-running skills. The House music competition was a triumph and we are ever impressed and grateful for the superb performances, and particularly Arthur's excellent coordination.

There have been some new successes this year in competitions like Ready Steady Cook and Aeronautics as well as maintaining our hold on the Inter House Quiz trophy. The House Cup once again came down to Sports Day and despite a great team effort and some record breaking results (well done Ines and Morgan!) we didn't quite get the points to win.

We would like to thank Miss Scally and all the wonderful tutors who provide support and encouragement on a daily basis.

There has been wonderful energy and willingness to get stuck in this year. Pupils have demonstrated determination as well as good grace in all House events. We look forward to another exciting year with plenty of treats to sustain everyone's hard work.

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Warneford House has once again shown what it means to embody teamwork, perseverance, and pride. Over the past year, Warneford has achieved remarkable successes—both in competition and in character—that deserve to be celebrated.

Warneford shone in recent sporting events, with our students displaying not only skill but also determination. From relay finishes to individual excellence, every achievement added to our house’s reputation for grit and resilience. Beyond the playing fields, Warneford students excelled in academic challenges, debates, and creative showcases, proving that our strength is not one-dimensional but well-rounded. Perhaps our greatest “win” is the way Warneford has consistently supported each other.

Whether cheering loudly from the sidelines or encouraging a friend before a test, the sense of belonging is undeniable.

What makes Warneford truly special is the spirit that binds us together. Our unity, energy, and encouragement fuel every success. Even when results don’t go our way, the resilience and positivity of our house shine through. Warneford’s spirit is not just about competition—it’s about lifting each other higher and celebrating the journey as much as the victory. Every shout of encouragement, every act of kindness, every effort on the field, stage, or classroom strengthens the fabric of who we are. As we celebrate our wins, we also celebrate the hopeful, determined, and spirited heart of Warneford students.

HOUSE REPORTS

WARNEFORD

HOUSE REPORTS

WAGNER

It’s been a whirlwind of a year for Wagner House with all the traditional favourites woven into a selection of new opportunities. Wagner pupils continue to impress with their array of sporting, musical and charitable commitments. They shone on the House singing stage, mastering some sign language to accompany their Kenny/Dolly classic, narrowly missing out on first place to the wonderful Watson entry.

House competition has been tense this year in general, with some very close calls in netball, hockey and football. Some excellent sportsmanship and a win in basketball were mirrored by success in archery, senior tennis and most importantly in House darts. We retained the cup on Sports Day as well as a couple of trophies for impressive individual cross country and athletics performances too. I am not sure how to classify an inter-House Rubix cube tournament but I’m nervous at the thought of only one more year with the inimitable Kelvin Choi at the crease. In the spirit of grass roots investment, I’ve already primed one of our Form 8 newcomers, who will be deep in training over the summer holidays no doubt.

House socials ran without incident and included regulars such as our September outdoor team challenge. Our Christmas celebrations were enhanced by some hot chocolate, crafts and live music in the old gym. Prize bingo was unsettlingly competitive in the Lent term, and we finished strongly with our very well attended, third annual trip to the beach this summer.

As usual, our Lines have been filled with Games and songs, dancing and quizzes. We have explored our sense of belonging and House spirit with some expressions of gratitude and admissions of worry.

Wagner pupils never cease to amaze me with their resilience, courage and humour. They make me laugh every day.

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We have also said heartfelt goodbyes to some of our tutors this year, to Mr. and Mrs. Millard and to Mrs. Wakefield who will be sorely missed by pupils and staff alike. Each parting has given us opportunity to have some fun though and an excuse for a library battle and a sneaky afternoon tea was appreciated by everyone. Our House Captain and vice, Henry and Marcus too, leave with our immense gratitude. I thank them all, so much, for all they have done to support the pupils in this House and we wish them well with their new adventures. Ruaraidh Aitken and Sanjana Joseph Gullipalli take the helm next year.

As I write, the fate of the House cup hangs in the balance, and I'm told it is a very close-run thing this year. Regardless of that outcome, I am immensely proud of all Wagner pupils for all they do and are. We look forward to another fun filled year ahead.

Wow, what a year it has been in Watson House! July is always a wonderful time to reflect on the year and celebrate achievements, and it has been a pleasure to share so many of them—both in the classroom and further afield in competitions, drama and music performances, sporting events, and much more.

The pupils have done a fantastic job supporting Watson House in a wide range of inter-house competitions: sport, music, drama, spelling bees, quizzes, and Sports Day, to name just a few. They have given their all, and while it’s always rewarding to celebrate victories, what stands out most is the Watson House spirit. The number of pupils who volunteer to represent the house is inspiring. One event where this spirit truly shone was the House Singing Competition. Our House Captain, Matilda Marriner, said this was the one competition she really wanted to win. With the expert guidance of Mr Swatman, we had a brilliant time learning Taylor Swift’s Love Story, rehearsing in the common room, and performing on the day—even the initially reluctant participants seemed to enjoy it by the end!

We also enjoyed great success in house hockey, football, netball, and basketball. The quiz and debating teams also performed brilliantly.

Debate takes a huge amount of preparation, organisation, and indepth research to form a compelling argument—hats off to all involved in delivering such strong performances this year.

Sports Day always feels like a fitting conclusion to the major house events, and this year’s was one of my favourites. The enthusiasm with which our pupils stepped up to represent the house—often in events they were not entirely confident in—was matched only by their support for one another from start to finish. It was a wonderful reflection of what it means to be a Watsonite.

We were delighted to welcome Mr Bonfiglio to the house as the new Deputy Housemaster during the Lent Term. At the same time, we said goodbye to Mrs O’Sullivan, who made the difficult decision to step down. I cannot thank her enough for her tireless support and calm, thoughtful approach in her role. She was deeply appreciated by both pupils and tutors, and she will be greatly missed. We wish her every success in her future endeavours.

Finally, a big thank you to Matilda Marriner for her leadership as House Captain this year. She has been a real credit to the house, and we wish her all the very best for the future. I am delighted to welcome Clara Taylor as our new House Captain and look forward to working with her and the new prefects next year.

As we say farewell to some wonderful pupils and staff, we send them off with our warmest wishes. Once a Watsonite, always a Watsonite please do stay in touch!

Mr James Anderson – Housemaster, Watson House

HOUSE REPORTS

WATSON

STORY COMPETITION

The Journey

by Ella B (Form 6)

A harsh wind blew over the plains and rattled the windows of a small village. It lay east of the marshes and south of the mountains and was all together quite in the middle of nowhere.

Corri gazed dreamily outside and twisted her slightly matted brown hair around her finger. The book she had been reading closed with a rustling sigh and and Hilton, Corri's pet frog, jumped eagerly up onto her lap, squeaking hopefully. But Corri grabbed her coat and mittens. She braced herself and swung open the heavy wooden door.

The wind buffeted her playfully as she walked on determinedly. The wreckage of the northern houses didn't affect her as much as it had done a few days ago, but still she pulled her hood down lower. Corri tried to ignore Hilton squirming around in her pocket, but failed. The last time he had been this fidgety had been just before ... before the first quake. Finally, after the agonising walk, she had made it. The shop was like a huge blanket wrapping all the customers up safely.

She stepped inside.

The bustling buzz comforted Corri and she took in a shuddering breath. Unzipping her coat, she walked over to the counter and examined the fresh fruits. Pears. Mother and Father liked pears.

Maybe she should bring them some. Vwwooom! The said pears jumped a whole five centimetres into the air. "Oh no!" whispered Corri as people began to scream.

The quake was short, but definitely the strongest one of the four. Corri had been running around through the dust trying to find shelter, but nowhere was safe. And then it was over. The dust settled and the villagers stood staring. Half the village had been turned over by the earthy raging beast. The mayor called a meeting and soon the village hall was full with people. "We must evacuate immediately. Take what you can and go," mumbled Mayor Hurst, leaving everyone standing around, dazed.

Fifteen minutes later Corri was walking across the empty landscape. Then, without warning, someone barged into her. "Hey ... watch where you're going!" snapped Corri. Beside her stood a tall boy with silvery blonde hair. He had to be one of the Elf tribes. "Finally, somebody," he panted.

"It's my fault. I took the Mountain's soul. And now the Mountain Beast is angry and quaking." He pulled a small stone with delicate swirling engravings on it and showed it to her. "I need your help," he concluded simply.

"What? No! I don't even know your name!" exclaimed Corri.

"Ah, Jacob," said Jacob pleasantly.

"No, I wasn't asking ... never mind," she sighed. She had heard about the Mountain Beast. "Fine" "Yes!" cheered Jacob.

The wind was harsh and the land sloped steeply upwards. They had arrived. It was a perfectly awful sight. Boulders were strewn everywhere.

"What do we actually do with the Mountain's soul?" asked Corri.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it!" said Jacob, very happy for the fact that they had been walking for half a day. The 'bridge' though presented itself easily. A stone platform with a hole in the middle lay at the top of the mountain. Jacob simply dropped the stone inside. There were a few seconds of painful silence and then a flash of light blinded them.

They were saved.

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STORY COMPETITION

The Journey of the Wind

By Sophie R (Form 3)

I suddenly felt darkness closing around me as the doors were closed and I suddenly realised I was being taken away. I heard a deep rumbling and I knew that it was the lorry engine as it moved slowly forwards. I felt a sudden jolt as it picked up speed. For a few hours I heard nothing except for the faint sound of birds and the wind rustling through the trees outside, and the deep rumbling of the engine as the day turned into night.

I woke up after sleeping on the dusty floor and I felt a light breeze. I realized the door was open and there were three humans outside holding halters and ropes. One of them came towards me and I reared up in fright, but he grabbed my mane and tied a rope around my neck and tugged it. I fought against them batting them with my hooves. The rope around my neck broke and after neighing at the humans I galloped towards the fence leaping over it and thundering across the quiet forest next to the city. I halted tasting the air before laying down on my haunches and falling asleep.

The next morning I woke up as I saw the edge of the forest as it sloped down into the steep moorland. Raising my head I trotted towards it my ears perked for the sound of danger. As I emerged onto the moor I felt the cold breeze and the tweeting sound of birdsong. I didn't know which way led home but I knew that if I followed the wind I would get there eventually.

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SPORTS JUNIOR SCHOOL This year has been a remarkable one for Junior School sport, filled with outstanding team achievements, individual development, and a vibrant sporting culture across all three terms.

MICHAELMAS TERM The Boys’ Football programme enjoyed exceptional success, with our U13 team completing a historic double, winning both the Shapira Cup and the Molten League—a rare achievement celebrated proudly in the chapel. Their resilience and teamwork, particularly in the decisive 2–2 draw at NBP, set a new benchmark for St Edmund’s football.

The U11 boys showed tremendous progress across a season of mixed results, highlighted by reaching the Plate Final at the Ashford Tournament. Leadership from Laurence S and Robert O helped drive the team forward, while strong defensive displays from Larry J and Alexander R and midfield dynamism from Noah A underpinned their development. Across the age group, all B, C & D teams represented the school with enthusiasm and pride.

In Girls’ Hockey, the U13s completed 17 fixtures with notable wins over NBP, King’s Rochester and Hoe Bridge, alongside competitive draws against JKS, Felsted and Orwell Park. With full B, C & D representation, every girl had the opportunity to take to the pitch, contributing to a season of continuous improvement.

LENT TERM

The Boys’ Hockey teams faced competitive fixtures against Sutton Valence, Kent College, Skinners, Simon Langton and Duke of York’s, securing some impressive wins along the way. The U11s also enjoyed a busy schedule against local rivals including Wellesley House and Junior King’s.

Girls’ Netball saw both the U11 and U13 squads demonstrate impressive skill and determination. The U11 A team enjoyed a strong season, finishing with an excellent win over Northbourne Park. Standout contributions came from defenders Lia, Ella and Mia, attackers Jasmin and Poppy, and shooters Alice and Evelyn. The B and C teams also showed clear growth in game understanding and teamwork.

SUMMER TERM Cricket flourished across the school. The U13A Girls Hardball team recorded several excellent wins, including a standout performance scoring 111–7 against Kent College, with Chloe Hill’s superb 27* the highlight. The continued growth of girls’ cricket was reflected in fielding three competitive softball teams, including a highly successful U13B squad who recorded five victories.

The U13 Boys enjoyed strong wins over Northbourne Park, Dover College and Duke of York’s, with colours awarded to B. Elms and B. Byde for their commitment. The U13B and C teams also celebrated notable triumphs, including a dramatic super-over victory for the C team and a four-wicket haul from Noah for the Bs. The U11s enjoyed a positive season capped by Luka’s extraordinary 50.

Athletics provided further excitement. The newly revamped Sports Day brought the school community together with festival-style energy, culminating in Roper House lifting the trophy, and Josie and Oscar crowned Victrix and Victor Ludorum. We were also privileged to welcome Olympian Jack Green, whose workshops inspired pupils across the Junior School. Our ESAA Track & Field squad trained tirelessly, with impressive team scores reflecting their commitment.

WIDER SPORTING LIFE

The return of fixtures across PE was complemented by our Hand–Head–Heart assessment approach, now firmly embedded in all lessons. This year also saw the return of the EKST Summer Sports Bonanza, with pupils collaborating in mixed-school teams across a range of challenges, expertly led by our Sports Science Sixth Formers.

Our Junior School Triathlon once again proved to be a highlight of the summer calendar. Every pupil took part, contributing to their House’s efforts across swimming, cycling and running. The atmosphere was electric, with friends and families cheering on competitors in what became one of the most inclusive and energetic events of the year. Marlowe claimed victory in the Lower School competition, while Becket topped the standings in the Upper School after an afternoon of excellent individual and team performances.

Both Lower and Upper School Swimming Galas were vibrant celebrations of participation and house spirit, with Marlowe taking the Lower School title and Becket winning the Upper School competition.

Finally, our Sports Scholars Programme completed its newly structured two-year cycle, offering a blend of seminars, conditioning, coaching experience and performance analysis. New netball kit was launched, with further exciting developments on the way—giving pupils even more opportunities to wear the badge with pride.

SPORTS SENIOR SCHOOL

Senior School sport has had an incredible year, with students stepping up in every arena and building a culture of commitment, enthusiasm, and pride.

MICHAELMAS TERM

individuals including Jack Edwards, Ngawang Sherpa, Josh Tucker and Sonny Mortenson, competition for places will be high in the next academic year.

In Girls’ Hockey the 1st XI had an outstanding season with the standout success being a win in the U18T3 competition and going through to regional finals where they came up against some reputable hocky playing schools, resulting in a 3rd place finish.

Through the season they registered wins against Kent College, Ashford, Langley Park and finished runners up in the Mel Clewlow Cup plate competition.

The Girls’ Football squad had to balance football and hockey commitments and entered the ESFA and Kent Cup competitions where they played against oppositions from state schools where girls’ football is prioritised.

The U15s have a plethora of talent with many Year 9s showing fantastic potential which bodes well for the future of hockey at the school. For many pupils this was their introduction to 11 a-side hockey, but this didn’t faze them. They ended the season by registering 6 wins from 9 games with Emily Surridge being consistent throughout, scoring goals and a talent for the future The Boys’ Football programme features a diverse mix of age groups throughout the season with highlights being away trips to Tonbridge School and Eton College. The U15s entered local league and cup competitions including the Kent FA Schools Cup and registered a notable victory against Eton College and the U14s held their own against several U15 teams.

With standout performances by some very talented

LENT TERM The Boys’ Hockey teams did exceptionally well across all age groups. The first XI had many of the team that won the U16T3 the previous year stepping into senior school hockey. They won the U18T3 tournament and progressed through to the regional finals only to come up against some reputable hockey playing schools with Will Surridge the pick of the players with his penalty corner specialism.

The U15 boys had a six-game winning streak and reached the semifinals of the Peter Firminger tournament which brings 16 schools from across the county together for a highly competitive day of hockey. Many of this team also made up the U14 team, Morgan Abbott a key contributor to this team and a player on the England development pathway.

The Girls netball had mixed results across the board with the U14A team unbeaten with great teamwork, superb positioning and accurate shooting at the heart of this success. Notable wins include a 17-15 win against Kent College after being 6 goals down after the first quarter. The U15A had an enjoyable season with their best netball being played against Ashford School. The 1st team had a tough time but demonstrated resiliance, teamwork and togetherness in equal measures during close losses to Kings Rochester and Ashford school.

SUMMER TERM Cricket continues to develop at the school. The 1st Team Boys underwent a rebuilding process with progress and improvement being made with each game that was played culminating in a great team performance against an MCC XI which was restricted to 277 runs. Key batting performances from Rhydd Lowe (55), Nathan Sadan (29) and Will Surridge (22) Girls’ Cricket has continued to go from strength to strength at St Edmund’s this year. The U15’s fielded hardball teams as well as softball teams showing the depth of talent at the school. The hardball team only lost one of their six games and registered notable victories against Dover College and Ashford and a last ball thriller against St Lawrence College.

The U15 Girls Soft Ball Cricket Team finished the season unbeaten, winning every match they played. Their unbeaten record reflects their strong teamwork, and ability to stay composed in different match situations. Batting was a key strength, and bowling was disciplined and consistent.

Girls Tennis This season has been a fantastic journey for the girls’ tennis team with a particular highlight being an outstanding victory for the First Team over Kent College. The match against Ashford’s U14 Girls also stands out, with the team putting in a dominant display and claiming another strong result. One of the most evenly matched and exciting fixtures came against St Lawrence College, where both teams were closely matched in ability. Special congratulations go to Estelle Fanning and Millie Feakins, who won all of their matches.

Boys’ Tennis The First Team enjoyed a highly competitive and spirited season, with several standout performances and close-fought contests but the undisputed highlight of the season was a thrilling victory over King's Canterbury – a fixture that brought out the best in our players. One of the season’s most gripping moments came from Samson Buck in a singles match that went right down to the wire, narrowly losing in a tense tiebreak after a display of immense focus and skill. Other notable matches included closely contested encounters with Kent College and St Lawrence College. While the results didn’t always fall in our favour, the level of tennis played was exceptionally high, and the boys consistently demonstrated grit and improvement against strong opposition.

U15 and U14 Boys tennis.

One of the standout moments of the season was the convincing win over Ashford. Both the U14 and U15 squads rose to the occasion, playing with confidence, tactical awareness, and exceptional teamwork. In the U14s, brothers Theodore and Jeremy Isom formed a brilliant duo. Their natural chemistry translated into fluid, tactical doubles matches, while also showcasing strong individual skills.

SENIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY Our Senior School Sports Day was blessed with glorious sunshine, and even better athletic performances! The event began with the traditional house flag parade, with pupils proudly donning their colours and face paint. Energy and school spirit were on full display across the day, with fantastic individual and team performances on both the track and field.

A special congratulations to Wagner House, our overall champions. This year’s Victrix Ludorum was awarded to Ines Adwan, and the Victor Ludorum to Eddie Knoupe, both of whom put on outstanding displays. We look forward to another brilliant day of competition next year!

JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY This year saw a newly revamped Junior School Sports Day. Following the rain-postponed Bank Holiday Monday, we were rewarded with perfect conditions for our rescheduled Friday event. The new all-day format combined year groups and gave the day a festival atmosphere, complete with food vendors, pizza, a live performance by the Senior School drama department, and even a "have-a-go" station for parents, topped off by a fiercely contested parents-and-staff race!

Despite our original plans being hampered by the weather, the success of the day has only increased our excitement for next year, with fingers firmly crossed for sunshine. The pupils shone throughout the day, showcasing their athleticism and applying all they had learnt during their PE athletics season.

Roper House emerged as overall winners, with special recognition to Josie and Oscar, our F8 Victrix Ludorum and Victor Ludorum. A huge thank you to the Parents’ Association for their invaluable support, and to all families who came out to cheer, your presence helped make it a truly memorable community celebration.

TRIATHLON After the previous day’s scorching temperatures, an early morning thunderstorm cooled things nicely, providing a pleasant temperature for what was going to be a testing morning of endurance, for the children. With approximately 150 participants and a similar number of parents and staff supporting, it made for a very enjoyable morning of competition, for what has become the highlight of the junior school sporting calendar.

Children from years 3-8, pitted their skills against the tough course, which consisted of a swim, cycle and run. Distances were adjusted for the various age and abilities of the 16 groups. Every child that took part, put in a fantastic effort, giving their all to gain a point for their house and try and win a medal.

Both participants and spectators seemed to enjoy themselves despite the odd tear from a few of the exhausted competitors. After a few hours of blood, sweat and tears, Mrs. King and Mr. Southey tallied up all the points and singled out the winners from each group. It was most pleasing to see the variety of children who came up to receive their medals from Mr.Comfort.

Becket were the winners, with the other 3 houses close behind.

Congratulations to all who took part, and a big thank you to the marshals’ and staff for their hard work, and the parents for their support.

SWIMMING GALA The Lower School students were full of excitement as they made their way to the pool for this year’s interhouse swimming gala. With a few nerves and plenty of anticipation, the morning kicked off with each house entering the pool to their house song, and the poolside buzzing with enthusiastic spectators ready to cheer on their swimmers.

Every child had the opportunity to participate, with races catering to all abilities, ensuring everyone could contribute to their House’s effort. The energy was infectious, and the children rose to the occasion, embracing the spirit of friendly competition and house camaraderie.

In a closely contested event, it was Marlowe who claimed victory, with Roper in second place, followed by Becket and Chaucer.

As the morning gave way to a warmer afternoon, it was the Upper School’s turn to take to the water. All the students were full of excitement and ready to compete for their houses. It was fantastic to see the swimmers being cheered on by all their friends and family, which created a brilliant atmosphere.

Swimmers impressed with their efforts across all strokes, Front Crawl, Breaststroke, Backstroke, and Butterfly, with some demonstrating textbook techniques and others bringing their own flair and unwavering perseverance.

The afternoon concluded with thrilling relay races, rounding off a truly memorable day.

In the end, it was Becket who emerged victorious, just ahead of Roper, Chaucer, and Marlowe.

A huge well done to all the students for their outstanding effort, sportsmanship, and team spirit, what a way to celebrate swimming and school spirit! HGC

STAFF LEAVERS

HELENA MILLARD We say a fond farewell to Helena Millard, who leaves St Edmund’s after an extraordinary tenure since 2006. Helena’s impact on our school has been immense, as a teacher, leader, and endlessly positive presence.

As Director of Sport, she has unified and strengthened the 2–18 sports programme, fostering success across football, hockey, netball, and more, while also overseeing academic sport qualifications and supporting the next generation of sports teachers. Her energy, vision, and good humour have inspired pupils and colleagues alike. Helena has also championed dance and music, creating memorable experiences such as the Semi-Quavers music and movement group, leading Pre-Prep classes, and performing in Gala concerts, even winning the first Strictly St Edmund’s competition.

Beyond the classroom and sports field, she has led adventurous outdoor education trips, World Challenge and CCF expeditions, and international sports tours, providing life-changing experiences for pupils. A dedicated marathon runner and role model to many, Helena’s warmth, enthusiasm, and commitment have left a lasting mark on the St Edmund’s community, and she will be greatly missed.

LEIGH MILLARD We bid a heartfelt farewell to Leigh Millard, who leaves St Edmund’s after 22 years of exceptional service. Leigh has been a defining presence at the school, admired by pupils and colleagues alike for his dedication, expertise, and warmth. As a teacher of mathematics and a multi-talented sports coach, he has inspired generations of Edmundians, guiding them to achieve more than they thought possible in the classroom and on the sports field. Football, in particular, has benefitted enormously from his vision and leadership, helping St Edmund’s compete with the very best and establishing a legacy that will endure for years to come.

Beyond his teaching and coaching, Leigh has been a highly respected leader, serving as Assistant Head Pastoral and drawing on his experience as a Housemaster to provide wise, compassionate, and decisive guidance to students during some of their most challenging moments.

Leigh is a true St Edmund’s institution. His contribution to our community—through teaching, leadership, sport, and mentorship—has been immeasurable. We thank him for his remarkable commitment and wish him, Helena, Oliver, and Alexandra every happiness and success in the exciting new chapter ahead.

STAFF LEAVERS

HARTLEY ALLEYNE How do you say goodbye to a legend? Few people can truly claim that status, but Hartley is one of them. At the end of term, this true St Edmund’s legend leaves the school after many years of committed and passionate service. Hartley is perhaps best known as an outstanding first-class cricketer, having represented Barbados, Worcestershire, Kent, and Natal, achieving 254 First Class and 146 List A wickets, and earning a fearsome reputation for pace and aggression. Generations of St Edmund’s cricketers have benefited from his insight, technical wisdom, and fearless, honest coaching. Stories of his magic on the field abound—like the time he was reluctantly pressed into bat for the staff team, only to hit successive sixes over St Thomas Hill, the tennis courts, and even the swimming pool!

Yet Hartley’s legendary status does not come from cricket alone. He has a big heart, always treating children with kindness, patience, and respect.

As a resident tutor in boarding, he has shown empathy and compassion, supporting students far from home, connecting with them in a genuinely non-patronising way, and helping make St Edmund’s a happier and more welcoming place. His sense of humour and warmth have earned him the love and admiration of generations of pupils, both past and present.

Hartley has also shared his expertise and local knowledge on cricket tours to the Caribbean, enriching the experience for both staff and pupils. Last week, he watched with pride as his son, a Royal Navy Fighter Pilot, addressed our CCF, inspiring our students with his example.

Hartley, we will miss your hard work, wisdom, good humour, and, above all, your kind and gentle nature.

Whether in Kent or the sunnier climes of the Caribbean, you will always have friends at St Edmund’s, and your legacy here is enduring.

STORY COMPETITION

The Journey to Kindness

by Elodie Bannister (Dragonflies) There was a boy called Raphael. He was 8.5 years old and lived in Canterbury. Raphael had tantrums. The other children thought he was a meanie and didn’t want to be his friend! He didn’t want to be mean anymore. His teacher said he should find some kindness, but he didn’t know how.

So, Raphael asked the little boy next door ‘where can I find kindness’?

The boy said ‘the man in the sweetshop gives me free sweets, ask him’.

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STORY COMPETITION

So Raphael went to the sweetshop and asked ‘can I have some kindness please’? But the man said ‘we only sell sweets. Ask someone old and wise’.

So Raphael carried on walking until he saw an old lady. ‘Where can I find kindness?’ he asked her. The old lady pointed to a graveyard.

‘There are kind messages on the stones in there’ she said.

So Raphael walked into the graveyard. He was scared. Then, he stopped and thought about the last 20 hours. He realised that kindness was in his own hands. The people had shown him kindness by helping him.

Raphael walked home to tell his parents what had happened, He cleaned, and set up the table for dinner.

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Butterflies

Pre Prep

In Butterflies class we started the year off with an 'All about Me' topic as the new children settled into the class and got to know their peers, teachers, and routine.

Our topic then focused on 'Nursery Rhymes', which was a firm favourite for sure! We spent lots of time looking at each nursery rhyme, singing them together and playing musical instruments. We also had great fun doing a variety of crafts, including cutting and sticking animals on old MacDonald's farm and creating a 'waterspout' for Incy Wincy spider.

We then moved onto a topic about 'Animals'. The butterflies took a trip to a local Pet shop and absolutely loved seeing the Guinea pigs, rats, hamsters and rabbits that they have. The children also enjoyed the minibus ride. The children carried out a number of exciting animal crafts such as making CD clay snails.

We looked at a range of insects and went on bug hunts in the garden. We also found lots of animals during our walks and we visited the school rabbits and chickens.

Our final topic of the school year has been 'People who help us', the children have loved learning about the emergency services and listening out for 'nee naws' whilst playing in our garden. We were lucky enough to have a visit from a paramedic, who brought an ambulance along with them. The ladybirds enjoyed hearing about all the equipment that a paramedic takes with them and all the different compartments in an ambulance. We even saw the blue flashing lights and heard the siren. A highlight of the year for the Butterfly children has been looking after their own garden. The children got involved in digging the soil and planting the seeds. They have then enjoyed looking after them by watering them everyday and watching them grow. We have recently been able to pick the lettuce and carrots to eat for our snack!

What a brilliant year in 'Team Butterflies'

Ladybirds We spent the first few weeks of term settling in with our new friends and concentrating on "all about me".

As it was St Edmund's "Big" birthday we celebrated by talking about our birthday's practicing our numbers, making playdough cakes with candles and having a party to celebrate.

Focusing on our emotions, making crafts and having group discussions about the book the "Colour Monster" were next on our agenda.

The children soon got into our routines and class rules, and we moved on to topics such as Autumn, Harvest and Fireworks.

Christmas came around and we made some wonderful Christmas crafts and performed in our Nativity. The children showed us how confident they really can be and it was so lovely to see so many of them join in, even in front of an audience.

In the New Year we concentrated on a popular story each week. Crafts and activities were set up for each book. The children really seemed to enjoy this and often told us that they had the book at home, or they had read the story before. Miss Bareham really enjoyed sharing some of her children's favourite stories with the nursery children.

The PE and music departments got in the spirit of the books too and planned each week's activities in line with the story we were doing. Such good fun was had by all.

As we headed towards Easter, we made our Mum's some beautiful creations and even potted some flowers. The service in the church was delightful with the children once again performing so well. The afternoon tea was a real treat.

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Easter crafts were next on the agenda. The children had really started to be expressive in their artwork by this point of the term.

Coming back after Easter we continued with a few more popular stories and were introduced to the new class pets, the Caterpillars. Incorporating the story the Hungry Caterpillar in our theme, the children made some wonderful caterpillars spelling out and writing their own names. Having the Caterpillars in the classroom has been a real highlight for all. The children loved seeing their progress and watching them change into their cocoons and then on to being caterpillars. It was so lovely for us to be able to let them free out on the field and the children got to set them free in small groups, a wonderful experience for them.

Father's Day, saw us celebrating with our families again, another lovely time had by all, pastries for the children and bacon sandwiches for the Dad's, we even treated them to a special Father's Day song.

The last part of the summer term we focused on something we all love, Summer. The children have created sunflower, boat scenes, fish, crab and many more summer related crafts. We headed out on our travels in the minibuses to Minnis Bay in June. The children were just as excited about heading in the buses as they were about being on the beach for the day.

One child told their parent that they had had "The best ice lolly ever!". The children were an absolute delight, and they really did have so much fun.

Over the year we have introduced a morning circle time where we practice counting, days of the week, months of the year and early stages of phonics.

As the year has progressed the children have got so good at recalling, repeating, recognising all of these things.

Honeybees The Honeybees began their year with the legendary Mrs. Exley. They explored topics such as "Marvellous Me," "Old versus New" (including the history of St. Edmunds), and “The Seasons”. In January, Miss Lockyer joined the Honeybees on their learning adventure, and they had an eggsellent Lent term! During the first half, they thoroughly enjoyed their topic on “Animal Environments”, learning about the wonderful animals in our world and their babies. They also celebrated Chinese New Year. In the second half of the term, they delved into “Traditional Tales” from long ago. They had a visit from the lovely author Nikki Lewis, and another from the cheeky Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf! The end of the term included splendid events, such as their trip to Wingham Wildlife Park, a Mother's Day Tea, and an exciting Easter egg hunt with the Easter Bunny.

The Summer term quickly began, and the Honeybees absolutely loved their topic on “Growing”. They enjoyed two fantastic trips to Lucketts Farm and the Bluebell Woods.

Miss Woodard, the Junior School Science Teacher, visited and shared her insights while the Honeybees showcased their bean-growing experiment and the characteristic Grass Heads they had nurtured.

Everyone eagerly awaited the exciting arrival of the Bantam eggs and hatching day!

While all these thrilling events took place, the Honeybees also focused on learning how to read and write. Their mathematics skills developed at an impressive rate! Their ultimate half term was filled with the topics “Minibeasts” and “Sea Life”. The Honeybees worked incredibly hard, writing fun and engaging end-of-year stories and exploring various mathematical concepts, including numbers up to 20 and beyond. They became masters of patterns, shapes, space, and measurements. If anyone gets lost, they can count on a Honeybee to help with map-reading skills! All these experiences provided a solid foundation for their transition to Year 1, and they are definitely ready for it. In addition to classroom activities, they thoroughly enjoyed watching the Bantam chicks hatch before their eyes and caring for them afterwards. The Honeybees ended their year with a successful Sports Day, an enjoyable end-of-year trip to Wild Wood and a revisit to Lucketts Farm. One of the biggest highlights was the Father's Day Breakfast, where the Honeybees delivered a fantastic performance for all the visitors. Well done to the Honeybees! They have made us all go “Wow!” Time for a well-deserved and relaxing summer.

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Crickets In September, the Crickets stepped back in time hundreds of years and headed to Canterbury Cathedral. The children swapped their uniforms and wore crowns, robes and costumes. We explored the chapels and climbed many steps. They ventured through the gardens and discovered there were many corridors and hidden rooms in the Precincts. Later on, they took part in workshops - creating stained glass, used mallets to create marks and letters on stone like stonemasons, built arches and doorways, heaved up stones on pulleys and wrote with quills.

As part of their ‘Senses’ topic, the class headed to Harbour Street Whitstable. They nipped along narrow alleys such as ‘Squeeze Gut Alley’ and were amazed to discover these were used by pirates in the past. They spotted different shaped windows and doors. Using their weighing skills, the children chose brightly coloured sweets to measure out. They smelt candles and flowers in the florist and smelly, delicious cheese in the cheese box shop.

Our topic ‘Out of an egg’ developed scientific knowledge about types of animals and birds, life cycles and different habitats. This led us to the Design Technology room to create bird houses. The children observed designs on the computer, suggested features and watched wood being laser cut. They then carefully assembled each part and used hammers and nails to put the houses together. They also created 3-D birds out of clay. Crickets also loved helping to care for the chicks the Honeybees class reared in their classroom.

We observed daily any changes in the incubator and then when it was time to hatch – wow!!! There was excitement all around. Crickets also ventured to the Food Technology room to cook ‘eggs’ in a variety of different ways, and decide which they liked the best – scrambled, fried, poached or omelette. Omelette won!

A firm favourite activity afterwards was the washing up in teams – great collaboration, Crickets!

‘Beside the seaside’ was the final topic of the year, where Crickets developed their human and physical geography skills and knowledge. They compared seaside holidays today with those in Victorian times, and Whitstable to Brazil. They were very different! We used old photos, postcards and paintings to find out about clothing, activities and travel. Using maps and fieldwork, the class have developed skills and made comparisons with a contrasting locality. The children have used historical enquiry and timelines, drama and resources to find out about the past, learning about the Victorian era. Crickets looked at Victorian Monarchs, and the Kings and Queens of the past.

Crickets also collaborated to collect ‘table points’ for hot chocolate Friday and a firm favourite for the class was winning golden tickets for a class prize – often selecting a pyjama day or a disco.

They were a very musical and fun-loving bunch in Crickets 2024-2025.

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Dragonflies What a year it's been for the Dragonflies! From castles to rockets, this year was packed with adventures and learning - served with a healthy side of fun!

The Dragonflies launched the year with crowns firmly on heads and swords at the ready, diving into our Turrets and Tiaras topic. A heroic expedition to Dover Castle set the scene, as we explored secret rooms and royal tales galore.

Inspired by their regal surroundings, the children penned letters to King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and we marched to the postbox to post them. Personal replies from our King and Queen dropped through our letterboxes shortly after, and will be treasured forever.

No medieval term would be complete without a good oldfashioned rebellion. Enter: Robin Hood Day. The children made Robin Hood hats, created "Wanted" posters, and made their own bows and arrows. Forest School was transformed into Sherwood Forest, where the children practiced their archery skills under the watchful eye of Mr. Kincaid.

After all that royalty and rebellion, we packed our imaginary suitcases and set off Around the World in 80 Days. This globe-trotting topic saw our classroom transformed adorned with flags from across the world. Brave parents visited to share stories and snacks from the USA, Ireland, Ukraine, Spain, the Czech Republic, China, South Korea, Japan, and South Africa. Cultural highlights included Aboriginal dot painting, fiddly origami, Japanese cherry blossom art, and some impressively energetic Irish dancing.

The international fun concluded with a fabulous Around the World Dress-Up Day, featuring everything from American cowgirls to Chinese emperors. Très chic, très educational.

Then... blast off! We left Earth behind and rocketed into Space for the second half of the Lent term. A trip to the London Planetarium had the children starry-eyed, and Mr. Jones’ science sessions quite literally took off when they adapted and launched rockets on the Sheep Field. We even had a VR spacewalk with Mr. Sharp-Kinsey—NASA, here we come.

Finally, we wrapped up the year in true ancient style with an adventure into Ancient Egypt. Our trip to the Beaney Museum got the hieroglyphs flowing, and Egypt Day saw Dragonflies (and their teachers) arrive wrapped in linen, gold, and eyeliner. There were scarab beetles carved from soap, competitive mummy-wrapping, ... and tales of tombs and curses thanks to Mr. O’Connor, our resident Egyptologist.

From castles to constellations, and pyramids to cherry blossom, it’s been a truly wonderful year. The Dragonflies have travelled through time and space - and possibly into the next galaxy of fun!

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STAFF LEAVERS

SARAH BARTHOLOMEW Sarah joined us in September 2022 from Auckland, New Zealand, and from her very first day she made a strong and lasting impression. A natural with young children, she quickly earned the trust and admiration of her pupils, who benefited from her expert teaching, empathy, and engaging approach. Her unique combination of professionalism and fun made her a firm favourite with children and parents alike.

As a leader, Sarah has been exceptional. She successfully brought together the Nursery and Pre-Prep teams, fostering a collaborative, motivated, and supportive environment. Her work ethic has been remarkable; in addition to her leadership responsibilities, she has continued to teach, most recently taking on the Crickets class, and has always been willing to go above and beyond to support both pupils and colleagues.

Sarah has also played a key role in the strategic development of the school as a member of the 2–18 Executive Group. In this role, she has been a passionate and articulate advocate for the Nursery and Pre-Prep, ensuring their successes are recognised at Board level and their needs are addressed in wider school planning.

On a personal level, Sarah has been a joy to work with. Her warmth, integrity, and dedication have left a lasting mark on the school, and she has inspired colleagues through her professionalism, creativity, and leadership. Her presence will be greatly missed by staff, pupils, and parents alike.

We are truly sorry to be losing “Mrs B” from the St Edmund’s family, but we are immensely grateful for all she has contributed in her time here. We wish her every success and happiness in the next chapter of her career, confident that she will continue to make a positive impact wherever she goes.

JULIA EXLEY We say a fond farewell to the wonderful Julia Exley, who has recently left St Edmund’s. Julia has been an integral part of our school community for over 11 years, serving most recently as Honeybees Reception teacher and previously as Pre-Prep Head.

Throughout her time with us, Julia brought dedication, warmth, and care to everything she did. She inspired countless pupils, supported her colleagues, and helped shape the early years of so many children’s school journeys. Her enthusiasm and kindness have left a lasting mark, and she will be greatly missed by all.

We wish Julia every happiness and success in the next chapter of her life and thank her sincerely for her tremendous contribution to St Edmund’s.

STAFF LEAVERS

PHILIPPA ASHENDEN St Edmund’s said goodbye in September 2024 to Pippa, who joined us in 2019 as our Nursery Manager. From the start, she brought a calm, measured but enthusiastic presence, always passionate about each child’s development.

Pippa’s quiet confidence and genuine love for being with the children made her highly respected by parents and deeply appreciated by staff. She was especially loved in Holiday Club, where her fun and engaging nature shone through.

Although we were sad to see her go, Pippa has moved to a Nursery Manager role closer to home; a wonderful opportunity that suits her well.

Mrs Sherwin

TINA PICKLES In December 2024, St Edmund’s said a heartfelt goodbye to someone who had become woven into the very fabric of our school community. After over 7 years of remarkable service, dedication, and joy, Tina Pickles left St Edmund’s to pursue her flourishing hairdressing business, a venture we know will benefit immensely from her creativity and warmth.

During her time at St Edmund’s, Tina was truly everywhere. She worked across nearly every department: from the Pre-Prep to the Junior School and the Senior School, touching the lives of pupils of all ages. Her willingness to step in wherever she was needed made her an invaluable presence. Whether she was helping with hair and makeup for drama productions or giving up her own holidays to volunteer on Duke of Edinburgh excursions, Tina always brought enthusiasm, skill, and a generous spirit.

In recent years, Tina’s home within the school was the PrePrep, where she served as the beloved Dragonflies Teaching Assistant. There, she brought a daily sparkle that lit up the classroom. Her creativity turned ordinary moments into memorable ones; her kindness made every child feel safe and valued; and her fun, vibrant approach inspired joy in both colleagues and pupils.

Tina was cherished not only by the children, who adored her warmth and playfulness, but also by the parents, who deeply appreciated her dedication, patience, and genuine care. She earned respect across the entire school community for her tireless commitment and her unwavering positivity.

Thank you, Tina, for your sparkle, your kindness, and the countless moments of magic you brought to St Edmund’s.

Mrs Sherwin

JUNIOR HIGHLIGHTS Writing this report and looking back at the year’s achievements and highlights, I have taken stock and reflected and am reminded how thankful I am to be a part of this community, as both a member of staff and as a parent – and also how difficult (likely impossible) it is to sum up the year in one page!

It becomes increasingly difficult to award individual prizes each year with so many worthy candidates. As I say to the children, oftentimes, the greatest reward though is not in the material prize or the end goal at all. Of course, it is nice to be recognised and praised and rightly so, but, the journey itself and the progress we make along the way is arguably the real prize and, if we are able to maintain our focus on this never-ending pursuit of improvement, we will always be a winner.

The St Ed’s Got Talent show as part of what was, once again, a hugely successful Festival, is always a highlight and this year was no exception with so many Junior School pupils demonstrating the outcomes of their wonderful gifts coupled with their dedication and hard work.

Alongside music concerts, drama productions, sporting competitions, new STEM initiatives, a wonderful reading programme, use of AI supported learning, the continuation of our fantastic pastoral and SEN provision and some fantastic academic attainment and progress data – it has been yet another successful, busy and enjoyable year at St Edmund’s Junior School!

In the classroom, something I have thoroughly enjoyed this year is our new Perform Better scheme of work - a fascinating scheme born from an elite ski school, the premise of which, is to apply principles of elite sporting provision to everyday life; from nutrition and exercise to emotional intelligence and, pertinently, resilience.

In terms of our guest speakers and visitors this year, a definite highlight for pupils and staff alike was the visit from double Olympian Jack Green wherein he delivered a wonderfully inspiring talk alongside a day full of speed sessions and masterclasses.

Mr Ross Comfort Junior School Headmaster

Our scholarship programme across the various disciplines has gone from strength to strength with a huge variety of masterclasses, workshops, performances, competitions, visits and trips across all departments and all pupils who have taken these opportunities have benefited greatly.

At Speech Day, it was wonderful to surprise the leaders of the school, our House and Sports Captains, with a special prize to recognise the hard work and dedication they showed - in particular in supporting the huge array of charitable events throughout the year, including the ever popular Christmas Fair which was another resounding success – our thanks to all of the parents involved in running this superb event yet again.

Another wonderfully hectic highlight which provided yet more opportunities was our annual Enrichment Week which sees all manner of trips and activities planned for the pupils to learn beyond the classroom and create lifelong memories together.

House Points Roper 9534 Chaucer 8720 Marlowe 8681 Becket 8623

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A YEAR OF LEADERSHIP: REFLECTIONS OF OUR HOUSE CAPTAINS As we approach the end of another exciting and successful year at St Edmund’s Junior School, we would like to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on the incredible work of our House Captains. These pupils have played a vital role in the life of the school, providing leadership, energy, and encouragement to their peers from Years 3 to 8.

From the very beginning of the year, our House Captains stepped into their roles with a real sense of purpose and pride. They began by introducing themselves to their houses with confidence and enthusiasm, delivering speeches that set the tone for a year of teamwork and school spirit. Throughout the year, they have continued to motivate and rally their fellow house members, whether through leading chants, organising teams, or simply offering kind words of encouragement.

One of their key responsibilities has been supporting house events across the school calendar. From sports competitions and inter-house quizzes to charity fundraisers and themed days, our House Captains have been instrumental in the smooth running and success of these events. They have helped with setting up, guiding younger pupils, and maintaining a positive and inclusive atmosphere. Their willingness to help behind the scenes has often gone unseen, but their impact has been felt by everyone.

Perhaps most importantly, our House Captains have served as role models to the entire school community.

They have consistently demonstrated the values we hold dear at St Edmund’s—kindness, respect, responsibility, and resilience. Whether helping a Year 3 pupil find their way to class, offering support during a challenging task, or representing the school at formal events, they have shown maturity and empathy beyond their years.

Their leadership has helped to build a strong sense of identity and belonging within each house, and they have helped to foster friendships across year groups. It has been especially rewarding to see the way younger pupils look up to them, often inspired to follow in their footsteps.

We are incredibly proud of what our House Captains have achieved this year. They have not only fulfilled their duties with commitment and positivity, but they have also helped shape the culture and spirit of our school. As they move on to new challenges, we know they will carry forward the skills and values they’ve developed here, and we thank them for being such outstanding ambassadors of St Edmund’s Junior School.

Mrs Bradley, Mrs Norton, Mrs Surridge & Ms Woodard

ROPER

CHAUCER

BECKET

MARLOWE

House Captains: Jago H Jake B

House Captains: Rose M Coco N

House Captains: Freddie H Isabella R

House Captains: Haru T Olivia D

Sports Captains: Chloe H Thomas A

Sports Captains: Beaulieu B Asher A

Sports Captains: Alice F Josie W

Sports Captains: Alexander W Brandon E

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SKI TRIP CLAVIERE, ITALY

energy for laughter, teamwork, and plenty of friendly rivalry.

Larana, a renowned name in the vintage-inspired fashion market, is thrilled to announce the launch of its newes The ski trip began with an early-morning buzz at Gatwick Airport, where excitement, chatter and snack comparisons set the tone for the week ahead. After a smooth journey through France and into Italy, the group arrived in the postcard-perfect village of Claviere. With equipment collected, rooms settled into, and souvenirs already being bought, everyone was eager for the adventure to begin.

Fog, ice, and freezing temperatures mid-week couldn’t dampen enthusiasm. Pupils embraced challenging conditions with determination, showing grit and growing confidence on steeper terrain. Their efforts culminated in the final day: a joyful morning snowball fight, a heartshaped group photo on the hillside, and one last exhilarating push on the red runs. All three groups skied brilliantly, with intermediates even racing each other and the advanced group venturing off-piste like seasoned pros.

The week concluded with a special awards presentation from the instructors, celebrating the progress and achievements of every pupil. Thank-you cards were exchanged, bags were packed, and a final chalet dinner marked the end of a memorable adventure.

The trip captured everything wonderful about school skiing: challenge, camaraderie, personal growth, and unforgettable fun—leaving everyone with stories, achievements, and friendships to bring home.

The first days on the slopes did not disappoint. Pupils were split into beginner, intermediate, and advanced groups, each rising to their own challenges. Beginners mastered snowploughs before progressing impressively to parallel turns; intermediates refined their technique and confidently tackled demanding red runs; and the advanced group pushed boundaries with black runs, high-speed descents, and off-piste adventures through the forest. Across all groups, progress was remarkable and spirits were high.

Afternoons and evenings brought just as much excitement.

From a thrilling luge ride in Montgenèvre to shopping trips, hot chocolate in an igloo, card games, quizzes, and fiercely competitive rounds of Boggle, there was never a dull moment.

Even after tiring days on the mountain, pupils found

Scan the QR code to read the full report

Short Story Competition This competition, which was based around the theme of 'a journey,' attracted lots of interest throughout Pre Prep and Junior School. In total, 32 children entered from Junior School. The stories were varied, creative and imaginative.

From action adventures to magical mysteries and alien adventures! Mr Bonfiglio and Mr Bukin from Senior School were given the difficult job of judging each story against a set of criteria. The margins were very tight due to the quality of entries but in the end, Sophie R (Form 3) and Ella B (Form 6) were awarded the Lower and Upper School first place.

They each received prizes of a St Edmund's School engraved Lamy handwriting pen which we hope they will use for years to come.

Mrs L Bradley

World Book Day Pupils from Lower School, and our highest number yet of pupils from Upper School, celebrated World Book Day by dressing up as their favourite book characters. In the morning, we welcomed our first rap poet - award-winning Karl Nova - to Junior School.

He entertained the whole of Junior School with poems that explored the themes of being true to yourself, fostering a spirit of generosity and following your dreams. Karl’s much appreciated performance was followed by writing workshops for pupils in Forms 3-6 where pupils were shown how to use repetition to create poems and performed poems collectively to music.

In the afternoon, Lower School pupils were entertained by Form 6 pupils who had to imagine they were on a ship without a captain and deliver a persuasive speech outlining why their character should become the new captain. The panel of teacher judges evaluated the performances using the following criteria: content and structure, use of language and vocabulary, clarity and pronunciation, expression and engagement, confidence and eye contact and audience awareness. Form 6 had clearly put a lot of effort into their speeches making it a difficult task to choose a winner. Well done to everyone who took part and to the new captains: Isabella who was Lottie Brooks from Lottie Brooks by Katie Kirby; Chloe who was Spaceboy from Spaceboy by David Walliams; Ella who was Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.

World Book Day 2025 was one of our best yet! The pupils’ love of reading was evident to see in the effort given to costumes and speeches and also in the way pupils responded to the poetry performed for them.

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ENRICHMENT Form 8 in Paris Form 8 enjoyed a fantastic cultural and adventurous trip to Paris. After a smooth ferry crossing, pupils explored the city starting with a scenic river cruise along the Seine, taking in iconic sights such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame.

The highlight for many was an exhilarating full day at Disneyland Paris, complete with fireworks in the evening.

Form 8 in Kingswood The Kingswood group experienced an action-packed residential focused on teamwork, confidence, and outdoor challenge. Activities included rock climbing, night-line, obstacle courses, problem-solving missions, shopping for treats, Mini Olympics, canoeing, and more.

Staff praised the pupils’ resilience, enthusiasm, and outstanding cooperation throughout.

Form 7 goes to Leeds Castle & Go Ape

Form 8 Trips Pupils enjoyed an active, varied week. They began in Margate, exploring the Turner Contemporary, walking the seafront, and completing two escape-room challenges that demanded teamwork and problemsolving. The next day at Leeds Castle was calmer, with a tour, garden walks, and time in the maze and open grounds. The week finished with canoeing and paddle-boarding on the river, followed by milkshakes and cake at a local café before returning to school.

Form 7 had a brilliant week exploring Leeds Castle, navigating the famous maze, and taking on the treetop challenges at Go Ape. These activities helped pupils build resilience, teamwork, and confidence while having enormous fun.

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WEEK Form 7 goes to Wildwood Form 7 also visited Wildwood, where they learned about animal species, participated in bug hunts, and completed an educational quiz involving skulls, horns, and fur.

Additional gel blasting and team-building activities encouraged creativity, leadership, and collaboration.

Form 6 go Camping Form 6 embarked on a three‑day camping adventure featuring axe throwing, tie-dye, archery, orienteering, beach time at Dymchurch, campfire treats, and sunset reflections.

Pupils showed maturity, strong teamwork, and infectious enthusiasm throughout the trip.

Lower School see The Lion King!

Lower School travelled to London to see *The Lion King* in the West End, followed by a week of themed enrichment activities.

These included West African drumming, expressive singing, African landscape art workshops, mask-making, and energetic dance sessions.

The week culminated in a joyful outdoor performance for parents.

SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS This year has been active and engaging across the school, with students involved in a wide mix of charitable initiatives, guest talks, and enrichment opportunities. From hands-on community events to new challenges and extracurricular experiences, the calendar stayed full and students embraced it all. We wrapped up the year with a successful festival that reflected the energy and involvement of our whole community.

INTERACT Our student led charity group Interact have had a fantastic academic year raising money for a host of local and international charities. From organising the non-uniform days to providing regular bake sales and tuck shops, the Interact committee has been working hard to fundraise whilst bringing fun and entertainment to the school community.

We have had a range of successful larger events too, with our popular Sponge the Teacher a particular standout. With Mr O'Connor, Mr Symaka, Mr Clapp and Dr Masterson appearing to bear the brunt of the sponge throws, it was certainly interesting to see who the students (and some other members of staff) targeted!

This September Interact has moved to coordinating one House event per half term, to allow each of our four houses to raise money for their chosen charities. With Baker opting to run an ice cream stall, and Warneford delighting everyone with delicious hot dogs, it's safe to say that the school is as engaged as every in championing social responsibility and working to help the local and international community!

Main Charities supported: Porchlight Happy Endings Animal Shelter Catching Lives Dr Stuart Masterson

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FROM ST EDMUND’S TO SPACE: OLD EDMUNDIAN CHARLIE ROE INSPIRES WITH MARS MISSION TALK We always encourage our students to think “globally” but this week they were also encouraged to think on an inter-planetary basis! Our Science Society has proved to be one of our most successful, dynamic and popular academic enrichment activities. Students have been able to benefit from a fascinating range of talks from leading scientists on cutting edge research projects. This week, as you will see from Miss Hummerstone’s report, took the society boldly where there had never gone before…

On Tuesday 29th April, Sci Soc were excited to welcome Charlie Roe to speak to us in school. Charlie is a former pupil of St Edmund’s and was in one of Ms Hummerstone’s first A level groups here! He now works at Airbus Defence and Space as a Senior Spacecraft Systems engineer. He is currently the lead Systems engineer in the team developing the European Mars lander for the ExoMars mission. The mission will launch in 2028 and aims to land a rover on Mars that will drill 2m into the surface to collect and analyse samples in the search for evidence of previous life.

Charlie left St Edmund’s in 2010 and studied Astrophysics at the University of Hertfordshire, completing a BSc and MSc. After travelling and working in various industries including software engineering and building climbing walls, Charlie decided to revisit his first love of space. He returned to university, completing an MSc in Space Engineering at the University of Surrey. This led to his current role at Airbus.

Charlie talked to us about the history of Mars exploration and some of the challenges that his team face in developing Europe’s first lander for the Rosalind Franklin mission. He gave us insights into the reality of working in the industry and what his typical day involves, including working in the Mars yard where the Rovers are tested. Ms Hummerstone was lucky enough to visit Charlie at Airbus the week before and was able to explore the Mars yard and see some of the model rovers in action!

Finally, he offered advice both specific to the industry and more generally about approaching future study and careers. It was incredibly useful to hear him talk about the decisions he made and some of the paths he took that turned out not to be right for him. He was very relatable and honest about his career path and his advice would be relevant to working in any field.

The talk was well attended by Sixth Form scientists and also some invited Upper and Middle Fifth. It was a brilliant opportunity to hear from a former pupil working in space exploration and we are really grateful to Charlie for giving up his time to visit us.

We look forward to welcoming him back again in the future.

Ms Rose Hummerstone

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LANGDALE, CUMBRIA

GEOGRAPHY REPORT 34 Upper Fifth GCSE geographers spent two days in The Lake District this autumn, building fieldwork skills and gathering data for their paper three examination. Their hypothesis stated that the glacial flow in the Easedale valley had been in a south easterly direction during the most recent Devensian glacial period. To test this theory, pupils used opportunistic sampling techniques and silva compasses to gather bearings of allignment of various glacial features. They climbed the hanging valley marked by Sour Milk Ghyll and examined roche moutonnees, striations, corrie lips. Back in the classroom we used their primary and secondary data to create rose diagrams and flow maps for analysis.

Human fieldwork followed on the next day with a tourism study in Grasmere. Despite some challenging weather the pupils were very diligent, gathering data on traffic and pedestrian numbers, asking questionnaires and conducting an environmental impact analysis. They also found some time to buy the famous Grasmere gingerbread and to do a little shopping.

Radar graphs and compound bars were completed on Sunday evening, with analyses and conclusions.

This was a great opportunity to revisit some theory in the field and to establish the Lake District as a case study for the management of glacial landscapes. all the pupils worked and behaved well.

We were sorry to leave and sad to miss the snow that covered the hills on our departure. A fantastic weekend of work.

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Our Lower Sixth geographers spent four days on fieldwork in the Yorkshire Dales this spring. To consolidate our units of work on Rocks and Weathering and River Hydrology, we spent the first of two days on a walk around Malham cove and then up to the top to see the Limestone pavement.

Descending into the Gordale valley and up to the glorious Gordale Scar waterfall. On Saturday afternoon pupils were divided into groups to examine the efficacy of Bradshaw’s model of downstream changes.

We measured wetted perimeter, depth, width, cross sectional area, velocity, bed roughness and bedload at eight sites down the beautiful Gordale Beck.

On Sunday we headed to Clapham and the Ingleborough cave system examining the process and landforms associated with Limestone, or Karst, scenery. John, our guide, led us through the estate and up to Gaping Gill, a huge swallow hole on the moor.

Our pupils spent their evenings in data collation and manipulation, with a few games thrown in for fun. The weather was kind and it was great to show our pupils some Geography from the ground up for a change. A fabulous weekend.

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MALHAM, YORKSHIRE

GEOGRAPHY REPORT

CCF ADVENTURE TRAINING | EASTER CAMP This year we took 13 cadets to a centralised summer camp at Longmoor, arriving on Sunday 6 July at around 15:00. Upon arrival, we attended a briefing on the camp setup, followed by being taken to our accommodation blocks for the week. While the cadets settled into their rooms, Maj Hawkins and I attended a series of smaller briefings. That evening, the cadets had the chance to relax and enjoy the games rooms, which included table tennis, Xbox gaming setups, and a cinema room. Lights out was at 22:30.

We started Monday with an early breakfast at 06:30, meaning a 06:00 wake up. To their credit, the cadets were up and ready on time every day. The day focused on shooting, split into two sessions: rifle ranges and clay pigeon shooting, followed by observation and careers stands. All 13 cadets had never fired a rifle before, yet two achieved marksman level and one completed a trained soldier shoot. The range staff were genuinely impressed with the cadets’ rifle drills. A brilliant start to the training and a very hot day for everyone.

Tuesday was another early morning with a 07:00 coach departure for a full day of adventure training.

In the morning, cadets took part in raft building, paddleboarding, and kayaking. The afternoon included mountain biking, the climbing tower, and archery. It was another hot day and the cadets especially enjoyed the water based activities. Many said they would have preferred to stay in the water all day, but they gave everything a go and made the most of the experience.

On Wednesday we began the fieldcraft package, starting with TIBUA, which stands for Training in Built Up Areas. This was a highlight for many cadets. They threw themselves into it, smashing down doors, clearing rooms, working as a team, and communicating well while staff observed from above. Next came the section attack. As the heat increased, cadets stayed in the shade while the tactics were explained. Once briefed, they carried out the activity with focus and teamwork, especially impressive considering it was new to most of them.

After lunch we moved on to the ambush stand.

Following a walk through, it was time to put learning into practice. Capt Kincaid and I even dressed as enemy and joined in. The cadets performed well and received great feedback from the training staff. That evening we gave the cadets their overnight briefing.

Once they had set up their bashers, Maj Hawkins and I attended another evening briefing and picked up sausages and chips for everyone as a well deserved treat. All the cadets sat together to enjoy their meal with a cold drink. By 22:00, everyone was asleep, ready for our 05:30 start the next morning.

Thursday began with packing up and preparing for training, which started at 06:45 to avoid the worst of the heat. First was a survival skills stand, where cadets learned how to find water, purify it, and set up traps.

They were really engaged and wished for more time to explore this. Next was axe throwing, where the cadets were split into two teams. Bobby Halling and Rosa both stood out with great accuracy. After a short break we moved to the paintball stand. Because of the extreme heat, the session was adapted for safety.

Instead of running around, cadets had fun shooting tin cans and testing their aim at longer distances. Later that day, cadets spent a couple of hours thoroughly cleaning the rifles used during the week. Once everything was cleaned to standard, we returned to camp to shower and change for dinner. Ration packs were planned, but as most had gone uneaten during the week, Maj Hawkins ordered Domino’s pizza instead, which went down very well.

Friday was competition day, with cadets rotating through various challenges set up by the cadet training teams. Events included mountain biking time trials, The Cube, military knowledge, drill, axe throwing, and archery. We placed second in The Cube and first in mountain biking, which was a great result and a reflection of the cadets’ effort and enthusiasm.

This was an excellent week for everyone involved.

From early mornings to new experiences, every cadet gave their best and showed great teamwork, commitment, and spirit. Special thanks go to Lt Lea and Capt Kincaid for their support throughout the week. A huge thank you also to Maj Mark Hawkins, who has given over 35 years of service to the Combined Cadet Force. This was his final summer camp before passing the reins to Capt Kincaid.

Maj Hawkins, you will be missed by everyone at St Edmund’s CCF and we wish you a very happy retirement.

Capt Kincaid, we wish you all the best as you lead this fantastic unit into the future SSI Sergeant Major Trevor French

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On a sunny March morning, a team of 29 cadets, accompanied by Captain Kincaid, Lieutenant Lee, 2nd Lieutenant Anderson, Mr Jones and Ms Holner; set off from school, destined for Jersey Camp, on the Isle of Wight. Little traffic and efficient driving gave us time for an enjoyable break at the utopian Cobham Services en route to Portsmouth, and we arrived at the ferry in very good time. A peaceful, flat voyage across the Solent to Fishbourne, followed by a short, yet scenic drive, brought us to the gates of Jersey Camp, where we were greeted by a waiting Sergeant Major French, who had driven over the day before. Following a quick bag collection, we were sent off to our sleeping quarters, to set up our beds. A little free time then followed, until our pre-dinner briefing of what was to happen over the next few days, and all the timings we were to abide by. After a delicious dinner prepared by Matthew, the trip chef, we were sent off for some more free time, where we quickly took advantage of the football goals on site. To finish the evening, we had some interdormitory challenges, including who could make the best hat, as well as some impressive attempts to create a portrait of Sgt Major French using clothing items in the team’s dorm.

As the radiant sun rose above the rolling hills of the Isle on Day 2, we awoke, excited for the day to follow.

Having showered, eaten breakfast, and done our teeth, we set off for the ragged coastline of Compton Bay, where our fist activity (surfing) was to take place. Having clambered into our wetsuits, the instructors at iSurf gave a quick demo on how to begin surfing, and then stand up and manoeuvre. Following a swift walk down the cliff faces, we were in the embracing waves. Everyone gave it their all , braving the chaotic conditions, with some successfully standing up on the waves. Unfortunately, a mysterious flying surfboard hit

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one cadet, Robin, in the face, and she was swiftly taken off to A&E by staff. Sadly, the injuries sustained were decided to be too serious for her to continue the trip, and she returned to Kent the next day. Having thanked the surf instructors, the other cadets headed back to camp for a packed lunch.

The afternoon’s activity was race orienteering, with the aim of navigating to multiple markers across an area in the fastest time possible. The winners were group A from Dorm 3, but there is ongoing disagreement as to whether they should have, as they left one of their team members behind, a clear disobeying of the rules. As you might have guessed, my team came 2nd. The second evening’s dorm challenge was a quiz, with a round created by each of the staff on the trip, Having eaten and relaxed for the evening, we set off for bed once again.

For both the 3rd and 4th days, the team were with TactIsle adventures, doing water sports. For the 3rd day, the beautiful weather accommodated the ideal conditions for a water sports expedition, using 2 person kayaks and Giant, 7 person paddleboards. This included paddling out to a large water fort, as well as lunch on an island only accessible via the water. We also played some games, such as wobbleboard, where we would go head-to-head on a paddleboard, trying to knock the other person in. For Day 4 however, the wind was much stronger, making it unsafe for the cadets to enter the water for most of the day. Instead, we enjoyed some land-based activities with the team at TacktIsle, including a very competitive game of a lesser-known sport called Monkeyball. However, we did eventually embark onto the water, where we had races in kayaks, and some dodgy raft building. The 4th evening was also an exciting one, as we had an interdorm Mario kart competition, with some fairly feisty rivalry between the two Andersons on the trip.

After what had felt like an instant, we had reached the final day of the trip, and the journey back home.

We had 2 final activities in the morning; archery and laser tag, organised by the CCF team back at camp.

Some impressive scores on the archery, and some heated battles in the camp forest perfectly rounded up what had been a brilliant trip. Having cleaned the camo, we set off for our ferry at East Cowes.

Compared to the flat conditions of the outwardbound crossing, the conditions on the way back were certainly slightly bumpier. It was also a very memorable one for me. Being the boat-head that I am, seeing The Guided-Missile Type 45 Destroyer HMS Dragon passed directly before our bow was a stunning way to end the trip, really complimenting the success that the trip had been.

Lcpl Matthew Williams Well what can say what a great 5 days away with the cadets on the Isle of Wight to do adventure training, as you would have read in Lance corporal Williams report the cadets had a fun filled 5 days mostly on the water, lucky for them the weather was on our side apart from the wind on the Tuesday.

I would like to take this opportunity to say well done to all the cadets that took apart in this trip, also to the staff that came along, they had a great time with most of the staff joining in with the cadets on the water activities.

WO2 Trevor French (SSI)

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Interview with a Chapel Warden Thomas De Berry (U6) Our longest serving Chapel Warden, Thomas De Berry (U6), reflects on his time serving the wider school community in the role.

When did you first become a Chapel Warden?

In F8 we were able to apply for a variety of leadership roles, House Captain, Sports Captain, Library Monitor, and others. Chapel Warden was one of the duties we could apply for, and so I put myself forward and first became a Chapel Warden six years ago!

What made you want to be a Chapel Warden?

It was something I felt drawn to because of my own faith and values, because the elements of the role were familiar to me as I go to church regularly, and because I wanted to show others what my faith was about.

Is there anything you would change about being a chapel warden?

Nothing major, maybe more time to meet with the other chapel wardens so we can organise ourselves and make the rota work more smoothly, better communication so we can share our ideas and responsibilities with each other. A couple of years ago I tried to get a band together to play contemporary worship songs in chapel, but we never quite managed to get it off the ground.

Do you ever go into chapel for any other reason?

So, what kinds of things does a Chapel Warden do?

It’s an early start, turning up to chapel before everyone else so we can put the hymn numbers on the board, light the candles, turn the sound system and gallery TV screens on, generally helping the chaplain to make sure the space is ready for us to use each morning.

My favourite bit is putting the hymn numbers out because then the song plays in my head while I’m waiting for other students to arrive.

We also have a Eucharist service each half term, sometimes I do the Bible reading or lead the prayers. I sing in the choir during those services, but on a few occasions, I’ve also helped to serve the chalice in communion. This means a lot to me because I feel a sense of pride in taking part and allowing my faith to be on display to my friends.

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I always find the chapel is a good place to go for a quiet, reflective moment. The physical space and atmosphere help you to think more clearly, to feel more settled. I find it calms any conflicting feelings I have like stress or anxiety.

What advice would you give people in younger years who might be interested in being a chapel warden?

I would say do it, I’ve really enjoyed supporting the chaplain and working alongside the other Chapel Wardens in Senior School. It’s good to engage more deeply in some of the topics, to consider the wider spiritual questions, as well as faith.

Debating and Public Speaking report for 2024-25

Dynamic, keen and successful is one way to describe our debaters and public speakers this past academic year. Our Sixth Form competing team members, including Henry (U6) and Joseph Goodwin (L6), and James Hodgkinson (U6), advanced through two local heats culminating into a highly competitive regional final in the English Speaking Union's Schools’ Mace debate in the Michaelmas term. Beginning with 360 schools, nationally, competing in Round One back in November, our St. Edmund’s team made it to the final 72 in March. The mace debate competition motions were interesting and challenging this year, including: ‘This House supports the implementation of a four-day school week’ (arguing as proposition); ‘This House believes globalisation perpetuates social inequity’ (arguing as proposition) and the regional final motion was, ‘This House regrets the rise of influencer culture as a form of advertising’ (arguing as opposition).

Reflecting on his team’s success this year, Joseph has said that “Progressing through from local heats to regional finals has meant that we have had a great opportunity to get to know and value each other's strengths in roles such as first, second and summary speaker. It has improved my ability to see everyone’s unique contribution to our team’s success.” It was not only our competing Sixth Form team that showed their rhetorical fluency but our swing team with two of the only Fifth Form pupils participating - Olivia LeighHunt and Peter Symon - along with Joseph Goodwin, who all stepped in to provide a proposition team for the motion: ‘This House would ban the use of facial recognition technology in public spaces.’

The Fifth Form public speakers were also very busy this academic year with the English Speaking Union’s Churchill's Public Speaking competition. Two teams were entered for the competition in November with the Middle Fifth team consisting of James Wood

(Chair), Peter Symon (Speaker) and Oliver Poninski (Questioner), and the Upper Fifth team comprising Ines Adwan (Chair), Olivia leigh-Hunt (Speaker), and Matthew Williams (Questioner). They all spoke convincingly in their roles with the Upper Fifth team going through to another local heat and then to the regional final in East Sussex where by this time Olivia decided not to use her previously winning speech on the topic: ‘If you are going through hell, keep going!’ but instead used a landscape painting made in the 18th century by the Welsh painter Richard Wilson, entitled ‘Llyn-y Cau, Cader Idris’ as a source of inspiration to talk about our relationship with the natural world.

Skills and Service debating also allowed pupils to hone their oracy skills and to work together in teams, across year groups, in addition to the annual Interhouse debating competition in the Lent term. This year, Wagner won as opposition against Warneford in the final, on the motion: ‘This House believes that hacking is an acceptable form of protest against large corporations’.

James Hodgkinson has summed up this academic year of debating as teaching him 'so much' including 'how to convey a point effectively, how to prioritize arguments, and work under pressure.’ Most importantly of all, however, he says that it has taught him ‘the importance of being an active listener.’ As James leaves St. Edmund’s School, he says that debating will be one of the aspects of his time at school that he will ‘look back on with the most fondness and gratitude.'

Written by Dr Caiazza

STORY COMPETITION

The Journey

by Noam Brand (Upper Fifth) The barman looked up briefly as the bell rang, wrinkling his nose at the gust of sooty air, and went back to polishing the chipped glass in his hand.

Nobody else in the squalid tavern paid any notice. The man hobbled in, savouring the familiar musty stench and sitting at his usual seat. He allowed his mind to wander, smiling wistfully as memory after memory flickered across his wizened mind. He remembered the cool summers of ‘34, when the Brytish aero-fleet had returned from the southern wastes, bringing treasures and tales of the half-crazed tribes that roamed there. Only a scrawny orphan, he fell in love with the low thrumming of the engines, the rending scream of the pointed wings, the slanting streaks of light bouncing off the cockpit- he thanked the waitress for his drink, a heady concoction of bleached petroleum and exotic spices, and sunk back into his daydream- and then before he knew it, he was 16, buying his first gondola, fitting the thick leathery gasbag, checking the controls; and he was off. Even now, he remembered how the wind had flowed around him, pulling at his clothes and making him shout for joy.

Having trained as an Aerotrader, he made a living from selling simple artefacts and spices. He had loved those open skies, those sprawling cities; they were the life blood of his youth. Now as he sat in his accustomed corner of the tavern, he yearned to fly again, to be one with the air again. Even when the great storms of ‘54 had ploughed across the plains, he was at ease.

Sitting on the same rickety stool as he was now, he had watched the lilac lighting forking down, knowing no harm would come to him and his precious airship. By the time he turned 40, they were inseparable. Whole days would go by where he said not a word, sharing the silence with the only companion he would ever need. And then the Raids had started. News had poured in from ever corner of the sky of the atrocities committed by a fearsome new gang of air pirates. One day, flying back from a week’s voyage into the Eastern Mountains, he had heard the whine of ships to starboard, and stopped dead. He shivered at the memory of the flickering shadows the raider’s ships had cast over his gondola, the jolting thud as the docking clamps engaged. Had he been an inexperienced pilot, he might have stayed to fight, but as a seasoned captain he knew he stood no chance. Dragging his heavy heart to the airlocks, checking his parachute; it had all happened in a blur of adrenaline and dizzying regret. He sobbed. Already he could hear the harsh shouts of the raiders discovering his fortunes above. And then, as the outside atmosphere punched him in the back with the force of expulsion, he caught one last glimpse of his ship, his only love- and smiled.

Her next journey had begun.

STAFF LEAVERS

DR CATHY SOTILLO Since joining in 2005 as a part-time Psychology teacher, Cathy inspired generations of students, many of whom have gone on to study the subject at university and pursue careers in teaching.

Beyond the classroom, she played a vital role in examinations, first as Assistant Examinations Officer and then as Examinations Officer, ensuring the smooth running of entries, invigilation, assessments, appeals, and certification. As Head of Academic Information and later Director of Studies, Cathy managed the academic engine room of the school—overseeing data, timetabling, assessment, and reporting—while always seeking to reduce workload pressures on colleagues. A valued member of the Senior Leadership Team, she brought wisdom, insight, and good humour to discussions, advocating fairly and thoughtfully for teachers, and helping shape the school’s academic vision with clarity, integrity, and dedication.

Known for her meticulousness, generosity, and compassion, Cathy supported colleagues and students alike with patience and professionalism, leaving a lasting influence on the culture and success of St Edmund’s. We thank her warmly for her extraordinary contribution and the enduring legacy she leaves behind.

ANNA WANSTALL Anna Wanstall has been part of St Edmund’s for over a decade, first volunteering and officially joining in 2015. Over the years, she has held a variety of roles - from Sports Department volunteer and Junior School classroom assistant to hockey specialist and key member of our SEND team. She has coached, driven minibuses, led OFE expeditions, and been a constant presence at Sports Days, triathlons, and swimming galas.

Thank you, Anna, for your immense contribution to St Edmund’s, for supporting generations of pupils, and for embodying the values at the heart of our school. We wish you every happiness in the future— you will always be part of our community.

BRONWEN WAKEFIELD Bronwen has given so much to St Edmund’s. As Head of Religious Studies she led the department with compassion and understanding, supporting her colleagues and guiding a whole new generation of philosophers towards higher education. She has been an amazing tutor to several generations of Wagner pupils who will all remember her for her kindness, wit and generosity. Personally, I have so much to thank Bronwen for and I thank her for all she has done for me and the rest of the House team. Her quiet commitment to the Wagner cause is reflected in the love demonstrated to her by the whole House. We will miss her in our hallways and tutor rooms at our socials and Lines. We wish her a very long and happy retirement and hope she visits often. Thank you Ma’am.

Vic Burton

This year’s festival opened in style with a packed evening featuring the Bootleg Beatles and the unveiling of the Canterbury Art Prize and Exhibition. The gallery looked superb, showcasing an impressive mix of mixed media, photography, painting and ceramics, and highlighting the imagination and technical skill of our young artists.

We are thrilled to announce that The Bootleg Beatles kicked off the St Edmund’s Festival on the Hill 2025 with an unforgettable performance. As the world’s premier Beatles tribute band, with over 4,500 shows across 45 years, they have captivated audiences worldwide. From Glastonbury to the Royal Albert Hall, and sharing stages with legends like Oasis and David Bowie, The Bootleg Beatles’ attention to detail—from music and instruments to costumes—brought the Fab Four’s greatest hits to life, giving festival-goers a joyous start to the celebrations.

Throughout the week, music, performance and community shaped the atmosphere. A vibrant lunchtime concert set a warm tone, followed by a heartfelt Chorister Celebration that welcomed back many alumni —an occasion filled with nostalgia, shared memories and outstanding singing.

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"As the St Edmund’s Festival continues to lead the way in another astonishing display of home-grown talent and a brilliant programme of events, it highlights the place of creativity in all our futures."

Festival Patron: John Harle OBE The Guildhall School, London

“A vibrant, witty and wonderfully inventive reimagining of Chaucer - brought to life by pupils whose energy, skill and confidence lit up the stage from start to finish”

The Canterbury Tales was a joyful and imaginative take on Chaucer’s classic, brought brilliantly to life by our talented pupils. This ambitious collaboration between Music and Drama combined inventive staging, dynamic storytelling, and a playful sense of humour, giving the timeless tales a fresh, contemporary twist. Pupils performed with energy and confidence, seamlessly blending acting, singing, and live music to create a rich, immersive experience for the audience.

The production featured memorable musical arrangements, witty dialogue, and inventive character interpretations that highlighted the creativity and versatility of the performers.

Every scene showcased the pupils’ skill, from dramatic monologues to ensemble numbers, keeping the audience captivated throughout.

The show’s blend of humour, emotion, and artistry made it both entertaining and deeply engaging, a true celebration of their collective talent.

St Ed’s Got Talent proved once again why it’s a festival favourite. A remarkable variety of acts—from singers and instrumentalists to unexpected speciality performances—took to the stage, all hosted with charisma by Joseph and Daisy, who kept the audience cheering from start to finish. Musical highlights continued with Evensong and a Sing! workshop led by the renowned Mark De Lisser, whose guidance inspired students to perform with confidence and expression.

Creativity thrived in the Ceramics Workshop with Joshua Aubrook, where pupils designed and crafted their own decorative tiles, experimenting with texture, pattern and colour. Sporting Sunday added another tradition-rich chapter to the festival: the annual MCC vs First XI cricket match, joined by lively tennis fixtures and a football festival that kept the pitches buzzing all afternoon.

The festival finale featured a spectacular performance from Ronnie Scott’s All Stars with An Afternoon at the Movies, a programme blending film favourites by Henry Mancini and Herbie Hancock, enhanced by the phenomenal vocals of Polly Gibbons, who brought new life to classics including Moon River and Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend. The weeklong celebration of music, creativity, sport and community left audiences inspired and reminded everyone why the festival is such a highlight of the school year.

Special Thanks to FESTIVAL PARTNERS

EVENT SPONSORS:

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CORPORATE FRIENDS & SUPPORTERS:

LEAVERS 2025

Farewell to the Upper Sixth The Upper Sixth class of 2025 will certainly be missed. Our staff are immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them as they have achieved a huge amount, individually and collectively, in their time here. In all the different facets of St Edmund’s life, they have excelled themselves: in academic competitions, musical recitals, dramatic work, outdoor education and in debating they have set a tremendous example to the rest of the school and pushed our benchmarks of quality ever higher.

Their journey through A-levels has been marked by hard work, determination, and resilience, and we are incredibly proud of everything they have achieved.

These students have left a mark on our school community, and we will miss their energy, laughter, and contributions. Though this goodbye marks the end of a chapter, it’s also the beginning of countless new opportunities.

We wish you all the very best for your future.

Mr. Jonathan Symaka Head of Sixth Form

Student Valete BAKER

WAGNER

WARNEFORD

WATSON

Abigail Beale Annabel Church William Church Ash Crooks Thomas De Berry Harry Fong Zahra Horne Henry Hudson Alessia Paone Luke Robinson Blake Scammell Olivia Standen Philip Sutanto Betsy Thorne Arthur Underwood Oscar Vaughan Adam Whitlock Thomas Young

Holly Allom Harry Atkinson William Bradley Samson Buck Marcus Crossman Genevieve Fowler Henry Goodwin Jack Hodgson Emily Jackson Olivia Johnson Olivia T Johnson Abiral Loksam Alexander Moore Michael Nkereuwem Nina Schuler Taorui Song Oliver Stokes Viktoria Vodotyka

Tiago Alvares Ribeiro Katie Braithwait Ethan Brown Frederick Butler Arthur Clague Betty Graap James Hodgkinson Lucy Hollingsbee Sophie Luther

Charlie Alexander Annie Hanzhuofei Sam Berry Charlie Emson Jack Holcroft Daisy Holt Thea Kingsbury Matilda Marriner Masha PolglaseKorosteleva Nina Vogel Leonardo Watters Willoughby Wolff Metternich

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Amelie Madhlope Phillips

Cameron McKenzie Gabriela Nacif-Higson Roya Rahman Chloe Solley Mati Thomson Georg Von Harder

STAFF LEAVERS

DOMINIQUE STONE It has been an absolute pleasure to watch Dom grow and flourish over the years. I first knew her as a student, during my time as Matron, and I've since had the privilege of seeing her excel in both her professional roles and as she's built her family.

Dom has always been one of the nicest and most genuine people I know – consistently caring, nurturing, and radiating positivity to everyone she encounters. This is especially true for the children in her care, who have not only come to respect her deeply but will also miss her greatly. She works tirelessly for them, always seeking opportunities to enrich their lives.

What truly stands out is how Dom has integrated family into Junior School Boarding. This deeply rooted family values that she holds dear have transformed the junior school into a family unit which is a testament to her dedication.

I am incredibly proud of all she has achieved. I know she will continue to do amazing things in her future endeavors.

Carol French

JOANNA O’SULLIVAN Jo O’Sullivan began working part-time in EAL and served as a visiting tutor in Boarding for five years. An incredibly versatile teacher and fluent in Spanish, Jo joined the MFL department, teaching Spanish from Form 7 up to Lower 6th, more recently all the way down to Form 3 too, and skillfully guided students of all abilities through their GCSEs and A Levels. With her Graphic Design skills, Jo joined the DT department, teaching Graphic Design to Junior School pupils. Her pupils love their lessons with her, and their enthusiasm is a direct reflection of Jo’s professional, approachable, and caring manner.

Jo also held the position of Watson Deputy Housemaster where her pastoral skills came to the fore. Jo engages professionally with pupils and has a keen eye for detail when it comes to pastoral care. She is well loved by all the Watson pupils who will miss her immensely.

We wish Jo all the best with her future endeavours and with her children at the school we know she will keep in touch.

KELLY FRENCH In December 2024, we said a fond farewell to Kelly French, who joined St Edmund’s in September 2015. Kelly started as an evening tutor in boarding and went on to become Head of Safeguarding in the Junior School, working closely with pupils and parents and offering unwavering support to both students and staff.

She was highly respected, well liked, and made a lasting positive impact on our school community. We wish her every success in the next chapter and thank her for her many years of dedication and care.

HELEN COPLAND We say goodbye to Helen, who has been an invaluable member of St Edmund’s for over 20 years as our Head of the EAL Department.

Her dedication, patience, and support have helped countless pupils thrive, and her commitment to the school has been truly appreciated.

We send our warmest wishes to Helen as she embarks on her next adventure.

STAFF LEAVERS

Farewell and Thank You We would like to take a moment to thank all the staff who have left St Edmund’s during this academic year.

Your commitment, professionalism, and care have had a lasting impact on our pupils and school community.

We wish you all the very best in your future endeavors.

Richard Quigley

September 2017 - October 2024

Justine Larkin

July 2022 - October 2024

Jennie Crosswell

January 2023 - November 2024

Joanne Bryan

December 2019 - December 2024

Hannah Castleton

November 2020 - December 2024

Eppa Hummerstone

February 2022 - December 2024

Jane Linkin

March 2021 - December 2024

Amy Payne

September 2021 - December 2024

Martin Rendle

September 2018 - December 2024

Patricia Taylor

September 2016 - December 2024

Tahlulha Harvey

September 2023 - January 2025

Philip Wright

September 2017 - January 2025

Natasha Hanman

October 2023 - January 2025

James Teague

September 2014 - January 2025

Nikita Kuruvilla

April 2024 - January 2025

Lynsey Carruthers

January 2024 - February 2025

Poppie Capper

January 2025 - July 2025

Ajin Varghese Mathew

January 2024 - August 2025

Jack Bennett

March 2025 - August 2025

Liubov Bilych

November 2023 - August 2025

Carol French

November 2023 - August 2025

Amanda Masters

September 2021 - August 2025

Sonja Weed

September 2024 - August 2025

Special Mentions We would like to make a special mention of Tim Prior, our Head of IT, and Shilpa Pithia, our receptionist, who have both recently left St Edmund’s.

Tim has dedicated an incredible 27 years to the school, and Shilpa has been a valued member of our community for over 16 years. Their loyalty, commitment, and countless contributions have left a lasting impact on the school, and they will be greatly missed.

JUNIOR SCHOOL

SPEECH DAY & PRIZE GIVING

FORM 7 Academic Excellence Clara Montgomery Lois Coleman Logan Wilson Toby Jones

Form 6 Art prize Cameron Kent

Academic Endeavour Millie Guy Flora Scott Aoife Brown Oliver Miller-Jones

Form 8 Art prize Haru Tsukiizumi

FORM 8 Academic Excellence Isabella Rowley Henry Haylor Jake Brodie Ware Zach Bannister

Form 8 Design Technology prize Georgina Saxby

Academic Endeavour Ilenia Bailey Harry Newman Bea Bridgestock Sammy Latus

Form 3 Sophie Ridley

Form 5 Alexander Ridley

Academic Endeavour Helena Schaffner-Weller Kano Tsukiizumi

Courtesy Josie Weed Harry Newman Danny Shvets Mya Pettman Alice Su India Jenkinson Chloe Hill Zach Bannister

Courtesy Alin Saglam Joanna Adam-Laity

PE Effort Prize (Lower School) Luka Hadlow-Sans Evelyn Winn

FORM 3 Academic Excellence Sophie Ridley Academic Endeavour Violet Sweeney Courtesy Charlie Lock FORM 4 Academic Excellence Ben Martin Ellis Jones Academic Endeavour Matthew Rose George Oyler Courtesy Jack Wormald Zachary Jenkinson FORM 5 Academic Excellence Margot Kennedy Arya Yener

FORM 6 Academic Excellence Chloe Pettman Ella Brand

Academic Endeavour Charlie Reid Alice Sharp Kinsey Courtesy Isabella Saxby

Form 7 Art prize James Quinn

Form 7 Design Technology prize Toby Jones

Progress in ICT Anna Chetverikova The Munro Reading Prize

Form 4 Stirling Church

Form 6 Robert Owoka Form 7 Leo Liu Form 8 Seb Hewat

PE Effort Prize (Upper School) Jago Hendy Niamh Davis Chloe Hill Sporting Excellence Oscar De Varennes Isabella Rowley Outstanding Sports Scholar Thomas Auston Josie Weed

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The Thomson McLintock Handwriting Prize Forms 3 & 4 William Attwood Forms 5 & 6 Robert Poltavskyy Forms 7 & 8 Bea Bridgestock Progress in English as an additional language Alvaro Munoz Carbonell Hazel Poon Emily Liu Aki Okazaki

JUNIOR SCHOOL

SPEECH DAY & PRIZE GIVING Chapel Warden Prize Hamish Anderson

Form 6 Musical Excellence Ella Brand Alice Sharp Kinsey

School House Prize Simona Rai

Form 7 Musical Excellence George Ward Aoife Brown Maria Hadlow-Sans

Senior Chorister Prizes Brandon Elms Thomas Larkins

Form 8 Musical Excellence Freddie Heffer Emma Sharp Kinsey

The Maskell Prize for Care and Consideration in Lower School Alin Saglam

Music (vocal) Prize Brandon Elms

The Maskell Prize for Care and Consideration in Upper School Freddie Heffer

Music (Instrumental) Prize Lois Coleman

The Jane Haworth Memorial Award William Attwood

Director Music Prize Thomas Larkins

The Sue Hutchinson Memorial Award Joanna Adam-Laity

Lower School Drama prize Kano Tsukiizumi

The Barry King Memorial Prize Harry Newman Katherine Mitchell

Upper School Drama Prize Millie Soar-Wyatt

The John Cox Prize Jago Hendy Alice Florence

Outstanding Performance in Drama Jago Hendy

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SENIOR SCHOOL LOWER FIFTH PRIZES Art Georgie Collett

MIDDLE FIFTH

Mathematics Shobhan Rai

English Language Olivia Leigh-Hunt

Art Ophelia Turner Stockham

Music Rohan Lowe Peter Symon

English Literature Lottie Haylor

Burgess Hodgson Prize for Sport Agatha Hudson Bryson Dekker

Biology Florence Ward

Ceramics Audrey Taylor

Burgess Hodgson Prize for Sport Will Auston Millie Feakins

Computer Science Jeremy Isom Drama Kaden French Design and Technology Ena Bayley English Language Masha Dillendorf English Lit. Lexie Wilkinson Food & Nutrition Theodore Isom French Evelina Salvatori

SPEECH DAY PRIZE LIST

CCF-S.S.I’s Prize for the best Middle Fifth Cadet Oliver Bradley Ceramics Shuvna Rai Chemistry Natalia Brodie Ware Computer Science Beau Shipston Drama Sophie Burgess Design and Technology Eddie Florence

Physics Shobhan Rai

Film Studies Danny Shaw

Religious Studies Alexander Robinson

Food Preparation and Nutrition Anna Musiiaka

Spanish Josh Coleman

French Olivia Leigh-Hunt

Sports Science Hebe Hg

German Richard Do Carleton Moody

Sports Scholar Award Jack Edwards Tabitha White

Geography Evan Gallagher

UPPER FIFTH Art - Daley Rowney Prize for Fine Art Betsy Couthard Biology Ines Adwan

History Ned Wiltshire Kennedy Prize Megan Garton Latin Olivia Leigh-Hunt Mathematics Bobby Halling

Geography Masha Dillendorf

English as an additional language Juliette Garnois

Burgess Hodgson Prize for Sport Ines Adwan Joey Burden

History Masha Dillendorf

Economics Shobhan Rai

Ceramics Violet Vant

Physics Charles Broun

Latin Alex Strzeminski-Bowden

English Language Peter Symon

Chemistry Evan Gallagher

Religious Studies Sofia De Lange

Mathematics Evelina Salvatori

English Literature Natalia Brodie Ware

Computer Science Noam Brand

Roche Reading Olivia Leigh-Hunt

Music Arabella Porter Evelina Salvatori

Film Studies Josh Tucker

Dance Lottie Haylor

Religious Studies Sofiia Myroshnichenko

Food Preparation and Nutrition Evie Brown

Senior School Short Story Writing Competition Noam Brand

Design and Technology Oliver Hissett

Spanish Danny Shaw

Science Sofiia Myroshnichenko

French Ophelia Turner Stockham

Drama Laila O’Sullivan

Sports Science Ned Wiltshire

Spanish Ena Bayley

German Natalia Brodie Ware

Sports Scholar Award Rafa Barton Hodges

Sports Scholar Prize Morgan Abbott Emily Surridge

Geography Shobhan Rai

English as an additional language Anna Musiiaka

History Peter Symon Latin Peter Symon

Music Performance Ami Watters

Economics Charles Broun

Sport Lendrum Award for Hockey Freddie Post

Edgar William Jesson Prize for Music Noam Brand

Sue Hutchinson Memorial Prize Ines Adwan

Music Technology Simon Rohlfing

Leiths Academy Katie Braithwait

Photography Sophia Mahmoodi

Lloyd-Roberts History Prize James Hodgkinson

Art Dominika Synipostol

Physics Yalamber Rai

Biology Shiha Rai

Mason Cup for the Sportsman of the Year Henry Goodwin

Politics Marie - Luise Voyé

Business Studies Sofie Goode

Mathematics Blake Scammell

Psychology Sanjana Gullipani

Ceramics Sophie King

Religous Studies Lindy Zajacz

Chemistry Setayesh Khalantari Khandani

Michael Stewart Award for Outstanding Performance Arthur Clague for his performance of John Wilkes Booth in Assassins

Sports Science Sofie Goode

Mount Sixth Form Award Emily Jackson

Classic Civilisation Luciana Block

Sports Scholar Daisy Baker

Music - Subject Prize James Hodgkinson

Computer Science Kai Parker

Sports Robyn Davis Joseph Goodwin

Music Technology Prize Arthur Underwood

Jacob Barnes Prize for Piano Leo Watters

Dance Elizabeth Young

Wilkinson Award for Hockey Will Surridge

Design and Technology Barnaby Gilham

UPPER SIXTH

Philip Hollingsworth Memorial Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Drama Frederick Butler

John Owen Prize for the Cadet CSM William Bradley

LOWER SIXTH Agnes Robinson Prize for Stage Crew Alex Collyer

Drama Joseph Goodwin

Alfred Forder Memorial Prize for good service Thomas De Berry

English as an additional language Dominika Synipostol

Andrew John Pearson Cup outstanding instrumentalist Thomas Young

Economics Setayesh Khalantari Khandani

Art Oscar Vaughan

English Luciana Block Film Studies Alexander Cheetham

Geography Setayesh Khalantari Khandani Grade 8 Music Rhyd Lowe (theory with merit) Rhyd Lowe (piano with distinction) Rhyd Lowe (clarinet with merit) Meena Hay (singing with merit) History Joseph Goodwin Leiths Academy Mavis Chu Mathematics Rhyd Lowe Music Rhyd Lowe Music Performance Ruaraidh Aitken Daisy Baker Kai Parker

ARSM Music Diploma Thomas Young (distinction) Arthur Sextus Robinson prize for contribution to school music James Hodgkinson

Photography Amelie Madalope Philips Physics Henry Goodwin Politics James Hodgkinson Psychology Katie Braithwait Pullen Baker Prize for Music Frederick Butler Arthur Underwood Religious Studies Amelie Madalope Philips

Asbury-Bailey Cup for the Sportswoman of the Year Chloe Solley

Roger Barnes Memorial Prize for Chemistry Henry Goodwin

Bernard Giles Kedge Prize for Chapel Music Thomas De Berry Olivia Johnson

David Knight Trophy Henry Goodwin

Biology Thea Kingsbury Burgess Hodgson Prize for Business Studies Masha Polglase-Korosteleva

Thomas De Berry (orchestral percussion with distinction) Thomas De Berry (singing with distinction) Guy Stringer prize for Adventurous Training Henry Goodwin Hand-Oxborrow Cup Marcus Crossman

Shepherd Awards for Boarding Captain Betty Graap Alexander Moore Shepherd Awards for House Captains Chloe Solley Henry Goodwin Matilda Marriner Betsy Thorne Sport Science Chloe Solley St Edmund's School Captain James Hodgkinson Olivia Johnson St Edmund's School Vice Captain Frederick Butler Genevieve Fowler Olivia Standen

Geography James Hodgkinson

Thrupp Essay Award Masha Polglase-Korosteleva

Design and Technology Ash Crooks Economics Marcus Crossman

Classical Civilisation Thomas Young

Francis Paul Cassidi Memorial Prize for Service Luke Robinson

Dance Viktoria Vodotyka

Henry Goodwin (singing with distinction)

Further Mathematics Henry Goodwin

Drama Olivia Standen

Film Studies Arthur Underwood

Colin Parker Memorial Prize for English Literature Chloe Solley

Grade 8 Music Awards Henry Goodwin (bassoon with distinction)

St Edmund's Society President's Centenary Prizes for School Prefects Thomas de Berry Leo Watters Ash Crooks Arthur Clague Lucy Hollingsbee William Church Charlie Alexander Emily Jackson Taorui Song Abigail Beale Luke Robinson Annabel Church Masha Polglase Korosteleva Thea Kingsbury Marcus Crossman Blake Scammell Katie Braithwait Amelie Madhlope Phillips Gabriela Nacif-Higson Charlie Emson Olivia T Johnson

Ceramics Emily Jackson

Clifford Sadler Award (CCOCA) James Hodgkinson Frederick Butler

Gillian Collard 'Agape' Award Betsy Thorne

French Alexander Moore

HOUSE PHOTOS BAKER

WARNEFORD

82

WATSON

WAGNER

83 89

BOARDING

PREFECTS

84

ST EDMUND'S SCHOOL CANTERBURY St Thomas Hill Canterbury Kent CT2 8HU Tel: 01227 475600 stedmunds.org.uk @stedscanterbury The school is owned by St Edmund's School Canterbury, a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales, number 3201223.

Registered charity number 1056382. Registered office: St Edmund's School, Canterbury, Kent CT2 8HU