2023-24 Issue 4 Easter

The Easter Issue | 2023-2024

KING’S

THE HEAD MASTER -2-

Dear Students, Parents and Carers, What a short but packed term this has been. It feels like only yesterday that we returned from Half Term and already the Easter Vacation period is upon us.

It has been an interesting term to reflect back and appreciate that it is now four years since the country went in to ‘lock-down’ for the first time in March 2020 and two years since the conflict in the Ukraine began in February 2022. Within the great history of our school these events remind us of the changing world around us and how important it is to continue to prepare our students for the world of tomorrow.

The term has been filled with great opportunities and events. As you will read in the pages there have been great sporting achievements, wonderful departmental successes and academic excellence. The House Awards were another occasion where we came together to celebrate the values that we promote and it was incredible to read the stories and successes of students who were celebrated for their ability to demonstrate a strong moral compass.

The Easter concert was an incredible tribute to the musical excellence on offer and I am always astounded by how the standard of music goes from strength to strength in the school.

The term included, as one of the many highlights, the renowned experimental physicist Professor Sir Roy Sambles who gave demonstrations and talks for this year’s Newton Lecture. In his afternoon lecture Sir Roy enthralled students from Years 10,11,12 and13 with demonstrations and explanations of the work of eminent scientists Isaac Newton, Thomas Young and Albert Einstein. Included in his talk was the amazing story of the Morpho butterfly renowned for the remarkable optical properties of their vibrant blue wings, which can be seen from up to a quarter mile away. The various properties of light including diffraction, refraction, reflection, and polarisation were discussed in the context of the demonstrations and students were introduced to the idea of light acting as a particle.

In the evening Sir Roy wove a series of breathtaking demonstrations into his lecture on the ways light and colour are created in science and nature. Among the questions he addressed were “why is the sky blue”, “how does a rainbow form” and “why is the sunset red”.

Sir Roy is a former President of the Institute of Physics. He studied physics at Imperial College, London, gaining his BSc and PhD degrees there, and has since published over 550 papers in international journals.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in May 2002. He is currently Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Exeter, where he has studied a wide range of systems including liquid crystal devices, iridescent butterfly wings and microwave photonics.

From observing the expressions on the faces of the audience, he inspired many of the young minds, and older ones, to start questioning the world around them. His superb demonstrations and clearly articulated explanations brought the complex subject of light and colour to life for the audience of all ages.

I wish you all a very happy Easter and I know that Year 11 and Year 13 students will be preparing for their formal examinations in May, for which we wish them all the best of luck.

Thank you to Tashan Mpundu, assisted by Jesse Hole, the Student Leadership team and all of the prefects who have been an incredible team representing the students at the very highest level. Their contribution to the school community are a credit to everyone at the school.

Have a very Happy Easter - Simon Pickett - Head Master

PTFA

H

appy Easter from the PTFA

SAVE THE DATE

On Saturday 6 July, the PTFA are once again hosting the immensely popular Annual Summer PTFA Ball. With a three course meal, a drink on arrival and music the evening promises to be even more successful than last year’s event. Information will be sent to all parents and carers in due course and tickets will be available via the school website in June.

The ‘Parents, Teachers, Friends Association’ actively supports the school and the staff by organising events to raise funds for the school community, specifically the ‘fun stuff ’ which wouldn’t otherwise be easily funded. Items that the PTFA funds have helped fund include: • Outdoor table-tennis tables • Languages Competition Entry Feeds • The Library • Warhammer club for additional kit • Chess Club for clocks and chess sets • Benches for Year 7s in Head Master’s Garden Every parent/carer is automatically a member of the PTFA and is welcome to attend any or all of the meetings and contribute to the decision-making process. All members of the PTFA are volunteers with Committee members volunteering for the roles and elected at the AGM. Without being a Committee member, there are still plenty of opportunities throughout the academic year to work alongside the Committee or to attend PTFA events, and we would be delighted to welcome you as an active ‘Friend’ at any of our events.

GOLD CARD CLUB The King’s Gold Card Club scheme is a monthly cash prize draw that helps support the work of the King’s PTFA, which in turn supports the school in various projects. The Gold Draw is open to anyone over the age of 18, not just parents/carers – so grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and former students are welcome to participate too - this is an easy way to make a difference to the school.

An annual payment of £10.00 entitles participants to be included in the ten monthly prize draws, which currently stand at £60.00, with two prize draws of £450.00 each year. Check out Gold Club Card details in the PTFA section of the school website and please remember to keep the PTFA updated on any change of address/ bank details for use in case you are lucky enough to win!

PRE-LOVED UNIFORM The PTFA manages the school’s Pre-loved uniform and PE kit sales. Sports kit with the current school badge is in particular demand so donations of these items would be exceptionally helpful. All other items of uniform including CCF and football or rugby boots are also welcomed. We have placed a yellow donation bin outside of W101 and W102 where the students can drop off clean bagged uniform donations. To buy or donate, contact the PTFA via the email address, PTFA@kings.lincs.sch.uk.

KEEPING IN TOUCH You can look up information on what is happening or get in touch with the PTFA via: Facebook - @KingsPTFA E-mail – PTFA@kings.lincs.sch.uk We look forward to seeing you at one of the meetings or events and would like to thank you again for your support.

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The Newton Lecture

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The Sixth Form

Y

ear 13 students are making their Firm and Insurance choices and it was pleased to see over 85% of students mention MOOCs in their personal statements.

MOOCs stands for Massive Open Online Courses and is a treasure trove of specialist enrichment opportunities for students to further evidence their interest in their chosen degree or career choice. Year 12 students are beginning to sharpen their focus on their applications for next year and it is fantastic to see so many of them who have already completed at least one MOOC. Titles are wide ranging from, A Geometrical Approach to Genome Analysis: Skew & Z-Curve , to A-level Mathematics for Year 12 - Course 2: Calculus, Newton’s Laws and Hypothesis Testing, or perhaps Biorefinery: From Biomass to Building Blocks of Biobased Products.

MOOCs are a clear indicator of deeper and self-motivated study and will be highly beneficial for future applications.

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Y

ear 13 students welcomed the Lincolnshire Road Safety team into school this term.

Statistics all point towards the sixth form age group being the most vulnerable on the roads and our guest speakers underlined the key considerations to remain safe on our roads. Students were also invited to sit in the road safety simulator and were shown the devastating impact of a moments carelessness at the wheel involving a mobile phone. This was a depiction of a true story and will hopefully have a positive impact on the driving habits of our students.

C

lear advice from Nottingham Trent University.

It was great to welcome Nottingham Trent University who addressed the Sixth Form on how to mobilise themselves in their pursuit of a successful application next year. There was a demonstration of the use of UCAS and Unifrog in order to research their options. Students were also guided through the key tips to maximising University open days and conferences. Finally, students were given an outline of the key difference between city and campus options and shown the wide range of exciting opportunities that are available at the next stage. This information will be followed up at the Higher Education evening which will be in school for parents on Tuesday 23 April.

R

otary Club Interviews

This has been a very busy term for interviews in the Sixth Form. We have welcomed over 30 external students in to visit the school and offered them further support in their desire to join us in Year 12 next year. We have also interviewed nearly 30 outstanding applicants from Year 12 who were courageous enough to put themselves into the competitive cycle of Head Boy applications. Finally, over 30 Year 12 students enhanced their preparations for future applications by volunteering and undertaking an interview experience led by a local business leader from the Rotary Club.

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W

elcome back Tom.

The Sixth Form were delighted to invite back ex Kings student and Assistant Head Boy, Tom Linford, to talk about his Higher Degree Apprenticeship role at Atkinsrealis. During the talk Tom spoke to the students about what Atkinsrealis do as an engineering company and some of the major projects they are involved in such as HS2, Midland Mainline Electrification and Dubai Opera House. The talk discussed the benefits of an apprenticeship scheme versus university. Tom also gave guidance on how to approach and search for companies’ students may be interested in as an apprenticeship scheme reiterating the need to do wider research, reading and MOOCs.

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W

e also hosted Tillotts Pharma UK this term.

The interactive talk enabled students to think about the pharmaceutical industry as a whole and the different layers of opportunities available. The students learnt that alongside the sales and market access, there are also amazing opportunities within supply chain, marketing and brand management, regulatory and quality assurance, research and development, corporate finance, medical affairs and information and business development. Once keys skills and experience are gained this could then lead to opportunities abroad or with larger companies.

Departmental News Biology

I

n February, the Year 12 Biologists participated in the British Biology Olympiad.

This consisted of two 45-minute papers that tested their knowledge, understanding and problem-solving skills using very challenging biological contexts. A big congratulations goes to all students who took part - a large proportion of our students achieved awards ranging from commended to Gold.

A special mention goes to Charlie Lamb who was awarded a Gold, which placed him in the top 5% of the 15,000 students who took part. He is now waiting to hear if he has qualified for the international team.

Other notable performances came from Elliott Mallett, Sriram Ravichithiran and Jenson Sealy who were all awarded Silver and Luke Carroll, Charlie Hatchman, William Livings and Arthur Ridout who were all awarded Bronze. A huge achievement for all of our enthusiastic Biologists!

the different languages, translating them and summarising them in French (although some would say I was better suited to being a communicator!!) Having so much artistic freedom was something so unique compared to what we usually do in school, and using that is ultimately what got us the win, I think! Journalism is something I’m now seriously looking into as a career path because of this éblouissant event! Thank you to everyone who I worked with, because we were all incredible!

C

harlie:

Mrs Haywood - Teacher of Biology

Overall, this linguistic-skills-testing challenge was very worthwhile. Although in the beginning, personally, I was quite stressed (I don’t know about the rest of the team!) but I felt we eased into it and grew more confident, which is shown in the final piece (of course!), and it was quite satisfying to see it all come together. It was also very interesting to see articles that weren’t just in French, and some members had to put their Spanish or German skills to the test! Très intéressant!!

French

B

ack in November, Sixth Formers studying French participated in an inter-school journalism competition called Scoop.

The main task was to design the front cover of a French newspaper. They had to work in real-time to respond to press releases in various languages (not just French!) and news conferences and negotiate advertising contracts with “reps” from such firms as Michelin and Rolex. The event was a huge success and was enjoyed by both the Sixth Formers teams’. Here are the testimonies of the winning Y12 students:

M

ax:

Scoop was so much fun! Of course, it was lovely to be able to get out of lessons, but I honestly took so much from it! I was tasked with being the head reporter, collecting stories in all

N

oah:

I was the editor of the newspaper - this meant that my role involved coordinating all of the team members and then putting all the stories together onto the front page once the reporters had sent it to me. Despite a (very!) hectic atmosphere, we were able to cooperate well and put together a well-presented front page. I really enjoyed taking part in the competition and the experience it provided - c’était excellent!

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Departmental News History

H

istorical Fiction Book Club – Listen to the Moon

In the historical fiction book club, we have been reading ‘Listen to the Moon’ by Robert Hume. This story follows the life of Lucy Lost, who washed up on the shores of the Scilly Isles in 1915. It follows her and her newly found family as they try to uncover her story.

What did we like/dislike about this book?

There wasn’t a single part of the book that we didn’t like – we were hooked from start to finish! What really grabbed our attention was how the book tells two stories at once, bouncing back and forth in a way that kept us totally engaged. In addition, the ongoing mystery kept us eager for more. Overall, Morpurgo’s storytelling had us completely wrapped up in the book, and we couldn’t get enough of it!

Which characters did we find the most interesting and why?

Two characters stood out to us as particularly fascinating. Firstly, the main character, Lucy. intrigued us with her air of mystery, keeping us on our toes as we questioned her presence and motivations throughout the story. Secondly, Uncle Billy emerged as a surprisingly significant character. We enjoyed seeing him grow in confidence throughout the book, and despite being initially underestimated and judged by others, he became an increasingly important figure. We found his journey and the connection he built with Lucy to be compelling, showcasing the importance of not judging a book by its cover.

Did we learn anything new about history from this book?

The book is set in the background of the First World War and there was lots of additional knowledge that we were able to gather about the period. Firstly, we learned about the significant historical event of the sinking of the SS. Schiller in 1875. This ship was sunk off the coast of the Isles of Scilly and the people of the islands managed to save over thirty passengers of the ship. The heroics of the people from the islands were remembered by the German people, and at the outbreak of war, the German Navy announced that no allied ship should be attacked when close to the islands. No ships were ever attacked close by.

Secondly, the book added to our understanding of the extent of the destruction caused by the German U-boat campaign and the number of ships destroyed: 5,000 Allied ships as well as 178 German U-boats.

What most stands out from the book?

What truly stands out from the book are the connections between the characters. In particular Lucy’s ability to forge meaningful relationships with the family, despite her not being able to talk to them. Her interactions highlighted the power of empathy and understanding beyond words. Additionally, the unexpected friendship between the German sailors and the Islanders was brought about by the lasting legacy of the SS. Schiller. This portrayal of unlikely camaraderie in the midst of wartime tensions served as an important reminder of the humanity of those enlisted to fight in the First World War. Would we recommend this book to other students?

Absolutely, without a doubt, we recommend everyone to read “Listen to the Moon” by Michael Morpurgo. Not only does it provide valuable insights into the lives of people during World War I, offering a unique perspective on historical events, but it also serves as an excellent mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. This book has something for everyone – it’s educational and thoroughly enjoyable. So yes, we enthusiastically encourage others to dive into this compelling tale!

If you are interested in attending the historical fiction book club, we meet every other Wednesday from 12.40-13.10 in B205. We are due to start our new book at the beginning of next half term. Students in Year 7,8 and 9 are welcome to attend.

Miss Ginnelly - Head of the Politics Department

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Departmental News H

istory - Non Examined Assessment On 22 March Y12 Historians visited Bishop Grosseteste University for an ‘NEA Day’, together with students from Skegness

Grammar School and Sir William Robertson Academy, Lincoln. The day aimed to support students writing the coursework component of the A-Level History course. The day included a Source Analysis and Historical Interpretations workshop, an opportunity to find historical sources and a session to improve history writing skills. We finished the day with a Campus Tour led by student ambassadors.

Y

ear 9

During the last week of term, Y9 visited the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds. They took part in a workshop that taught them the process for new recruits during WWI and introduced them to the Leed’s Pals Battalion. There was also an informative object handling session and time to explore all the galleries on four floors of the museum!

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Departmental News Mrs McKenna - Head of the History Department

P o l i t i cs On the 6 March, our Year 12 Politics students were lucky enough to travel to London to see some of the stuff we learn about in practice. The students visited the Houses of Parliament for a very informative tour through the historic building, Whitehall, Downing Street and Horse Guards Parade. After a lovely lunch break in St. James’ Park, we enjoyed a very interesting discussion on what a future relationship with the European Union might look like at Europe House. We finished the day at the Supreme Court, even being lucky enough to enter and hear a case being held in the famous Court Room 1. With the trip happening on Budget Day, our students got to see the hustle and bustle of Parliamentary life. A brilliant day out had by all.

Miss Ginnelly - Head of the Politics Department

English

Y

ear 12 A Level Literature Trip: Poems of the Decade Conference, London

On the 12 December, Year 12 English Literature students embarked on an intrepid exploration from the twilight streets of Grantham, leaving at an ungodly hour, down to the Capital to attend the 2023 Poems Of The Decade Conference, courtesy of EMC e-magazine.

As soon as we arrived, fresh from a quick pit stop to get breakfast, we were all taken aback by the size of the auditorium, with several

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Departmental News

hundred students from schools across the country in attendance. The conference was kicked off by the one and only Daljit Nagra (author of Look We have Coming to Dover!), who introduced his own poem, as well as comparing it to two other poems of our A level collection. Not only did he offer some interesting, personal insight into the writing and structure of the poem, but there was also something quite special about hearing him read his poem out loud (something Mr McLauchlan is, unfortunately, unable to replicate in lessons…!) Nagra also answered a few questions from the crowd. Much to Mr McLauchlan’s disappointment, who has been scolding

our class for making “heavy handed comments” about form and structure in our A level essays, Nagra confirmed that the poem “does look like a wave”.

A short interlude followed Nagra’s presentation, which gave us the opportunity to meet the poet himself in person. As quite the fanboy, I had a few books signed over the course of the day, and by its close, I’d spoken to him so much he even remembered my name!

Afterwards, there was an activity on the ‘Ode’ form, which included the activity of writing and reading our own poems. A personal favourite was ‘Ode to the Movie Seven’, a darkly funny recap of the cult classic, as well as an emotional one from our own student, Max. After much excitement, we were restored back to the professionals, with Simon Armitage (author of Chainsaw Versus The Pampas Grass) talking about what drove him to write about a malicious chainsaw fruitlessly attacking a patch of pampas grass. It turns out, he wrote the poem based on a true experience.

Finally, Ros Barber took to the stage, and gave a sentimental rendition of her poem, ‘Material’, which was a truly personal experience not just for the audience, but for her too, since this was a highly personal poem written about her mother’s passing. Barber took liberty to try and raise our spirits by talking about the happiest memories her mother had, and that the poem is a celebration of the life she lived. I also had the opportunity to meet the poet during my lunch break, and I had a great conversation with her about getting into poetry.

After a large round of applause, we left the conference and headed back to the coach, ready to return to King’s, newly equipped with a deeper knowledge of the poems we study. The journey home was entertaining, too! We had an “English-All Stars” pop quiz, with teachers and students “battling it out” with literature trivia. The day couldn’t have been more fun for an A Level English Literature

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Departmental News student!

By Jim Gleed - Year 12

Y

ear 12 and 13 A Level English Lecture ‘Chattering still’: Wordsworth, the ‘real language of men’ and the language of poetry

Brean Hammond, Emeritus Professor of Modern English Literature, University of Nottingham One evening, we had a guest speaker from the University of Nottingham lecture us on Wordsworth and the Romantics. It was a very educational and informative session, particularly as we haven’t studied the Romantic poets since GCSE. We began by analysing some poems, such as “On the Death of Richard West” by Thomas Grey and William McGonagall’s “The Tay Bridge Disaster”.

We also looked at extracts from William Wordsworth’s “Lyrical Ballads”, and it was refreshing to hear about how contradictory his preface was.

It seems to me that Wordsworth was a bit of a pedant, mainly as he appears to criticise anything that he didn’t see as “accessible poetry”. However, it seems peculiar (and hypocritical!) that he chooses to employ lofty language to emphasise how poetry should be for the “common man”.

We finished by looking at some of the different Romantic poems Year 13 are studying, including “Tintern Abbey”, and this was clearly my favourite part of the night! I have to say, some of these poems are very well written!

Overall, it was a fun night. I felt like an undergraduate reading English at university. The guest speaker, Prof. Hammond, was incredibly eloquent and knowledgeable.

By Max Lygo - Year 12

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Departmental News Religious Studies

A

level trip to Cambridge

On the 22nd of March, A level Religion, Philosophy, and Ethics students from The King’s School and KGGS embarked on a joint excursion to the University of Cambridge for an enriching A level Study Day. The day commenced with a lecture on studying at this esteemed institution, followed by advice for achieving higher A level grades. Three engaging lectures by our textbook author, Libby Ahluwalia, explored topics such as Religious Language: how useful is analogy in communicating ideas about God? Utilitarianism: how helpful is utilitarianism as a method of ethical decision-making? The Problem of Evil: is the existence of evil and suffering in the world evidence against the existence of a loving God? The day concluded with a tour of Selwyn College and free time to explore the wonders of this historic city. It was a marvellous day, thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Mrs Cunningham, Teacher of Religious Education

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Departmental News Art

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isiting Artist workshop with year 10 and year 12 Art students

This term, the Art Department has had the pleasure of running 2 extra-curricular workshops with visiting Artist Sarah-Jane Mason.

The workshops focused primarily on experimental drawing techniques using a variety of media and approaches aimed at expanding the student’s understanding and appreciation of drawing as a form of communication and language. Sarah-Jane challenged the boys to examine what they think a drawing is and how they can use a drawing to communicate an idea, feeling or question to others.

The students created a variety of pieces demonstrating their skills in experimentation and expression throughout the workshop and worked in non-traditional methods to challenge their usual working practices. Sarah-Jane was very impressed with the student’s abilities and praised their willingness to try something new and create more experimental works.

Within the workshops, students also gained an introduction to the many varied roles that Sarah-Jane occupies working within the Arts, developing the student’s understanding of how Artists work in different spaces and organisations. Sarah-Jane discussed her role as Director of an international Arts festival, guest University lecturer, gallery and charity engagement projects, education workshops, personal practice and creating a publishing company, giving our students insight into possible future roles and career paths.

Mrs Warley – Head of the Art Department

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Departmental News P h y s i cs

B r i t i s h P h y s i cs O l y m p i a d Competitions Earlier in the year 14 challenge hungry Year 13 physics students chose to sit the British Physics Olympiad Paper 1, this is a 2 hour 45 minute paper full of long answer open ended Physics questions that cover all topics. This paper is sat internationally by about 5000 students and it is assessed by a group at Oxford University.

The results are now in and the students have done incredibly well, they have gained 4 Gold awards, 7 Silver award and 2 Bronze awards.

The Gold award winners are: Julian Huddart, George Taylor, Thomas Entwistle and Oliver Beard but a huge congratulations to all of the students for taking part.

A special mention for Julian Huddart who received a Top Gold award, putting him in the top 150 students nationally, he was been invited to sit the British Physics Olympiad Paper 2 which was another 2 hour 45 minute paper consisting of 4 long answer questions. The results have just been announced and he has attained a Gold award in this second paper and he has been invited to a 4 day training camp at Oxford University in the Easter holiday, this means he was in the top 24 students in the country.

The Oxford Training Camp is designed to develop students’ skills for the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) and the European Physics Olympiad (EuPhO). At the end of the camp they will select the final team to represent the UK in the IPhO or EuPhO in the summer.

Good luck Julian!

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Departmental News Year 12

In February 62 Year 12 Physics students completed the British Physics Olympiad Senior Online Challenge set by Oxford University. They had to complete two 30-minute tests comprising of 20 physics questions in each part; the questions covered all areas of Physics that the students covered as part of their GCE course. The results are now in, and our students have gained over 30 Bronze Awards, 22 Silver Awards, and 8 Gold Awards.

All students should be congratulated on their effort and for taking part but special mention should be given to the Gold Award students: Toby Sharpe, Kyle Moe-Aung, Ethan Wakefield, Will Bradbury, Alex Mahony, Thomas Li, Evan Garg and Andrew Hines.

Year 11 During the second week in February 55 Year 11 students took part in the national competition run by Oxford University, the Intermediate Physics Challenge. An online competition comprising of two 30-minute tests containing 20 physics questions in each test, the questions covered all areas of Physics that the students cover as part of their GCSE course.

We have now received the results and our students gained 7 Bronze Awards, 26 Silver Awards and 22 Gold Awards. All students should be congratulated on their effort and for taking part.

All of these students now have the opportunity to compete in their respective one hour written paper so watch this space for their results in that next term!

Year 12 Physics Partners Competition Our year 12 students have taken part in a new Physics competition to create a captivating video that showcases what fuels their fascination with physics. Three teams of students took part in our internal competition to select the final entry for the school. The videos produced had very different styles but showcased our student’s talents and interests; they were on the topics of the photoelectric effect, chaos theory and relativity. The team enthused by Chaos Theory was the entry that was put forward for the national competition, and although it did not make the final short-list, it was complimented on its graphics and the water wheel demonstration.

Miss Jones - Head of the Physics Department

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‘Physics in Pictures’

The theme of this competition is ‘ P h y s i cs i n e v e r y d a y l i f e ’ .

Your photograph could be of a building or a bridge, an electrical device or even

y o u r p e t d o g d e f y i n g t h e l aw s o f g r av i t y !

Be as creative as you can but remember to stay safe.

E n t r y d e a d l i n e : W e d n e sd a y 8 M a y 2024Send entries to: sara.jones@kings. l i n cs . sc h . u k P l e a s e r e a d t h e l e t t e r a ss o c i a t e d w i t h this competition that contains all the terms and conditions.

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Debating

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n the 2 March, I had the privilege of competing in the Cambridge Schools’ Debating Regional along with Tom Sefton, Tashan Mpundu, Josh Clee, Ekene Esiwe, Max Lygo and Charlie Hatchman.

Preparation was scarce, as I was only added to the team a few days before due to a last-minute substitution, but I felt confident going in with my excellent partner, Charlie. It was an early start on a brisk Saturday morning, but we got into our motions. We had four, including ones on culture and movies, the economics of running a city, and social media as a news source! We scored well and secured a few high scoring placements! Although we didn’t qualify, we were close and had an excellent day.

Max Lygo -Year12

Coming to the end of a very positive debating season, on Tuesday 5 March, some of the competitive debaters had the opportunity to put on a fantastic showcase at the South Kesteven Council Chamber in front of an audience of parents and students, as well as Councillor Charmaine Morgan.

Head Boy, Tashan Mpundu, was chair of the British Parliamentary style debate which proposed the motion: ‘This house believes that AI is the greatest threat to the future of humanity’. The proposition consisted of Evan Garg, Joshua Clee, Noah Koro and Max Lygo, whilst the opposition was made up of Charlie Hatchman, Selkie Erridge (KGGS), Fleur Holmes (KGGS) and Drisha Manoj (KGGS).

The evening was a great opportunity for the competitive debating team to showcase the skills that they have learnt and improved over the past few months. This huge leap in quality wouldn’t have been possible without the valuable help from Mrs Cunningham and Liz though! Overall, it was a very exciting debate that was filled with very well thought out arguments from both sides, especially seeing as there was only 15 minutes to plan. With the motion being so prevalent in our current and potentially future society, it was interesting to debate an issue that could be so impactful to all of us. Although no winner was chosen, everyone participating in the showcase thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to debate in such an incredible venue, especially compared to the usual classroom!

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Josh Clee - Year 12 On the 7 of March I had the privilege to play a part in the team’s participation in the English-Speaking Union Mace Regional Final which was held here at The King’s School. Head Boy, Tashan, commenced the evening by welcoming our guests and fellow competitors from Nottingham High School, St Mary’s Catholics School, Stamford School, Oundle School and Repton School. Our team were arguing against the motion ‘This House Believes that it is legitimate for social movements to use anger to mobilise support for their cause’. and were very convincing in doing so.

Throughout our three rounds of this tournament, I was able to act in a support and research role in order to make sure that the team was as prepared as possible for the challenging debates that were ahead

Debating

The showcase was the last opportunity this academic year to debate but with such huge improvements made since the start of the season, everyone is hopeful for an even better season next year!

of them. This included thoroughly scrutinising their speeches alongside Charlie, the Year 13s, and the debaters from KGGS who all also helped, as well as Mrs Cunningham and Liz, both of whom we could not have reached this far without. Additionally, I was able to manage the timings for one debate and chair the following two on the evening itself - this was an excellent experience, and it was fascinating to see a debate from a different perspective. I am very pleased with how the team did having watched their debate - Ollie, Max and Evan all gave exciting speeches as always!

Only one team can go through to the final in London and this time it was Oundle School. This competition was the last of this debating season, and I think that I speak on behalf of the team in saying that there is much to be taken away from it as we head optimistically into the next season in September!

Noah Koro - Year 12

Inter-School, Debating On the 25th of March we had our Inter-School Debating Club held at KGGS. Over 100 students from both schools attend and discuss questions which cover a range of current affairs issues and topics.

Internal Debating Thank you to Year 13 students Alex Cant and Michael Grace for their exceptional dedication and hard work in organising and running the Year 10 and Year 11 lunchtime debating clubs. The Year 12 students will begin running these clubs in term 5 and we wish Alex and Michael the best of luck in their upcoming A level exams.

King’s debating and will concentrate on setting up a house debating competition in the summer term before resuming competitive debating in the autumn. The Inter- School Debating Club will continue to meet monthly for the rest of the academic year.

Thank you to the students who have been a pleasure to train this season, to Liz Tibbett for her competitive training and feedback and to TA, Mr Grundy, and the parent volunteers, Mrs Beard and Mrs Langdon along with KGGS teachers Mr Baker and Ms Andrewartha who help to keep order at our InterSchool Debating Club.

Mrs Cunningham, Debating Lead.

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Physical Education -22-

I

t has been a very busy half term for sport, with several notable performances across a wide range of spots.

Football Senior Football

It has been a mixed season for both 1st and 2nd XI teams this year. Several postponements due to the poor weather have meant that neither team has been able to build any real momentum. The 1st XI have drawn with Carre’s but lost against Priory Ruskin, most recently the team bounced back to record a 5-3 victory against Bourne Grammar School.

The 2nd XI have lost both of their games this half term to Priory and Carre’s respectively. The boys in both teams will be looking to finish their season strongly to record the best finish possible in their leagues.

Middle School Year 10 continued their run in the county cup, dispatching Sir William Robertson Academy 4-1 in the quarter final. Following an unfortunate own goal for SWRA, King’s goals then came from Doubell and Adamopoulos (2). We wish the Year 10 squad all the best for the semi-finals of the cup. The year 10 team also concluded their KSSA league campaign and have gone undefeated this year (won

Year 11 went out of their county cup in the quarter finals to Priory Ruskin, losing 2-0 in a close match.

Lower School The Year 7 team have continued to work hard to develop their skills this term. They were successful against Stamford Welland in the county cup round of 16 but were then knocked out by Bourne.

They also lost out to St George’s Academy in the KSSA league. Progress is being made by the team and they will be targeting victories for their remaining league fixtures.

The Year 8 team were knocked out of the county cup by King Edwards VI, Louth, earlier in the season and so have been focused on their KSSA league matches. In their most recent game the team performed exceptionally well to record a 9-1 victory against St George’s Academy, congratulations to those involved.

The Year 9 team, in the unfamiliar position of not being in the county cup, have also been in action in the league. They recorded an accomplished 4-0 victory against local rivals Priory Ruskin, goals came from Hall (2), Hudson and Baker. They remain in the hunt to retain their league title.

Physical Education

3, drawn 1), it will be a nervous wait to see if the team has done enough to win the league which may well go down to goal difference.

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Physical Education

G y m n a s t i cs The King’s U19 team continued their preparation for the National Finals with an excellent performance in the KSSA floor and vault competition. Eugene Cheung won the U14 boys competition and in the U19 competition King’s recorded a clean sweep of medals; Leo Smith, Zak Walker and Ben Szekely taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd. It therefore came as little surprise that the boys also won the U19 boys team event. We wish them all the best in the National Final in April.

Elsewhere in gymnastics, Sam Corah of Year 7 qualified for the national finals of the intermediate trampolining competition. Sam finished in 8th place which is an outstanding achievement: congratulations Sam.

C r o ss C o u n t r y Following excellent showings in the Anglian race, Jasper Adamson and Archie Bradbury qualified to represent Lincolnshire at the Nationals. Congratulations to both boys.

Water Polo The U15 Boys played particularly well in the English Schools Swimming Association plate Semi Final beating Bradford Grammar School and Bedford Modern School

SOCS As we move towards the summer term we are once again asking boys to sign up for extra-curricular activities on SOCS. The platform will go ‘live’ on 28th March and will remain open until 19th April.

Cricket, Tennis and Athletics make up our summer sports offer and we look forward to welcoming boys to these practices. We also have a rich fixture list to fulfil in all 3 sports across all age groups; an exciting summer of sports awaits.

Mr Hulme - Head of the Physical Education Department

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Physical Education

Rugby 7s King’s had a very busy 7s season this year with a great deal of success.

Year 7 finished 3rd in the Leicester Grammar 7s Invitational Cup competition.

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Physical Education -26-

Year 8 Year 8 won the Bowl competition at the Northampton Saints Cambridgeshire/Lincs 7s tournament.

Year 9 Year 9 came runners up at the Leicester Grammar 7s Invitational Cup competition and convincingly retained their County Cup title only conceding 3 tries in the entire tournament.

Year 10 Year 10 and Year 11 both won the Bowl competition at the Leicester Grammar 7s Invitational Cup competition.

Year 11

Physical Education

Rugby 7s

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Physical Education -28-

Rugby 7s The U18 team was exceptional, winning three matches out of three in the Rosslyn Park National 7s competition and also competing well in the Northampton Saints 7s competition.

Representative Rugby We also had a large number of boys playing representative rugby in the 15-a-side game.

Joe Doubell and Archie Tagg were selected from the county teams that make up the Midlands Division to trial for the Midlands Counties team. They made it through several trials to make the 23-man squad for the England Rugby Midlands Division U18 team. Both then played wearing the ‘Red Rose’ and had great performances on the pitch, particularly against The North U18 team.

King’s were very well represented within the Nottingham, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire (NLD) representative rugby teams. At the U18 level, Oscar Wilby, Joe Doubell, Archie Tagg, Noah Marshall and Freddie Booth have all put in some excellent performances in a highly successful team that won all 3 of their matches this season, including a 33-26 thriller against a strong Warwickshire team.

At the U16 level, Nikaash Dinesh and Sam Parker finished their time in the Leicester Tigers DPP programme by competing for the NLD centre against Leicestershire. Both boys have grown tremendously throughout their time there.

Physical Education

Ethan Blackmore and Joshua Brahoua have graduated from Leicester Tigers U18 Academy, having played against several other academy sides in England along the way. Luke Hudson and Elliott Paley have completed their first year with the academy and look forward to achieving even greater heights in their second season.

Finally, five of our U15s have been selected to begin their journey through the Tigers DPP programme after a series of trials. They are Thomas Mahony, Alfred Arlando, Oliver Bainbridge, Rob Halsall and Ben Doubell. We congratulate all the boys on this magnificent achievement.

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Chess

I

t has been another exceptional year of chess in the King’s school.

Our 6 eccellent chess players have faced a gruelling series of opponents throughout the year culminating in quite the finale. Our team consists of Alexander Cant, Christopher SmithRasmussen, Adithya Balollu, Hadi Al Sheikh Ali, James Beard, Oliver Beard.

The first round in November 2023 consisted of a qualifying round hosted at Nottingham High school in a Swiss-style tournament culminating in a final round face off against Nottingham High’s own B team. With a win secured, we qualified for the regional series and started playing against others from the East Midlands region.

Round one of the regional tournament was hosted at Bourne Grammar School. The team put up an exceptional fight, and we walked away with a win on every single board leading to a 6-0 victory.

Round two of the regional tournament was hosted here in the King’s school where the team faced off against Nottingham High School’s A team. Despite our best efforts, we narrowly missed a draw with a final score of 2½ – 3½ and are knocked out of the regional competition. However, the students represented the school well and showed an excellent level of mental strength in each game.

There is still hope; an online repêchage event is on its way and the boys will play against other schools with the hope of winning and making our way into nationals. It’s still very much all to play for.

In celebration of chess, find below a challenging problem of White mate in 3.

Mr Davies - Teacher of Mathematics and Psychology.

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Whether it is sat quietly in a chair or while you are out exercising music adds immeasurably to our lives.

We thought it would be a great opportunity for you to listen to one of the following albums.

Mr Lond - Head of Department for Music

DJESSE Vol. 4 – Jacob Collier Over the past six years, the 29-year-old musical prodigy Jacob Collier has embarked on a gargantuan task. In his Djesse project he has sought to encompass his musical makeup – from orchestral composition on Vol 1 to folk song-writing on Vol 2 and pop on Vol 3. Now completing the quartet, Vol 4 is a mind-melting amalgamation: 16 tracks featuring genres including folk balladry, glittering pop, doom metal, rap and samba, as well as the recorded voices of more than 100,000 audience members who have come to watch his world tours.

Kind Of Blue – Miles Davis Long held as the jazz album that even non-jazz fans will own, Kind Of Blue not only changed the way people regarded Miles Davis, it changed the very face of music itself. Consistently rated not just as one of the greatest jazz albums but as one of the greatest musical statements of the 20th century, its 46 minutes of improvisation and sophistication remain peerless. Its smoky evocation of late night ambience is a byword for laid back elegance. It uses the blues but transmutes those seventh chords into something that still sounds modern 65 years on.

Liam Gallagher & John Squire Oasis singer Gallagher and Stone Roses guitarist Squire swagger down musical memory lane– which of course means plenty of nods to 60s icons. There’s some Merseybeat here, some Cream there, and even a dollop of The Faces on the full-blooded rocker You’re Not The Only One.

Music to listen to

Our tracks

Head Hunters – Herbie Hancock Head Hunters by Herbie Hancock is among the best and most influential jazz-funk albums in jazz history. Featuring classic tracks like Chameleon and Watermelon Man

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The Gallery -32-

Year 12 Charlie Maltby 12N A fractured view from the Art department window.

Oil on card, A2 size

Year 10 Theo Cozens 10C Experimental drawing from the Artist workshop with year 10.

Ink on paper using various tools, A3 size

Year 09 Ryan Smith 9M Landscape reflecting individual identity Poster paint/Acrylic paint on paper, A3 size

Year 08 Jameson Brown 8S Stylised section of a portrait.

Art Textiles, A5 Size Embroidery, appliqué, couching, buttons and fabric paint.

Year 07 Muhammad Maroof Nawaz 7C Abstract composition in relief.

Cardboard and poster paint, A3 Size

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Combined Cadet Force Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,

We have an excellent term of achievements’, which I wish to concentrate on in this newsletter.

We had four cadets from the Army section complete their 4 Star training with 7 Brigade recently. This is a very good achievement for a School CCF. Three of the cadets have already applied for the Master Cadet training and award, which will be held at Frimley Park in Surrey, in August and October 2024, this is the highest award an Army CCF Cadet can achieve.

We held a training event at Stoke Rochford for our Junior Cadets, we now have twenty nine 1 star cadets, and twenty seven Cadets passed their Basic. More training for our Junior Cadets will take place at Oasby in May 2024.

Four cadets have completed their BTEC Diplomas in Teamwork and Leadership at level 2 The RAF CCF section competed in the RAF National UK CCF Competition 15 of the best schools in the UK out of the 231 RAF CCFs. We came tenth, but were the 1st CCF State School. We came first overall in Aircraft Recognition, and a cadet from King’s won the General Knowledge exercise, again a first place out of all the cadets in the UK. A tremendous result for our Contingent thanks to all RAF CCF Cadets and Staff led by Flt Lt Barton.

The Army Section completed in COMBAT Cadet held by 7 Brigade for all schools in the Brigade Area, at Beckingham, we came second, beaten by St Columba’s school.

We won a trophy for second place, and gold medals for all the team. Again the first placed state school.

Another fantastic result for our Contingent again thanks to the Team and Adults led by our SSI Shane Pulfry and Captain Dunlop.

The results of months of training, have demonstrated we can hold our own, resulting in us being noticed by Brigade and the RAF as a school that delivers the CCF ethos.

I am so proud to lead such a wonderful Contingent.

Ray R M Ogg BEM Contingent Commander - King’s School Grantham CCF You may enjoy the article in : https://eastmidlandsrfca.co.uk/news/resilience-and-teamwork-showcased-at-combat-cadet-tournament/

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Whist Club

It has been a hectic term for members of the Whist Club, with two House Competitions running: Partner Whist and the Senior Challenge.

The Partner Whist Competition attracted 36 entrants and was keenly fought. There were only 2 points separating the winning pair, Sam Kirkham of 10F and Kian Sudra of 10C, and the runners-up, Daniel Brears of 9S and Jai Gupta of 9F, with Tom Chatterton and Ben Cusack, both of 9N, coming in a worthy third. Congratulations go to them and to all who took part! It was good to witness cross-year group friendships leading to cross-house partnerships. However, this was a House Competition, so the tricks gained by all the entrants were scored individually for their Houses. The results are shown below. It is worthy of note that all the points scored by School were down to their single entrant, Daniel Brears.

The House results are as follows: • 1st Foxe 742 • 2nd Newton 736 • 3rd Burleigh 512 • 4th Curteis 263 • 5th More 249 • 6th Curteis 118 At the time of writing, the scores of the Senior Competition have not yet been tallied up, so they will be reported in the next newsletter.

The winning pair, Sam Kirkham and Kian Sudra, with other club members.

House Competitions could not be run without the unwavering help of the Club’s volunteers: George Smith of 13N, Toby Sharpe of 12C, Ethan Wakefield of 12M, James Shepherd of 11F, and Sam Kirkham of 10F. Their assistance in running the club has been invaluable.

The club would not be a club without its members, though. It is always good to see friendships formed and the fun and enjoyment of learning new games and taking part in competitions. Next term, members will be learning how to play Solo in the run-up to the last House Competition of this academic year, Bid-Whist. New members are always welcome! Happy Easter to you all!

K

ing’s would like to congratulate Laila Oliver for her first publication, Robbie and His Amazing Engine.

This beautifully illustrated text provides an insight into the world of children who display challenging behaviour. It is based on her son, Cyrus, a King’s student.

Robbie is a little boy with a mind like a super-car. But sometimes his impulsive adventures can get him into rather a lot of trouble!

With help, Robbie explores ways he can learn to apply the brakes and unlock his amazing potential.

While this book is about ADHD and challenging behaviour, it could apply to any child, highlighting the importance of patience, positivity, understanding, and selfdiscovery.

Cyrus is extremely proud of his mum’s work, and we were delighted to receive a copy of the book in school to help support teachers’ and students’ understanding of behaviour.

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T

he King’s School Eco-Committee would like to share details of its upcoming Air Quality Awareness Week, which will start on Monday, 15 April 2024.

Did you know that air pollution is the world’s leading environmental health threat?

Eco-Committe

Eco-Committee U pd a t e

Do you want to know how to improve air quality at The King’s School?

During Air Quality Awareness Week, the Eco-Committee will share information about why air quality is a concern for public health and try to promote ways to improve air quality at King’s. We would like to encourage: • Turn your engine off at traffic lights instead of idling: When engines idle, incomplete combustion occurs, releasing more pollutants and irritants into the atmosphere. This may cause a measurable increase in pollution levels and negative health effects.

• Park and Stride: By parking further away to drop/collect your son off, the emissions outside our school would be reduced. Boys can then choose low-traffic routes to walk the rest of the way to school to reduce their exposure to air pollutants.

Air Quality Campaign members: William Devenport, Joshua Kapoor, William Laird, Rory Mullally, Alex Orme, Callum Parnham, Domonic Pope, Jai Pryke.

Mrs Evans – Teacher of Geography

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Year 7 Student Achievement Attendance

Year 7 forms receive house points for attendance.

• • • • • •

1st – 7M – 97.64% 2nd – 7C – 97.28% 3rd – 7N – 97.17% 4th – 7F – 96.41% 5th – 7S – 96.29% 6th – 7B – 95.34%

• 5th – 7N (1,658,208 words) • 6th – 7F (1,340,543 words)

The Year 7 History Award Dominic Pope of 7M is awarded the History Award for his essay writing guide. Well done Dominic! See you for A-Level!

Form Awards The Year 7 form awards are given to those individuals who have shown themselves to be exemplary members of the school.

Criteria: • No negative behaviour points in Term 3 or 4.

• Excellent attitude towards learning, collaboration and organisation.

• Exceptional performance with regard to the school’s core values: Courage, Friendship, Honour, Humility, Perseverance, Responsibility.

• Involvement in the wider life of the school through participation in extra-curricular activities or representing the school in public.

Well done to the winners who were: • • • • • •

7B – Tristan Nesbitt 7C – Sam Storey 7F – Oliver Dobb 7M – Dominic Pope 7N – Thomas Maxwell 7S – Ellis Howitt

Accelerated Reader These awards are given to individuals who have put great effort in the completion of their Accelerated Reader Challenge.

Criteria: • Full engagement with the Accelerated Reader Programme.

• At least 10 quizzes passed.

Form achievement includes • • • •

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1st – 7C (5,424,505 Words) 2nd – 7B (4,692,925 words) 3rd – 7M (3,625,862 words) 4th – 7S (2,766,647 words)

Stanley Chapman (7F) recently had a trial with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC, a national cricket body) for a place in their Nottinghamshire Hub for U14s (2 years early). Of the 157 boys trialled, 24 were selected for the B squad and 24 for the A squad; Stanley made the A squad.

Johan Joseph (7N) was graded with a black and white belt in the taekwondo grading ceremony (which is the 9th belt), now he is heading on to the black belt.

Luca Hallam (7N) won two bronze medals in the 400m and 1500m freestyle at the Swimming County Championships. He also achieved silver in the 400IM and Gold (becoming County Champion) in the 100m backstroke.

Sam Bickmore (7B) achieved his grade 8 in drumming at age 10 and level 4 ATCL Diploma with distinction aged 11.

Sam is currently on a world tour with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical The school of rock. Sam Is currently performing 5-6 shows a week to audiences in excess of 2000 people!

Lucas times qualify him for the Regional Championships in the 50 and 100 backstroke in April/May – Good luck Luca!

Joshua Saunt (7B) passed his grade 4 LAMDA acting exam with distinction.

Isaac Salt (7S) performed incredibly at the Grantham Music Festival where he entered 3 categories:

Fraser Hart (7S) was selected and competed for Lincolnshire in the indoor athletics competition on 2 March.

He also is part of the Lincolnshire U12 county tennis squad and has recently been selected for the U14 squad too. He will be travelling around the county training with the best players in Lincolnshire in preparation for the county cup.

• String solo - grades 3-4 Fireproof (Strauss) • Instrumental duet - secondary school. Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Handel) • Jazz ensemble - Chillax (Gregory) Isaac came first place in all three categories and has won trophies for his solo and duet performances!

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Year 7 Student Achievement

Fergal Giltinan (7N) took part in Grantham Music Festival.

He played ‘Freewheeling’ by T Gregory on his Viola as part of the String Solos Grades 3 and 4 Class, which consisted of 8 competitors. He was awarded a Commended (85/100 marks) by the adjudicator Gill Johnston, together with a Certificate of Participation which included written feedback.

Max Evans (7S) played in the string ensemble at the Spring Concert.

Jacob Oxby (7N) took part in the Grantham Music Festival. It was his first year competing on the piano and he won his class!

He them scored 85/100 in his violin class.

Then played in a jazz ensemble on his violin, which he also won.

Harrison Pope (7M) passed Grade 1 Guitar with Distinction

Finn Heron (7S) did a reading (Exodus 2. V 1-10) at the mother’s day service at his local parish church. Finn also assisted with handing out posies to all the women & mothers in the church.

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Year 8 Student Achievement Noah Lashbrook (8N) Noah has been learning over the last year how to glide. Recently he has learnt how to get out of a stall, which is one of the most complicated manoeuvres. He is currently aiming to become a solo pilot by the age of 14.

Joseph Edwardson (8B), is now a fully fledged air cadet after his passing-out parade on Saturday 9th March at 1936 Newton (Nottingham) Squadron.

In addition, Joseph was also awarded ‘best recruit, autumn intake.’

Joseph’s ambition is to be a Corporal within 6 months.

Jai Pryke (8C) has been working hard and shown incredible commitment and success in the play ‘Brainstorm’ which was preformed alongside his crew from Tolethorpe Youth Drama at the Corn Exchange in Stamford earlier this month .

Henry Wakerley has qualified as a 1st class cadet in RAF Air Cadets also having completed foundation leadership training course, 1st aid course and applications of space technology award for air cadets Theo Bacon (8F) passed his grade 5 music theory with merit Theo also did some ski touring over February half term completing the Les Avals and Tour de Grande Marchet off piste routes

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Year 8 Student Achievement Jeremy Chan (8B) continues to excel in fencing having achieved a gold in the East midland BYC qualifier and gold in the Yorkshire regional U14 championship.

Harry Burton(8N) a keen go karter has set a lap record for Lockwell Hill.

Henry Bennet (8S) has qualified as a 1st class cadet in RAF Air Cadets this week also having completed foundation leadership training course, 1st aid course and applications of space technology award for air cadets.

Joseph Scott (8M) has been continuing his success with the trinity college rock and pop guitar exams.

Jamie Fawke (8N) Has recently learnt how to perform complicated skiing techniques including carving and going off piste.

Sebastian Edwards (8S) has achieved his grade two with Merit in his trombone exam.

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Year 8 Student Achievement

The Form Good Egg A wa r d

These awards are given to those individuals who have shown themselves to be exemplary members of the school. Criteria: • Excellent attitude towards learning, collaboration and organisation.

• Exceptional performance with regard to the school’s core values: Courage, Friendship, Honour, Humility, Perseverance, Responsibility.

• Involvement in the wider life of the school through participation in extra-curricular activities or representing the school in public.

8B - Aiden Pringle always tries his best and contributes freely to our class PSHE lessons. In addition, he is a very thoughtful young man who makes sure everyone is included in class activities.

8C - Nitheesh Pathirana consistently upholds the core values of the school and takes great pride the work that he produces and the wider school environment.

8F - Jacob Stevens is a highly conscientious pupil who is always helpful and a great role model to his peers. He consistently upholds the school values and tries his hardest each and every day.

8M - Tom Wakefield is always supportive in the form group and has participated in a number of activities in school. He has recently become a member of the Pupil Librarian Team, and he is already playing a key role in supporting Mrs Hobbs in the day-today running of the Library.

8N - Joshua Cragg is a positive influence in the form, has formed some good relationships with other members of the form and never gets told off.

8S - Henry Bennett consistently demonstrates a strong work ethic and always gives 110% percent effort. He is a supportive friend to his peers and is always willing to take the time to help others.

Year 8 Subject A w a r ds English • Albert Szczyglewski • Hadleigh Spindley

Geography • Alex Tita • Harry Dennis • Finley Samways

Drama • Jai Pryke

Science • • • • • • • • •

Theo Bacon Oscar Tang Henry Robinson; Joe Turner Myles Humphreys William Dudill Raman Kadiri Udip Bashyal Benedict Boulton

Religious Education • Seth Daglish • Tobias Bruce

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Year 9 Student Achievement George Krnic (9N) has just achieved his NICAS (National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme) Level 3 - Technical Climber. This achievement is the equivalent to a pass at GCSE. He attends a 2 hour weekly session at the YMCA in Newark.

Zac Giltinan (9M) took part in this year’s Harby Harlequins’ Pantomime ‘Sleeping Beauty’ in February. It involved several months of intense rehearsals following auditions last October.

He was part of a cast, crew and band of 28 people aged 10 to 70 plus, and played 2 characters, ‘The Royal Sulk’ and ‘Hamlet, Prince of Denmark’. He enjoyed it so much he’s planning on auditioning again for next year’s production!

Also, George has consistently ridden horses for the past 4 years and has his own loan pony called Gabby. They ride together 3 times a week and he is currently in a weekly show jumping clinic at the yard where Gabby is kept.

Leo Price (9B) has just received the Golf Champion of the year award for Radcliffe on Trent Golf Club, winner of the junior scratch cup and has also been named as the Junior Vice Captain progressing to Junior Captain in December.

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Daniel Gardner (9B) took part in the recent Grantham Music Festival placing 1st in three classes and being awarded two trophies. He will also be performing in the Trophy Winners Concert.

Year 11 Student Achievement Maksim Krasnov (11M) has passed grade 8 with Merit for Piano and achieved 1st place in the Grantham Music Festival.

Oliver Taylor (11S) represented Heckington and Sleaford young farmers in the county public speaking event. This took place in Lincoln and they were judged on their public speaking against other YFC clubs within Lincolnshire. Oliver was successful in beating his brother (who is in Year 13) and others to secure 2nd place. This meant that Oliver got through to the next round and went to the Regionals that was held at Skegness competing against other clubs in the East Midlands. Oliver placed second in this competition.

Will Roberts (11N) has represented Nottinghamshire at U17 County Hockey this season. He was part of the team playing in the Midlands County Finals last weekend. Will is a member of South Notts Hockey Club and regularly plays for their men’s first and second teams.

Formula 1 club

Edward Hobbs (11F) Won a number of Junior golf trophies at Belton Woods Golf Club At the start of the academic year, founding members of the school’s F1 Club were invited to compete in Williams F1 Esports’ official Student Racing League. This is the highest tier of competitive sim racing for students in the UK. After an intense round of national qualifiers, the King’s F1 Esports team was granted a place in the top ten schools and colleges in the whole country. The team is comprised of Alfie Smith (11B), Cameron Fuller (11F), Thomas Vickers (11B), Edward Vickers (11B) and Lars Lewis (11C); have competed across multiple rounds of the competition. The team has already qualified for the national final, due to take place on May 1st at the Williams F1 Headquarters.

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Year 11 Student Achievement S u b j e c t a w a r ds French Art Laurence Hildyard and Laurie Ebbins - effort and dedication.

Business Studies David Williamson – Excellent effort, working with all teachers to improve exam technique and attendance to extra sessions.

Oli Blake- Fantastic effort in lessons, always positive and motivated to do well.

Alfie Lakeland- improved effort in class and to his revision.

Computing Jamie Neece – excellent effort every lesson and always goes beyond the work set.

Chris Lau – always completes every task to a high standard despite starting the GCSE a little late.

Felix Hornby – outstanding coding and technical work done and tackles many complex tasks independently

Drama

Ryley Kirk - for his continued hard work

Geography James Woolerton – consistently demonstrates an unwavering determination to succeed and support the success of others.

George Unwin – much improved attitude to learning Felix Hornby – works hard each lesson and takes great pride in the work that he produces.

History Hayden Rowley - for his consistent hard work. His work is always presented to a high standard and to the best of his ability.

Mathematics Henry Launders-Grieve - for his huge improvement over the last month.

Physical Education Oli Gormley joined the course late but worked extremely hard to catch up and has performed very well in practical, coursework and exam elements.

Josef Ridout - has been committed to his Drama studies throughout the two year course, including attending additional rehearsals and working hard to perfect his characterisation in performance particularly in his recent work on the play, ‘DNA’

Religious Education

English

David Williamson – For being determined and showing perseverance both in and out of lessons, including attending extra sessions every week. He has made huge strides forward in physics.

David Williamson - has been putting so much effort in and his writing has really improved as a result. He’s currently attending revision sessions for English every week, and writing additional essays a week for revision Zak Moses – for his relentless drive and insatiable thirst for success in English Alex Gleed – for making outstanding progress in English Literature

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Shay Brunning - for excellent attitude, effort and attainment.

Science

On Wednesday 14 March hosted a Careers Fair in the School Hall. This event provided an opportunity for the students to develop their thinking on pathways they may be interested in pursuing after school or university.

Guest presenters: KPMG Financial Lincoln/Newark College

Post 16 opportunities

Grantham College

Post 16 opportunities

Armed forces

Careers Advisors from the Army

Reflect Recruitment Ltd

Employment or Apprenticeship opportunities

Lincoln University

Studying at University

NHS Talent Academy

Careers in the Health Service

Careers

The Careers Fair

Everlast Group Construction Turner & Co

Accountancy

Marketing On Monday, March 25, we had a career talk on Marketing in the School Hall. The talk was delivered

by Héloïse Evans, head of Marketing, Communications, Policies, and Events at Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce. Héloïse has led outreach initiatives with the University of Cambridge and collaborated with renowned international brands. Her present role fuses her passion for empowering others through strategic leadership and shaping the future of local businesses.

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Careers Psychology

A

psychology degree is a great starting point for a career in both science and the arts, as it equips you with a range of skills and opens up opportunities with many kinds of employers Jobs related directly to your degree include: • • • • • • • • • • •

Clinical psychologist Counselling psychologist Education mental health practitioner Educational psychologist Forensic psychologist Further education teachers Health psychologist High intensity therapist Occupational psychologist Well being practitioner Sport and exercise psychologist

Jobs where your degree would be useful include: • • • • • • • • • • •

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Advice worker Border Force officer Careers adviser Chaplain Counsellor Dance movement psychotherapist Education consultant Human resources officer Life coach Market researcher Mediator

• Neuroscientist • Play therapist • Policy officer • Psychotherapist • Social researcher Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don’t restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience Postgraduate training and study is a requirement to become a chartered psychologist. Due to course entry requirements, many psychology graduates spend a year or more getting work experience before embarking on postgraduate study.

It’s a good idea to build up your work experience as soon as you can. You will usually need to work on a voluntary basis first to get enough experience to apply for a paid job.

The type of experience needed depends on the area of psychology you’re interested in.

Work as an assistant psychologist or in areas such as nursing, social work, mental health work, services for individuals with disabilities, mentoring young offenders and work in prisons, probation or social services is vital.

Experience as a research assistant is also relevant.

For educational psychology, experience of working with children in educational, childcare, or community settings is required. Although not essential, experience as a teacher is useful.

Experience in personnel or human resources

Many psychology graduates choose to enter other career areas. Again, work or voluntary experience in your chosen field is important. This can include part-time work during your degree, summer placements and internships, as well as voluntary work and work shadowing. Some universities also offer a year out in industry where you can put your academic learning into practice.

Typical employers Although some psychology graduates become professional psychologists, many go on to work in related fields.

A degree in psychology provides a useful foundation for a range of careers and employers.

Major employers of psychology graduates include: • • • • • • • • • • •

• •

careers and counselling services commercial and industrial companies financial organisations human resources departments legal firms and organisations providing advice local and national government marketing companies the media the NHS police forces, the National Probation Service and prisons schools, sixth form colleges, colleges of further education and higher education institutions social research organisations social services.

Transferable Skills Written and verbal communication, including report writing and presenting • information technology

• • • •

handling of data and statistics analytical research problem solving the ability to work in teams as well as independently • project management.

The scientific aspects of your psychology course, including the application of a reasoned approach, problem solving and manipulation of data, provide useful tools for careers in healthcare, law enforcement, finance, IT and research.

Your knowledge of human behaviour and motivation, ability to critically analyse a problem, formulate a considered response, create an argument and generate new ideas lend themselves well to careers in the creative industries, the legal sector, government administration and education.

Careers

and business and management is needed for those interested in occupational psychology.

Further study Postgraduate study and training is essential if you want to become a chartered psychologist and to register as a practitioner psychologist with the Health & Care Professionals Council (HCPC).

Postgraduate study is available in areas such as clinical, counselling, educational, health, occupational, sport and exercise, or forensic psychology.

Some graduates qualify as teachers as a route into educational psychology. A teaching qualification is not a requirement for this profession, but it still provides useful relevant experience.

Graduates who don’t want to be a psychologist may choose to do a postgraduate qualification in their chosen career area, for example advertising, marketing, teaching or human resources.

Some graduates go on to undertake research at Masters and PhD level in order to follow an academic career that combines research and teaching.

Useful links The British Psychological Society (BPS) www.bps. org.uk

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Co-curricular Activities Term 3 Monday Activity

Room/venue

Time

Member of staff responsible

Year groups who can attend

Senior Choir Altos

C204

8.45am-9.10pm

Mr Cook

Invitation Only

Graphics and Product Design C102 Coursework Catch Up

12.40pm-1.10pm

Miss Phillips

Year 10, 11 & 13

Senior Soul Band

Rehearsal Room

12.45pm-1.15pm

Mr Lond

Invitation Only

Business Drop in

S201

12.50pm-1.40pm

Mr Rushall

Year 11

Clarinet Ensemble

C203

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mrs Lond

Invitation Only

Eco-Committee

N204

1.10pm-1.40pm

Mrs Evans

All Year Groups

Homework Club

Library

3.45pm-4.30pm

Mrs Hobbs

All Year Groups

History Revision

C202

3.45pm-4.30pm

Mrs Law

Year 11

Warhammer

N205

3.45pm-4.45pm

Mrs Copeman

All Year Groups

Cross Country

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Hollingworth

All Year Groups

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Whales

Year 9

(Monthly)

The King’s School & 4.00pm-5.30pm KGGS

Mrs Cunningham

Year 11, 12 & 13

Cross Country

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Hollingworth

All Year Groups

Football

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Richardson

Year 7

Badminton

Sports Hall

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Hulme

All Year Groups

Rugby 7s

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr D Gilbert

Inter-school Debate/ Discussion Club (Monthly)

The King’s School & 4.00pm-5.30pm KGGS

Year 9 Invitation Only

Mrs Cunningham

Year 11, 12 & 13

Cricket Inter-School Debate Club

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Co-curricular Activities Term 3 T u e sd a y Activity

Room/venue

Time

Member of staff responsible

Year groups who can attend

Senior Choir Basses

C204

8.45am-9.10am

Mr Cook

Invitation Only

Classics Club

C201

12.40pm-1.10pm

Mrs McKenna

Year 7 & 8

Chemistry Revision

B201

12.40pm-1.10pm

6th Form Mentors

Year 11

Warhammer

N205

12.40pm-1.40pm

Mrs Copeman

All Year Groups

Religious Studies GCSE Revision

S102

1.00pm-1.40pm

Mrs Cunningham

GCSE Students

12.45pm-1.30pm

Mr McLauchlan

6th Form

A Level Literature Business & Economics Essay writing

S203

12.50pm-1.40pm

Mr Anderson

Year 13

Whist Club

N103

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mrs Newton

All Year Groups

Concert Band

Rehearsal Room

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mr Lond

Invitation Only

Junior Choir

C204

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mr Cook

Year 7 Only

Board Game Club

N304

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mrs Hansen

Year 7, 8 & 9

Sitcom Writing

T402

1.05pm-1.35pm

Mr D Hill

KS3

Homework Club

Library

3.45pm-4.40pm

Mrs Hobbs

All Year Groups

Cricket

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Hulme

Year 8

Art - Open Studio

N302

3.45pm-5.00pm

Mrs Warley

KS4 & 5

Football

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Burnett- Welsh

Year 8

Rugby 7s

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Lindsay

Year 11 & 6th Form

Art - Open Studio

N302

3.45pm-5.00pm

Mrs Warley

KS3, 4 & 5

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Co-curricular Activities Term 3 W e d n e sd a y Activity

Room/venue

Time

Member of staff responsible

Year groups who can attend

Brass Ensemble

C204

8.45am-9.10am

Mr Cook

Invitation Only

Marching Ensemble

Rehearsal Room

12.40pm-1.00pm

Mr Lond

Invitation Only

B205

12.45pm-1.10pm

Miss Ginnelly

Year 7, 8 & 9

A Level Literature

T404

12.45pm-1.30pm

Mr McLauchlan

6th Form

STEM Club

B301

12.45pm-1.35pm

C201

12.45pm-1.10pm

Mrs McKenna

Year 11

Debate Club

S203

12.40pm-1.10pm

Prefects

Year 10

Drama Club

T301

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mr Kearney

KS3

Knotso’s

Rehearsal Room

1.05pm-1.30pm

Mr Lond

Invitation Only

Historical Fiction Book Club (Every other Wednesday)

History Revision

6th Form Miss Jones

Year 9, 10 & 11

Mr Hollingworth Pride Club

T302

1.05pm-1.35pm

Mr Davies

All Year Groups

Miss Davies Homework Club

Library

3.45pm-4.30pm

Mrs Hobbs

All Year Groups

French revision and grammar N304 support group

3.45pm-4.30pm

Mrs Woolerton

Year 11

Cricket

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Gilbert

Year 10

Rugby 7s

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Plowman

Year 8 Invitation Only

Rugby 7s

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Collins

Year 10

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Co-curricular Activities Term 3 T h u r sd a y Activity

Room/venue

Time

Member of staff responsible

Year groups who can attend

Chemistry Revision

B201

12.40pm-1.10pm

6th Form Mentors

Year 11

Chess Club

T103

12.40pm-1.30pm

Mr J Davies

KS3

F1 Club

T403

12.40pm-1.30pm

Mr Clack

Year 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11

D&D & Fantasy Card game club

N205

12.40pm-1.40pm

Mrs Copeman

All Year Groups

Rowing

Fitness Suite

Mr Richardson 12.50pm-1.20pm

Mr Plowman

All Year Groups

6th Form Elite Rowers GCSE Business Revision

S202

12.50pm-1.30pm

Mr Hirst

Year 11

Senior Percussion Ensemble

Rehearsal Room

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mr Richmond

Invitation Only

Senior Choir Tenors

C204

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mr Cook

Invitation Only

French and Biscuits

N305

1.10pm-1.35pm

Mrs Roberts Mr Kearney

Year 11 Invitation Only

Musical Theatre Club

T301

1.00pm-1.30pm

Archie Conron

All Year Groups

Homework Club

B101

1.00pm-1.30pm

Jim Gleed

Year 7 & 8

String Ensemble

C203

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mrs Brown

Invitation Only

Saxophone Ensemble

C203

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mr Lond

Invitation Only

Current Affairs Discussion Group

B206

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mr Martin

6th Form

Homework Club

Library

3.45pm-4.30pm

Mrs Hobbs

All Year Groups

Mr Burnett-Welsh Cricket

Sports Field

4.00pm-5.00pm

Mr Richardson

Year 7

Lt Col R Ogg SSI S Pulfrey CCF

Quad & Classrooms

3.45pm-5.30pm

Mrs P Barton

Year 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13 CCF

Mr M Davis Mr R Gait CCF BTEC

Classrooms

3.45pm-5.30pm

SS1 S Pulfrey

Year 13 CCF Only

CCF BTEC

Classrooms

3.45pm-5.30pm

SS1 S Pulfrey

Year 13 CCF Only

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Co-curricular Activities Term 3 Friday Activity

Room/venue

Time

Member of staff responsible

Year groups who can attend

Senior Choir Trebles

C204

8.45am-9.10am

Mr Cook

Invitation Only

Chess Club

T103

12.40pm-1.30pm

Mr J Davies

KS4 & KS5

Lego Club

Tombs

12.40pm-1.30pm

Mrs Clark

Invitation Only

12.40pm-1.40pm

Miss Phillips

Year 10, 11 & 13

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mr Richmond

Invitation Only

Graphics and Product Design C102 Coursework Catch Up Junior Percussion Rehearsal Room Ensemble Geography Film Club

N204

1.00pm-1.30pm

Mr Bufton

All Year Groups

BP Debating Club

S102

1.00pm-1.35pm

6th Form

Year 11

Mrs Cunningham Debate Club

S102

1.00pm-1.35pm

Christian Union

S203

1.00pm–1.35pm

6th Form

All Year Groups

Whovians (Doctor Who Club) S201

1.00pm-1.40pm

Mr Rushall

Open to all year groups (first come, first served due to number of seats)

Homework Club

Library

3.45pm-4.00pm

Mrs Hobbs

All Year Groups

Big Band

Rehearsal Room

3.45pm-5.00pm

Mr Cook

Invitation Only

3.45pm-6.00pm

SSI S Pulfrey Mr P Dunlop

CCF - Year 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13

CCF Shooting Club

Gym

Michael Grace

Mrs Barton

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Year 11

Calendar 15/4/2024

16/4/2024

17/4/2024

18/4/2024

19/4/2024

22/4/2024

Term 5 Begins Y12 Careers Meetings (All Day) Tombs Room Y12 SAME Talk - 11:40 - 12:40 - Hall A level Art Exam - All day - Room N302 A level Art Exam - All day - Room N302 PTFA Meeting - 18:30 - Library A level Art Exam - All day - Room N302 Y12 Careers Meetings (All Day) Tombs Room GCSE French & German Speaking Exams - am only Y12 Careers Meetings (All Day) Tombs Room

23/4/2024

GCSE French & German Speaking Exams - am only Y12 Higher Education Talk P3 - Hall Tim Ward - Counsellor - 10:00 - 16:00 - Tombs Room Y10 Drama Trip - Blood Brothers - 12:30 to 18:30

24/4/2024

GCSE French & German Speaking Exam - am only Y12 High Education Evening Talk for Parents – Hall Governor Meeting 7 - 18:00 - Library

25/4/2024

GCSE Art Exam - All day - Room N302 GCSE French Speaking Exams - am only GCSE Art Exam - All day - Room N302

26/4/2024

GCSE French Speaking Exams - am only University of Lincoln Classics Afternoon – Departs 11:30 Y8 CAT 2 Report issued Y12 Careers Meetings (All Day) Tombs Room

29/4/2024

GCSE French Speaking Exams - am only LIBF Written Exam - Gym - 09:00 Old Boys' Meeting - 19:00 - Bishop Foxe

30/4/2024

1/5/2024

Y12 Careers Meetings (All Day) Tombs Room GCSE French Speaking Exams - am only Tim Ward - Counsellor - 10:00 - 16:00 - Tombs Room Y8 Parents Evening 16:15 - 19:15 - on line

2/5/2024

CCF Dinner - Old School - 18:30 - 21:30

3/5/2024

HPV Immunisations Year 8

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Calendar 6/5/2024

Bank Holiday Y12 Careers Meetings (All Day) Tombs Room

7/5/2024

School Council - 12:00 - Dining Rm Year 10 Food Practical Exam Old Trust Meeting - 13:40 - Bishop Foxe

8/5/2024

9/5/2024

13/5/2024

Tim Ward - Counsellor - 10:00 - 16:00 - Tombs Room Year 10 Food Practical Exam Y12 English Lit - A Streetcar Named Desire - 18:00 - 23:30 Y12 Careers Meetings (All Day) Tombs Room 10B Geography Fieldwork - River Witham Y12 Careers Meetings (All Day) Tombs Room

14/5/2024

10D Geography Fieldwork - River Witham Governor Meeting 8 - 18:00 - Library

15/5/2024

10C Geography Fieldwork - River Witham

16/5/2024

10A Geography Fieldwork - River Witham

18/5/2024

Bronze D of E - Practice expedition

19/5/2024

Bronze D of E - Practice expedition

20/5/2024

Y12 Careers Meetings (All Day) Tombs Room

21/5/2024

Y12 Careers Meetings (All Day) Tombs Room

24/5/2024

End of Term 5 @ 15:45

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Personal, Social, Health and E c o n o m i c ( P S HE ) E d u c a t i o n The schools PSHE programme is designed to give students the knowledge, skills, and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe and to prepare them for life and work in modern Britain. PSHE ensures that every boy has the knowledge on how to be safe, how to make a positive contribution, how to achieve economic well-being and how to live long healthy lives. PSHE is split into six different themes which include: Sex and Relationships, Health, Economic Education, Careers, Society and Future aspirations.

The key themes are covered in different terms throughout the academic year: Term 1 Sex and Relationships

Term 2

Term 3

Term 4

Term 5

Term 6

Health Education

Financial Education

Careers

Society

Values

As you can see from the table, this term students have focused their learning on Careers: • Year 7’s learning experience has revolved around an understanding of what a ‘job’ may look like including researching current vacancies in the local area. Students also had the opportunity to reflect on their own career aspirations.

• Year 8 learning introduced thinking into life after education. Students began to think about what professions they may wish to start to consider. This section also includes a quiz which guides students to careers they may enjoy based on their answers.

• Year 9 learning progressed on to look more deeply into career aspirations. This unit also developed an understanding of how to apply for jobs and where to find local job adverts. The unit finished with a look into some key life skills.

• Learning in Year 10 involved students beginning to write their own personal CV. The lessons in the build up to this task looked at their own personal ambitions and job adverts tailored to the specific roles students are interested in.

• In the Year 11’s final PSHE unit, students looked to the future. Developing their knowledge of their own skills needed for post16. Students also developed a personal plan as to what they would do after Yr11.

All the resources used in PSHE lessons are available to view on SharePoint and can be found here: https://kingsgr.sharepoint.com/sites/KSG_Subjects_PD

A

dditional Resources for further Health Education at home:

UniFrog: Students have all signed up to a Unifrog account which gives students access to a large bank of career focused resources.

Boys just need to log in to access all the free resources available.

Follow the link below to find out more: Home - Student - Unifrog First Careers: If you’re not sure how to start a conversation about careers, or how to advise your children on possible careers they may be suited to, why not sit down as a family to watch a few short films or read some of the day-in-the-life job profiles on the First Careers website. You can then use these to talk about possible career options. Career aspirations start earlier than you think, so it’s good to get kids thinking about their futures.

Follow the link below to find out more: First Careers, careers advice school children | First Careers

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The King’s School Brook Street Grantham Lincolnshire NG31 6RP Tel: 01476 563180 Fax: 01476 590953 E-mail: admin@kings.lincs.sch.uk

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