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.

Marvellous Mural

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:23:06 PST

Children at the Pre-Prep & Nursery unveiled a tile mural and planted a tree in the grounds on Friday 26^th March.

The tile mural was created and personalized by children at the Pre-Prep & Nursery, with the help of Sara Pearch,, a ceramic artist with over 20 years experience.

The inspiration for the mural came from the motto for the Park School ‘Mighty oaks from little acorns grow', the school which was previously situated at Weston Lane and now home to King Edward’s Pre-Prep & Nursery. Each tile has been painted by the children and put together to create a wall mounted mural in the Sports Hall.

Governors Mr King and Mrs Randall helped plant the tree.

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.

Pre-Prep Christmas Play - The Soldiers' Christmas

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:04:23 PST

The School production of The Soldiers’ Christmas was performed beautifully by every child in the School. The true meaning of Christmas was highlighted through drama, music and song. The children skipped into School with excitement all over their faces – they couldn’t wait to put their costumes on and perform on the stage. It was wonderful to see the children perform with confidence and joy.

The production has been a real team effort with all the staff working incredibly hard but I would like to say a special thank you to Mrs Alexander-Jupp for all her hard work directing the play. We would like to say a big thank you to Mary Edwards for all her help this year with the Year 2 band and choir. We would also like to thank Sam Rendell, the lighting technician for kindly helping us with the lights and Rob Hughes, the Music Director from the Senior School, for joining us during rehearsals and all the performances.

I am delighted to announce that a total of £405.84 was collected for CLIC Sargent.

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

Pre-Prep Christingle Service

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:24:42 PST

The Pre-Prep children all enjoyed a very special Christingle service at Christ Church. Revd. Claridge shared with everyone the meaning of advent as the children lit the first candle on the advent wreath.

The children sang beautifully and Year 2 read their poems perfectly. The temptation to eat the sweets on the Christingle was resisted to the very end of the service by nearly everyone!

The Pre-Prep would like to say a special thank you to Mr. Hughes, Director of Music at King Edward’s Senior School for being the pianist, to all the parents who were able to come and of course Revd. Claridge for welcoming everybody and leading the service so beautifully.

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.”

Arts Week

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:53:07 PST

Children at the Pre-Prep have been enjoying Arts Week.

A dance company called ‘Nice as Pie' visited the Pre-Prep to work with the children on some dance activities using the theme of autumn colours. In addition, Sara Pearch, a potter for 20 years, also worked with the children on a whole school project based on an oak tree with acorns ‘Mighty oaks from little acorns grow' as well as some three-dimensional work. The children explored and learned about natural clay.

Children at the Pre-Prep celebrate the opening of their new Sensory Garden

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:45:35 PST

At the Pre-Prep the outdoor environment is used as an extension of the classroom environment; teaching and learning happen both in and out of doors throughout the day. The Sensory Garden will enhance the outdoor environment and create opportunities for all year groups to explore different aspects of the curriculum. It has been especially designed with scented plants and musical instruments to encourage the children to use all their senses.

Speaking about the benefits of the Sensory Garden, Head Ms Jayne Gilbert said:

“The sensory garden has created a wonderful environment for the children to interact with, it encourages the children to slow down and look around. It is also a beautiful place to go for thinking time, a place to reflect, relax and contemplate in. It’s restful which is very important for emotional wellbeing. The colours, art work, planting and shapes create a wonderful visual environment. The water feature immediately attracts young children and the giant spheres encourage the children to look at their own reflection and the environment around them. Plants have been carefully researched and chosen. Moving air generates a soothing sound through the bamboos and grasses blending perfectly with the tuned chime bars. Chocolate smelling cosmos encourages the children to use their sense of smell. Touch is encouraged through the planting of a variety of plants with different textures.”

Special thanks go to parents, the Ladies’ and Fathers’ Committee and King Edward’s Operations team who all helped translate the children’s ideas for the sensory garden into such a beautiful reality.

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.”

A trip round the world with Toby's Ark

Tue, 19 May 2009 14:55:19 PST

Pupils at King Edward’s Pre-Prep & Nursery are due to perform Toby’s Ark on Wednesday 20^th May & Thursday 21^st May.

Toby’s Ark is the delightful story about a group of explorers who set sail. To their amazement they find a mysterious creature hidden in a crate. What could it possibly be? Where could it have come from? The explorers visit many countries and meet some wonderful animals and people but will they ever find the mysterious creature’s homeland?

The whole School from Nursery to Year 2 are taking part in this charming musical production.

Jayne Gilbert, King Edward’s Pre-Prep Headmaster said: “Toby’s Ark has been a wonderful opportunity for our children to learn about wildlife conservation and different cultures. The musical has involved all the children and they have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the process of acting, singing and set design. The staff have worked exceptionally hard and, with the musical and technical support from the Junior and Senior Schools, the production has been a real three schools’ effort.”

We hope you enjoy the performance.

Pre-Prep children go on a farm visit

Mon, 11 May 2009 15:30:24 PST

Nursery, Reception and Year 1 all had a wonderful time at Warleigh Farm. The sun shone as they explored the fields looking for signs of living things. The river running through the land provided the perfect environment for Nursery and Reception to investigate water.

Bottle-feeding lambs, stroking goats and feeding the pigs were just some of the many highlights that the children could not wait to share on their return to school.

The trips form the foundation for further work in the classroom. Nursery children are keen to find out about the animals that live along a river.

Pre-Prep won the Browne Trophy for the 4th year running at the Mid-Somerset Festival

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:39:23 PST

Congratulations to all Pre-Prep children for taking part.

The Browne Trophy is awarded to the the person who has the highest marks in a particular category. Alistair Darnton gained distinction in the 6-7year old class for reciting poetry with clear articulation, confidence and expression.

Jayne Gilbert, Head of King Edward's Pre-Prep commented;
“For Children this age to memorize a poem and stand up in front of an audience and recite it, is a real achievement, the children brought the poems alive with their clear articulation and expression, I am immensely proud of everyone who took part”

Speech and Drama Teacher, Rosemary Powell said:

“To be able to stand up in front of an audience and perform with clear presentation skills is a great achievement”

Environmental Day

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:02:42 PST

Environmental day was a great success with children relishing the opportunity to enjoy the outdoor gardens surrounding the School. The children learnt how to construct dens, create smelly cocktails and make a nature crown.

Children also enjoyed planting spring bulbs. It will be lovely to see them appear in the springtime.

Science Day

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:18:10 PST

The children had a wonderful time learning about space inside the Explorer Dome. Nursery and Reception saw the solar system, planets, comets, stars etc. Year 1 and 2 had a super session on ‘Forces'. The children learnt about basic forces such as pushes and pulls and then moved onto friction, gravity and magnetism. The children made rockets that flew into space with the help of dry ice.

Outstanding Ofsted

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:36:05 PST

Children and staff at King Edward's Pre-Prep are celebrating after their Nursery was awarded an ‘outstanding’ (of exceptionally high standard) grade in the recent Ofsted inspection.

Newly appointed Head of King Edward’s Pre-Prep and Nursery, Miss Jayne Gilbert said:

“The report reflects the hard work and dedication of our Nursery teacher and Deputy Head, Mrs Bright and the teaching assistants in the Early Years Foundation Stage. I feel very fortunate to be leading a school with exceptionally high standards. The strength of King Edward’s is the focus we have on nurturing the ‘whole child’, we continually strive to improve all areas of our provision.”

The Ofsted inspection commented that “Children make excellent progress in all areas of learning as staff have a comprehensive knowledge of the Foundation Stage…and successfully strive to develop the ‘whole child’ and in order to achieve this understand each child as an individual”

The quality of the teaching and learning, the partnership between parents and carers and the organisation was deemed to be exceptionally high.

Nursery teacher and Deputy Head, Mrs Debbie Bright was particularly pleased that the inspectors had recognised the “extensive range of attractively displayed resources, covering all areas of learning, which all contribute to children’s quality education” because she felt:

“One of our particular strengths is the excellent facilities the Nursery provides for children’s learning. The layout of the Nursery is designed to be free-flowing with special areas such as the ‘make believe area’, the ‘tactile discovery room’ and ‘the communication and language development area’ which are all interconnected to give children easy access to a whole range of learning and play experiences. The extensive gardens and playground which surround the Nursery are also a wonderful resource which are used constantly to enhance the learning of the children”

The children’s education is also enhanced by a wide range of visitors such as police officers, postalworkers, fire fighters, animal experts, musicians, authors etc and by outside visits and trips to a variety of locations which provide excellent first hand learning opportunities for the children. A varied programme of in-school activities by experts ensure that children are introduced to a variety of musical instruments and dance.

Learning to make the news

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:29:40 PST

Year 2 were delighted to welcome Siobhan Prideaux, Education Reporter at the Bath Chronicle to the Pre-Prep, to help them create a newspaper.

Siobhan talked to the children about her job as a reporter, how she has to interview people to find out information, how to write a news story, and how a newspaper is put together.

With Siobhan's help the children then created their own newspaper and wrote an article on the Emperor with no clothes on.