50th Anniversary of Ten Tors

The weather on Dartmoor ensured that the 50^th anniversary Ten Tors Expedition was every bit as tough as the previous 49. The Saturday morning dawned grey and cold, with a strong northerly wind and rain and fog covering the moors as the teams set off from Okehampton on their expeditions. Though the cloud lifted a little, the biting cold wind and rain continued all day, making it a tough day to be out on the hills. After a night out on the moor, teams made their way to the finish. Though still cold, at least now they could see where they were going!

 

King Edward’s School teams took part at all three distances.

 

The 45 mile team walked for 13½ hours non-stop on Day 1, going through their 8^th tor a few minutes before it closed at 8:00pm, and continuing on through the dark to their 9^th tor. They set off walking at 6 o’clock on Sunday morning and were one of the first two teams to cross the finishing line at 7:34. Though Ten Tors is not a race, this is one of the fastest completions of the 45 mile expedition ever, and is a testimony to the fitness of the whole team, and their first-rate navigation skills.

The team were :

Robert Wilcox (team leader)

James Plumstead

Jon Tracy

Ben Smith

Mark Humphreys

Edmond Venables

 

The 35 mile team also had a long day. They navigated their way confidently around a long, tough route on the northern part of the moor to reach their 8^th tor where they had to camp. They set off walking again at 6 o’clock, and were the first team to complete their route.

The team were :

Merlin Hetherington (team leader)

Cameron Davies

George Widdowson

Georgie Phillips

Rebekah Chapman

David Galazin

 

To complete any of these expeditions requires great determination, but the hardest of the lot must be the 55 mile route. The KES team on this year’s 55 mile route was one of the fittest and most experienced the school has ever put in. They walked well to complete the first third of their route by early afternoon on Saturday, when one member of the team was forced to retire from the expedition due to hypothermia. After being delayed by over an hour, the remaining 5 members of the team continued on to reach the foot of their 7^th tor by nightfall, leaving a massive distance to cover on the Sunday. They were up and walking at 5 o’clock on the Sunday morning, and walked for nearly 12 hours, to complete the 55 miles of their expedition with just 40 minutes to spare.

 

The team were :

Louis Bougeard (team leader)

Peter Medhurst

Nora Spicer

Conor Sloan

Kier McDonald

 

 

Clubs and Societies

There are a number of different clubs and societies each term which cover a range of interests. Pupils enjoy learning new skills and getting to know pupils from other year groups who share a similar interest.

All clubs have a member of staff involved but pupils often help in the organisation and running of the clubs which helps them to develop their leadership skills as well.

Each term a timetable of clubs and societies is included in the School calendar and there is a Societies Fair at the beginning of the Autumn term to give new pupils an opportunity of finding out more about the many opportunities that exist. In addition regular notices in assembly highlight termly trips such as walking expeditions and winter ski trips.

Click on Clubs and Societies to view the timetable for each term and news and information from many of the different activities.

Lunchtime Sports Clubs & Activities Spring Term 2010

Click to download the attached file(s):
• Lunchtime_spring_2010.pdf

Take your pick at Societies Fair

The eagerly awaited annual Societies Fair included a diverse range of clubs and societies this term; from astronomy to world affairs with the Model United Nations Society.

Pupils from all year groups were queuing to get in to see what was on offer. Would they be swayed by the fair-trade chocolate being offered by the Environmental Action Group, be lured into a game of chess or get lost in the labyrinthine mysteries of ancient Egypt with the Egyptology Club?

As usual there was something for everyone – sporting, crafty, dramical, musical, environmental, philosophical, and recreational.

Even the Headmaster was trying desperately to talk his way into the Drama Club –  the silly hat won't help you I'm afraid!

Astronomy pupils meet Sky at Night legend Sir Patrick Moore

Pupils from King Edward's Astronomy Club were delighted to meet Sir Patrick Moore, Britain's best-loved astronomer and presenter of the Sky at Night.

Pupils visited Sir Patrick Moore for lunch at his home in Sussex in March. The trip included a tour of the observatory where the Sky at Night is filmed and a discussion on astronomy.

Born in 1923, Sir Patrick Moore began his lifelong interest for astronomy in childhood concentrating his studies upon the Moon. His lunar maps were used by the Russians in 1959 to correlate the first Lunik 3 pictures of the far side of the Moon and he was involved in the NASA Apollo missions.

In addition to astronomy Patrick has a love of chess but sadly due to arthritus he has found it difficult, in recent years, to move the chess pieces. Learning of his problem pupils from King Edward's made a specially adapted chess set ,kindly donated by the Regency Chess Company of Bath and modified by King Edward's Design and Technology Department ,which they presented to Sir Patrick Moore on their visit.