King Edward's School Bath

Pretty in pink Race for Life

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:41:15 PST

Pupils, staff and mums from King Edward’s dressed in pink and ran, jogged or walked in the Race for Life to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

The Race for Life took place on Sunday 6^th June on a 5km track around the University of Bath. Over 3,000 people took part in the event, with over fifty girls from KES, including KES mum Angela Mount, whose battle with the disease has inspired her to set up her own charity Rose for Life. Angela took part with her six-year-old daughter Ellie from the Pre-Prep.

There were two races, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Over 30 year pupils from the Pre-Prep, Junior and Senior School, along with parents, friends and teachers ran, jogged or walked the course in the afternoon, and 4 members of the KES community finished in the top four places, amazing effort everyone, well done!

Mrs Lindsay – 1^st place
Mrs Wilson – 2^nd place
Maddy Awan – 3^rd place
Molly Buxton – 4^th place

The Race for Life is a really unique event because it is the largest all-female fundraising event in the UK. Many of the participants have either battled cancer themselves or know somebody who has.

Wendy Bedeman, Sixth Form tutor from King Edward’s Senior School, who went with a group of girls from the sixth form, commented:

“The atmosphere was fantastic, everyone came dressed up and it was such good fun. You don’t have to race if you don’t want to, you can walk or jog, so you don’t have to worry about training for the event. It’s a good feeling to help other people and to collect funds for Cancer Research.”

For more information about the Race for Life go to www.raceforlife.org.

Chairman of Governors new appointment

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:52:07 PST

We are very pleased to inform you that Mr Alan Morsley has been elected as the new Chairman of King Edward’s School, and takes office with immediate effect.

A Graduate of Imperial College, London, and Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics, Alan has spent his career in education, teaching Mathematics in both the independent and maintained sectors. He was Headmaster of Rishworth School from 1986 -1992, and then Headmaster of Plymouth College for 14 years until his retirement in 2006. During this time he also served as Chairman of the Headmaster’s Conference (South West) from 2003-2005.

Alan joined the Board of Governors in July 2007, and has held particular responsibilities for Child Protection, Human Resources and Bursaries.

Netball and Hockey Skills Day

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:34:32 PST

Netball and Hockey coaches from Bath University teamed up with King Edward’s School to host a Netball and Hockey Skills Day on Monday 15^th March for local primary schools.

Over 70 children from Bathwick St Mary’s, St. Stephen’s Primary School, King Edward’s Junior School, Heywood Preparatory School and Springmead Preparatory School took part in the event.

The purpose of the day was to help the children improve their skills at the game and have an enjoyable day. By giving them confidence in their abilities it is hoped to encourage a lifelong enthusiasm for both netball and hockey.

Helen Tully, Acting Head of Girls’ Games at King Edward’s School commented:

“We are delighted to welcome such expert coaches to King Edward’s School. The Netball and Hockey Skills Day is a superb opportunity for pupils to develop their skills. It is also designed to be great fun. The coaches enjoy passing on their skills and their enthusiasm for sport. We very much hope that it will motivate the youngsters to follow in their footsteps.”

Global Schools Partnership Visit from Maurice Odindo, Wagwer School

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:25:51 PST

Pupils at King Edward’s Junior School were delighted to talk to Maurice Odindo, Head Teacher of Wagwer Primary School, Kenya during his visit to the school this month.

King Edward Junior School and Wagwer Primary School are global development partnership schools, part of the Department for International Development (DFID) initiative, which seeks to encourage an understanding and knowledge of the world though exchange visits and joint curricular work.

During his visit, Maurice Odindo has been taking part in lessons, clubs and activities as well as talking to pupils about his experiences teaching and living in Kenya. The children especially enjoyed tasting Kenyan food at a special lunch during his visit.

Greg Taylor, Headmaster of King Edward’s Junior School commented:

“We are delighted to welcome Maurice Odindo from Wagwer Primary School Kenya to join us. Global School Partnerships are an exciting and effective way of providing learners with an understanding and knowledge of the world. We appreciate the benefits of fostering bonds of friendship between future citizens of the world. The exchange helps our children to appreciate and value other cultures and to enjoy making new friendships across the world.”

Demon Headmaster author, Gillian Cross, launches Children's Book Week at Junior School

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:49:52 PST

Demon Headmaster author, Gillian Cross, launched Children’s Book Week at King Edward’s Junior School on Tuesday 2^nd March.

The pupils enjoyed an assembly with the author who gave the children tips on writing really good stories as well as answering many of their questions. At lunchtime the children were eager to meet Gillian and get their books signed by her.

Gillian Cross is the first author to visit King Edward’s Junior School as part of Children’s Book Week celebrations from Tuesday 2^nd March to Monday 8^th March.

Anna Wilson, author of Puppy Love and Kitten Caboodle, will being reading from her books during assembly on Wednesday 3^rd March.

Poet Paul Cookson, will be in School on Monday 8^th March to run poetry workshops for Years 3, 5 and 6.

Pupil’s will be taking part in a Grand Parade dressed as their favourite Fairy Tale characters everybody from wicked queens to the three little pigs.

During the week children from ages 7 to 10 will be writing their own stories, reading extracts from their favourite books, discussing what makes a good story, reciting poetry and trading their favourite children’s books at a Grand Book Swap in aid of Wagwer School in Kenya on Thursday 4^th March.

The Mystery of History

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:07:51 PST

Children at King Edward’s Junior School recreated 458 years of King Edward’s history on Thursday 25^th February.

Surrounded by modern buildings and enjoying all the benefits of computer technology, making history meaningful to today’s children can be a difficult task. Mrs Gill Oliver, Extra Curricular Activities Co-ordinator at King Edward’s Junior School, took up the challenge to help pupils at King Edward’s Junior School understand the many changes that have happened over the course of the last 458 years since the School began.

Mrs Oliver’s solution was to involve the whole school in a day of history which took place on Thursday 25^th February. Every child at the school contributed to the creation of an illustrated timeline and also a House banner, which will show many of the important events since the School began.

Every class focused on a specific period in the School’s history:

Class 6S: 1552 – 1597
Class 4M: 1598 --1642
Class 6H: 1643 – 1689
Class 4R: 1690 – 1735
Class 3J: 1736 – 1781
Class 60: 1782 – 1827
Class 3L: 1828 – 1873
Class 5B: 1874 – 1919
Class 5C: 1920 – 1965
Class 5S: 1966 – 2010

At the end of the day, the whole school placed their timelines together to chart the whole 458 years of the School’s history. The timeline will be displayed for everyone to see in the central atrium of the Junior School. Lunch was a special tudor banquet of; Peasants Pottage, King’s meat pie and vegetables followed by Pommes tart and a selection of dried fruits. The children wore Tudor styled hats and their Headteacher, Mr Greg Taylor, dressed in Tudor costume.

Mrs Gill Oliver commented: “The aim of the day was to increase every child’s understanding of history and how it relates to them. The children investigated past events, helping them develop skills of enquiry and analysis. Deciding what to include and how to present the information increased their interpretation and communication skills as well as their ability to problem solve. It was quite a day but by the end of it the children really understand their School’s story.”

Catering Success

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:35:16 PST

Five members of the catering department at King Edward School, Bath are celebrating this month having successfully passed their National Vocational Qualifications Level 2 NVQ in Multi-Skilled Hospitality Services.

Richard Sampson from Hospitality Industry Training presented Margaret Thorpe, Mandy Russell, Helen Sullivan, Pat Appleby and Liz Wilkins with their City & Guilds award certificates.

Angela Barker, Catering Manager, said: “We pride ourselves on the high quality of our food service and the professionalism of our staff. The training programme has been beneficial for our staff and good for our department. It is always nice to see members of our dedicated team gain recognition for their hard work during training over the past year.”

Richard Sampson, who carries out training for many School Catering Departments in the area, commented: “I am delighted to present these dedicated members of the Catering team with their certificates. They are one of the most organised catering departments I have come across and the standard and quality of food preparation, food hygiene and service is outstanding. Well done and many congratulations.”

South West Schools Biathlon

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:41:16 PST

Following the South West qualifier for the GB Biathlon Trials, report below, Alex Hind, Oscar Warren-Fisher and Oliver Penney have qualified for the Nationals to be held at Crystal Palace National Sport Centre on Sunday 21^st March. Many congratulations and good luck in the Nationals.

On Sunday 24^th January 19 members of King Edward’s Junior School took part in the South West qualifier for the GB Biathlon Trials. Congratulations to everyone taking part, the teams were extremely successful, results as follows:

All teams were extremely successful:

Year 5 Girls Bronze

Year 5 Boys Silver

Year 6 Girls 4^th

Year 6 Boys Silver

Individual overall achievements: Year 5 Boys 4^th Alex Hind
5^th	Oscar Warren-Fisher
9^th	Oliver Penney
13^th	William Murray
19^th	Alex Moar
20^th	Louis Dawson Shepherd
Year 5 Girls
5^th	Kara Hughes
13^th	Isabella Tann
18^th	Kirsten Meehan
19th	Bella Antcliff
22^nd	Jessica Westwood
Year 6 Boys
12^th	Leo Bigwood
16^th	Alex Bullard
17^th	Matthew Knight
23^rd	Luca Righetti
Year 6 Girls
9^th	Claudia Blofeld
20^th	India Raynes
24^th	Maddie Awan
25^th	Emily John

It's snow time

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:51:37 PST

Children at the Junior School enjoying the snow at breaktime.

Outstanding Inspection Report for King Edward’s School, Bath

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:22:56 PST

Staff, pupils and parents were delighted to receive the news that King Edward’s School has been judged as ‘outstanding’ in a recent inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate.

The inspectors focused on eight distinct ‘aspects’ of the work of the School. The inspectors’ final judgements in each case are highlighted below:

Aspect	Judgement
The Educational Experience Provided	“King Edward’s School creates an outstanding range of educational opportunities, suited to the interests, aptitudes and needs of its pupils.”
Pupils’ Learning and Achievements	“Pupils are very well educated and reach outstanding levels of achievement.”
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils	“The development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is outstanding.”
The Quality of Teaching and Assessment	“The quality of teaching is good with many outstanding features.”
The Quality of Pastoral Care and the Welfare, Health and Safety of Pupils	“The quality of pastoral care, support and guidance is outstanding, and the provision is well supported by an effective management structure.”
The Quality of Links with Parents and the Community	“The school has established an outstanding and effective partnership with parents and worthwhile links with the community which benefit pupils.”
The Quality of Governance	“The quality of governance is good.”
The Quality of Leadership and Management	“The quality of leadership and management of the headmaster and the senior management team and others with delegated responsibilities is outstanding.”

Headmaster of King Edward’s School, Mr Boden, commented: “I am so thrilled that the School has emerged with such distinction and with what will most likely be one of the most successful ISI reports published anywhere in the country this year. Inspectors comment frequently and most positively on the expertise and commitment of both teaching and support staff, on the warmth and friendliness of relationships at all levels within the School community, on the outstanding levels of achievement and success in all areas and also on the happy, welcoming and caring atmosphere which is a hallmark of the School. In all aspects, the School has either matched or significantly improved upon the very high levels noted in the last inspection of 2002. For that, I am most grateful for the support and commitment of both current and former colleagues, pupils, parents, governors and benefactors, all of whom can be proud of the contribution they have made, and continue to make, to the work of an ‘outstanding’ school.”

The inspection reported that King Edward’s is “outstandingly successful in meeting its aims” and “is now superbly suited to the demands of education in a modern setting.”

The Junior and Pre-Prep Independent Schools Inspection report highlights the very high quality of education and care provided by both Schools from Early Years through to Year 6.

Martin Boden, Headmaster of King Edward’s School said “It is a pleasure to report that all aspects of the educational provision in the Junior and Pre-Prep Schools were judged to be in the top two categories, with particular praise given to pupils’ personal development, the quality of pastoral care, the schools’ links with parents and the community and the many examples of excellence in teaching and learning.

The inspectors’ conclusions highlight the strengths of the curriculum and of the extra-curricular programme, whilst also praising the thorough preparation received by children at all ages in readiness for the next stage of their education. Pupils emerge as confident and independent learners supported by a framework of excellent pastoral care and a strong sense of community. As Headmaster of King Edward’s School, I am, of course, delighted that the report draws attention to the many successful and developing links between the three sections of the School, as well as highlighting the strengths of the leadership of Jayne Gilbert, Head of King Edward’s Pre-Prep and Greg Taylor, Headmaster of King Edward’s Junior School.

King Edward’s School is one of the country’s finest independent co-educational day schools providing an ‘outstanding’ education for children aged from three to eighteen.

Christmas Fair a big success

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:42:57 PST

The Ladies' Committee would like to send a huge thank you to all those parents, staff, friends and pupils who helped to make last Saturday's Christmas Fair such a great success. We raised in excess of £5,500 thanks to your tremendous support and generosity, all of which will be used to fund exciting projects across all three schools.

We would like to thank in particular all the Pre Prep staff for their excellent cake stall, the Junior School staff for their ever popular bottle stall, all the Senior School groups who organised stalls and the choir for the wonderful singing. Special thanks must go to the dedicated helpers gave up their whole morning to lend a hand or helped to set up on the previous evening.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

The Ladies' Committee

Auction of Promises

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:21:53 PST

Jayne Gilbert, Head of King Edward's Pre-Prep & Nursery, would like to say a huge thank you for the tremendous support given by the whole School community for the Supper and Auction of Promises on Saturday 7^th November.

The auction was made possible by the amazing items and activities that parents and friends of King Edward's so kindly donated to the school.

Jayne Gilbert said: “I was thrilled to see the whole school community coming together to raise money for a Pre-Prep and Junior School minibus and Rose for Life - a charity established by Angela Mount for breast cancer research. In total we managed to raise nearly £8000!

I would like to thank all the staff at the Pre-Prep who worked incredibly hard behind the scenes preparing the hall for the event and making some amazing school buses with the children to display on the walls.

I would also like to say a special thank you to Tracy Mortimer for the delicious Moroccan food we all enjoyed on the evening and Sally Johnson and Maxine Sobers for their support. Angela Mount was an amazing auctioneer and added humour and entertainment on the evening.

I would also like to say a personal thank you to Silvana Tann and Gail Page for all their effort and hard work over the last few months organising this major event. They worked tirelessly and with such enthusiasm throughout!

Together we had a very enjoyable evening as well as making a real difference to the travel arrangements at the end of the school day. School trips can now take place during the week to the benefit of all the children. I look forward to seeing a minibus in our car park in the near future!

We are currently following various avenues with suppliers. We would like to have a minibus naming competition and a ribbon cutting ceremony when the minibus arrives.”

Team games for Years 3 & 5

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:21:25 PST

Years 3 and 5 enjoyed a gloriously sunny afternoon at Bathampton playing fields learning about team work.

The children took part in a number of team games including making a shelter to solving a rope puzzle. The exercises helped the pupils learn about the skills needed to work as a team and it was also a fun activity to help everyone get to know one another.

KES Alternative Travel Day

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:20:28 PST

Pupils, staff and parents enthusiastically supported Alternative Travel Day by walking, cycling, car sharing or travelling by bus and train.

Many arrived on foot or bike from as far afield as Westbury, Box, Bradford-on-Avon, Saltford or travelled across the city from Lansdown, Bear Flat and Batheaston.

To accommodate the numbers who cycled the middle entrance car park was turned into a bike park. For those who walked or cycled a breakfast was provided by the catering department in the Willett Hall.

Many pupils teamed up to car share or used free bus ‘taster' passes and additional pick up points on school coaches run by FareSaver, First and JVA Travel especially for Alternative Travel Day.

Others came by train from Chippenham and Swindon then caught the School station shuttle bus to school, or arranged to be dropped off at the King Edward's Bathampton playing fields or at a friend's house on the outskirts of Bath, to cycle or walk the last part of their journey.

A couple of staff caught a train from Frome to Bradford on Avon then cycled with a group of pupils, parents and staff to school.

The most comical arrival at school was a pantomime horse containing two teachers from the Art Department, who then joined the long breakfast queue.

At the Junior School, pupils walked from as far away as Winsley and Southstoke. The children calculated that over 150 miles were walked in total. Pupils also cycled, the furthest from Wellow and South Wraxall. The pupils worked out every form saved between 5 – 6 kg of CO², the equivalent of 75 2-litre bottles full of CO² per pupil.

The Pre-Prep Walk to School day on Wednesday 17^th June turned into a walk, cycle, scooter, roller skate or skateboard to school day. Head Mrs Jayne Gilbert commented:

“I was thrilled to see so many children walking, scooting and cycling into school. There were certainly far fewer cars than usual in the car park. The feedback from parents has been extremely positive. We would very much like to build on this initiative next term.”

Speaking about the success of KES Travel Week and Alternative Travel Day, Second Master Michael Horrocks-Taylor said:

“I am delighted that so many pupils, parents and staff at the Senior, Junior and Pre-Prep schools have made such an effort to travel to school in more environmentally sensitive ways during the week. Today there was a real sense of excitement and achievement. I am particularly grateful to Faresaver, First and JVA Travel for supporting Alternative Travel Day with free ‘taster' bus passes and providing extra pick up points along their bus routes.”

“KES Travel Week is the first major initiative of the revitalised school Travel Plan Working Group, which comprises a very committed and select group of pupils, staff, parents, a school neighbour and a local councillor. The success of the week suggests that there is scope for reducing the impact of the school run on congestion in Bath and the wider environmental effects, and we are looking forward to playing a constructive part in this process through future initiatives.”

Dumsey Meadows Musical

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 14:32:50 PST

This Summer's blockbuster musical was The Mystery of Dumsey Meadow.

Deep in the heart of the English countryside, the children of St Winifred's and St Albert's schools find themselves caught up in a curious mystery when they go on a camping trip to the beautiful and peaceful Dumsey Meadow.

With sleuth-like commitment the children attempt to find answers to some puzzling questions - Why do the cows and sheep appear to be laughing? Why is the farmer always singing? Why did the apple harvest fail for the first time in 500 years and who is the scary old woman with the horrible cackle?

Here are some photo highlights:

Celebration of talent at Summer Recital

Thu, 14 May 2009 15:12:56 PST

Speak Out Finals

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:51:23 PST

Year 4 Play Excerpt winning entry: Hugo, Thomas, Joe and Philip

Speaking in public can be a daunting prospect at any age but you wouldn't have thought so watching King Edward's Junior School pupils at the Speak Out finals.

The children delivered with great confidence and lashings of enthusiasm. Each year group had a different category; Year 3 prose reading, Year 4 performing an excerpt from Romeo and Juliet, Year 5 reciting a poem from memory and Year 6 performed a radio script.

All the performers managed to engage with the audience and convey the drama of the piece. Congratulations to all those who took part.

Year 3 – Prose readings – Ben Rhydderch

Year 4 - Play excerpts – Joe Acklam, Philip Christopherson, Hugo Giddins and Thomas Harcourt

Year 5 – Poetry from memory – joint winners – Joe Littler and India Raynes

Year 6 – Performing a radio script – Phoebe Abrahams, Hannah Chapman, Brogan Coates, Rosie Coles, Maddie Coombe, Rebecca Horrocks-Taylor and Isobel Robson

Stunning performances in this year's Young Musicians' Challenge

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:33:10 PST

This year’s Young Musicians' Challenge was another great success with over 150 children taking part in this annual competition which celebrates the wonderful musical talent at King Edward's Junior School.

It was an honour this year to welcome Major Tony Smallwood from the Royal Marine Band Service and Major Thornhill to adjudicate the Young Musicians Challenge.

The winners in the 13 different categories were:-

Absolute Beginners
Thomas Wilson, trombone

Piano - Level 1 and Level 2
Lali Rhydderch Level 1
Emma Jones Level 2

Wind - Level 1 and Level 2
Brogan Coates Level 1
Felix Munn Level 2

Percussion - Level 1 and Level 2
Ben Jukes Level 1
Alex Llewellyn Level 2

Strings - Level 1 and Level 2
Hugo Giddins Level 1
Emily Bettles Level 2

Singing Years 3 & 4
Thomas Harcourt

Singing Years 5 & 6
Advanced
Lottie Phillips

Open Class Piano
Anna Thomas

Open Class Instrumental
Lydia Shephard violin

Director of Music at King Edward’s Junior School, Mary Edward’s said:

“The Annual Young Musicians Challenge is always a highlight of the Musical Year at King Edward’s Junior School and for me it has to be more a celebration of both the quantity and quality of music making that goes on in the School rather than a music competition. We are very fortunate at the School to have a team of dedicated, specialist instrumental teachers, without whom none of this would be possible. Our adjudicators, Major Smallwood and Major Thornhill, both highly qualified and experienced Royal Marines Bandsman were rightly impressed with the high number of talented young performers that we have at the Junior School.”

Book Week Celebrations

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:58:33 PST

Children at King Edward’s Junior School have been enjoying a visit from local children’s author, Steve Voake as part of their week long celebration of books. Steve explained how he gets the ideas for his books and what he likes to write about. He has written over eleven children’s books which have been translated into a number of different languages including Japanese, Portuguese and German.

Children’s author Anna Wilson has been running writing workshops and Philip Ardagh is due to visit next Monday. At lunchtime children have been enjoying stories from some of their favourite authors read by parents.

At the Senior School pupils will be taking part in a special World Book Day assembly on Thursday 5^th March and a library quiz. Teachers and staff from the Senior School have compiled a favourite book list where they list their favourite books and why they like them to inspire pupils to try out different authors and genres of literature. Please download a copy below.

Jon Kean, English Teacher at King Edward’s Senior School gave a special assembly on Tuesday 3^rd March where he talked about the role of books in transforming the world, he said: “The book is a landmark in world history.”

Summing up how books have become such a part of our lives, he quoted author Margaret Fuller “A house is no home unless it contain food and fire for the mind as well as for the body”

At the Pre-Prep, children will be taking part in a sponsored read on Thursday 5th March. They will be raising money for CLIC and the Roald Dahl Foundation. Parents have been invited to come and join this event which starts at 2.30pm.

Cooking up a storm

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:14:15 PST

Our Year 3 pupils cooked up a storm at a Saturday workshop with Cookery School owner, Mr Bertinet. After chopping their vegetables, they cooked a colourful and very healthy stir fry. Judging by the empty bowls at the end, it was also pretty tasty too!

The event also raised £25 for comic relief which will feed two children for a month.