The Easter Issue | 2023-2024 KING’S
THE HEAD MASTER De a r St u d e n t s , Pa r e n t s a n d Ca r e r s , 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 -2-
PTFA Happy 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. -3-
The Newton Lecture -4-
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The Sixth Form Year 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. -6-
Year 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. Clear 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. Rotary 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. -7-
Welcome 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. We 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. -8-
Departmental News Bi o l o g y In 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! Mrs Haywood - Teacher of Biology Fr e n c h Back 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: Max: 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 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! Charlie: 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!! Noah: 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! -9-
Departmental News Hi s t o r y Historical 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 -10-
Departmental News History - 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. Year 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! -11-
Departmental News Mrs McKenna - Head of the History Department Po l i t i c s 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 En g l i s h Year 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 -12-
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 -13-
Departmental News student! By Jim Gleed - Year 12 Year 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 -14-
Departmental News Re l i g i o u s St u d i e s 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 -15-
Departmental News Ar t Visiting 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 -16-
Departmental News Ph y s i c s Br i t i s h Ph y s i c s Ol y m p i a d Co m p e t i t i o n s 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! -17-
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 -18-
‘Physics in Pictures’ Th e t h e m e o f t h i s c o m p e t i t i o n i s ‘ Ph y s i c s i n e v e r y d a y l i f e’ . Yo u r p h o t o g r a p h c o u l d b e o f a b u i l d i n g o r a b r i d g e, a n e l e c t r i c a l d e v i c e o r e v e n y o u r p e t d o g d e f y i n g t h e l a w s o f g r a v i t y! Be a s c r e a t i v e a s y o u c a n b u t r e m e m b e r t o s t a y s a f e. En t r y d e a d l i n e: We d n e s d a y 8 Ma y 2 0 2 4 Se n d e n t r i e s t o: s a r a. j o n e s @k i n g s . l i n c s . s c h. u k Pl e a s e r e a d t h e l e t t e r a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h i s c o m p e t i t i o n t h a t c o n t a i n s a l l t h e t e r m s a n d c o n d i t i o n s . -19-
On 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! Debating -20-
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! 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 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. Debating -21-
Physical Education It has been a very busy half term for sport, with several notable performances across a wide range of spots. Fo o t b a l l 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 -22-
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. 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 -23-
Physical Education Gy m n a s t i c s 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. Cr o s s Co 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. Wa t e r Po l o The U15 Boys played particularly well in the English Schools Swimming Association plate Semi Final beating Bradford Grammar School and Bedford Modern School S O C S 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 -24-
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. -25-
Ye a r 8 Year 8 won the Bowl competition at the Northampton Saints Cambridgeshire/Lincs 7s tournament. Ye a r 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. Physical Education -26-
Physical Education Rugby 7s Ye a r 1 0 Year 10 and Year 11 both won the Bowl competition at the Leicester Grammar 7s Invitational Cup competition. Ye a r 1 1 -27-
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. Re p r e s e n t a t i v e Ru g b y 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. Physical Education -28-
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. 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. 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. -29-
Chess It 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 Smith- Rasmussen, 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. -30-
Music to listen to Ou r t r a c k s 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 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. 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. 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. 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 -31-
T h e G a l l e r y Ye a r 1 2 Charlie Maltby 12N A fractured view from the Art department window. Oil on card, A2 size Ye a r 1 0 Theo Cozens 10C Experimental drawing from the Artist workshop with year 10. Ink on paper using various tools, A3 size -32-
Ye a r 0 9 Ryan Smith 9M Landscape reflecting individual identity Poster paint/Acrylic paint on paper, A3 size Ye a r 0 8 Jameson Brown 8S Stylised section of a portrait. Art Textiles, A5 Size Embroidery, appliqué, couching, buttons and fabric paint. Ye a r 0 7 Muhammad Maroof Nawaz 7C Abstract composition in relief. Cardboard and poster paint, A3 Size -33-
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/ -34-
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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! King’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. -36-
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