Autumn Term 2014 – Nov/Dec – Edition 10
KES NEWS
Wonderful
Wonka
Students recently
performed in ‘Wonka’,
KES’s musical
adaptation of the
original Roald Dahl
story Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory.
Featuring a cast of students from across
all year groups, this colourful show ran
over three days and delivered outstanding
performances from all involved.
The imaginative sets were created by the
students and the Art department, and the
fun balloon decorations were supplied by
Balloon Power.
To see all the photos from the show, please
visit our Facebook page: https://www.
facebook.com/TheKingEdmundSchool
www.kes.essex.sch.uk
Facebook TheKingEdmundSchool • Twitter @KES_HT
SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM UPDATE
At the end of a long term, it is always a good thing to look back at all that has happened.
This is particularly true in the autumn term – the longest one of the school year. I have
been especially pleased with the way that our new Year 7 students have settled into life
at KES. They have been keen to involve themselves in a wide range of activities and have
been enthusiastic in lessons as well. We will be expecting great things from them as they
continue through this year and beyond. At the other end of the spectrum, Year 11 have really
impressed me with their attitude since returning in September. There are many challenges
they face as they prepare for their GCSE exams, but their attitude and approach to being
the very best they can has been excellent. We have also held some meetings with parents focusing on revision
techniques and how to support children at home as they prepare. These were well attended and we will be
holding more in the New Year.
We have also changed our approach to the KES Sixth Form and how we work with students who want to
continue at KES. Everyone who wants to continue has had a one-to-one interview with a senior member of
staff to discuss and plan together. I think that this has been one of the best things we have done in my time at
KES and I believe this has really helped everyone – school, students and parents – to work together to ensure
students follow the right courses for them and get the grades they need for this in the summer.
You will already have seen from the cover of KES News that we held our school production recently – ‘Wonka’,
based on Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – which was wonderful. Many members of staff
were involved across the Creative Arts team and their efforts made for a great show. My particular favourite
parts were the Oompa Loompa songs and the fact that so many new students were involved. I am confident
that future productions will be in safe hands! Last night, 16 December, saw our traditional carol service at St.
Andrew’s Church, the last of our Christmas events. This always signals to me the last days of term and the start
of Christmas. Our students sang and performed wonderfully and Dylan Coetzee in Year 7 even got to light the
church’s Advent candle!
Term ends on Thursday 18 December at 1pm, but we look forward to the start of next term on Monday 5 January
2015. I do hope you have a restful and peaceful Christmas and a great New Year.
Jonathan Osborn, Headteacher
With Christmas fast approaching, I have no doubt that some lucky youngsters will be receiving
Xboxes, tablets, smartphones, etc. as presents. Without wishing to put a dampener on the festive
spirit, can I encourage all parents to keep a very wary eye on the following things.
The websites that youngsters are accessing. I have been alarmed, to say the least, by the sites
that some students as young as Year 7 are using. Many of the various chat rooms that are easily
accessible are frequented by the paedophile network, and what appears to be a ‘chat’ between
your child and a ‘friend’ may well have far more sinister connotations. Omegle is one site we have
considerable concerns about, but there are plenty more; as CEOPS close down one site,
another one will open up. Please have an awareness of the types of sites your child is accessing; rather than just
banning them (they will always find a way around that one!), have an open conversation about how they can protect
themselves online. The CEOPS ‘thinkyouknow’ website (https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/) has a very useful and
informative section for parents of secondary age youngsters, and I would urge you all to have a look at it. Please do
not hesitate to contact me should you have any concerns.
Gaming. Please be aware of the amount of time your son/daughter spends on the Xbox, PlayStation, etc. We have
had recent cases where it has transpired that students are spending up to six hours after school playing games like
Call of Duty. Such immersion can have significant impact on behaviour; in fact, aggressive behaviour can often be
laid firmly at the feet of this type of game.
Smartphones, tablets, etc. Using an electronic handheld device before bed can have a significantly derogatory impact
on sleep patterns; the ambient light from smartphones, laptops, tablets and so on can stop the brain resting properly
and can affect mood patterns. Messaging once the lights are out is, I know, a very common activity. I realise that our
youngsters will not thank me for raising this; however, I would urge all parents to keep a check on it!
Having put the dampener on some aspects of Christmas, I wish all parents a very happy festive season!
Sue Nichol, Deputy Head, Pastoral and Day to Day
•2•
HEADS OF YEAR UPDATE
Year 7
I would like to congratulate Year 7 for completing their first term at KES. For the vast majority,
it has been an experience to which they have responded well; some excellent work has been
completed and the behaviour has been in line with our very high standards.
It is pleasing to see so many students receiving awards and House points from their
classroom teachers. Many have responded to my challenge to earn the Bronze Enterprise
Award. Congratulations to all students that have achieved this award, but particularly to Dylan
Coetzee of 7AK who has gone on to gain his Silver badge as well!
It is a pleasure to see the Year 7 students embracing what KES has to offer – none more so
than the students who performed so fantastically well in ‘Wonka’, and those who worked so
hard representing our school at the recent District Cross Country championship. Well done to
you all!
Finally, I would like to remind you that your children must be on site by 07:50, when the
entrance doors close, and in tutor bases before 07:55.
Have an enjoyable Christmas break.
Andy Lilleker, Head of Year 7
Year 8
I am so pleased and proud to start by congratulating the Year 8 students who performed in
‘Wonka’. It was such a great show; I thoroughly enjoyed it and was thrilled to see students
from our year group representing us so well.
Many students also competed in the District Cross Country, which I had the pleasure of
attending in November. A massive well done to these students, particularly as they were part
of the Year 8 and Year 9 combined race, so were racing against students who were a year
older. I was so very proud of all who competed on this day.
In a recent assembly, I spoke to the year group about the Samaritans’ ‘Shoebox Appeal’. It
has been really pleasing to see so many students bringing in shoeboxes they have made up
to be sent out to the children in Romania. I awarded each student with House points for being
so thoughtful towards others. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and break from
school, and I wish everyone a very happy New Year.
Sarah Evison, Head of Year 8
Year 9
I would firstly like to wish all students and parents a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
This term has been very busy, and you all deserve a rest. I would like to congratulate the Year
9 students who performed in this year’s school production of ‘Wonka’. It was so pleasing
to have another lead role from our year group. Well done to Tabitha for her performance as
Charlie Bucket, as well as to Lily as Violet Beauregarde, Evan as Augustus Gloop, Joseph as
Mr Bucket and James as Grandpa George. Final congratulations to Rosie Miller and Frances
Shadbolt-Cordery for their part in the show’s chorus.
Next term we will be focusing on options choices, so I would like to remind all students
and parents that the options evening will be on Wednesday 7 January. All students should
carefully consider the subjects that they would like to select to study at GCSE level; they
should also keep in mind the post-16 choices they may wish to make and what career path
they may wish to follow, as this will help with the option process.
Natasha Jenkins, Head of Year 9
•3•
HEADS OF YEAR UPDATE
Year 10
As the autumn term draws to a close, Year 10 students should take some time to reflect on the
progress they have made.
As parents/carers, you will have recently received their progress grades and I would encourage
you to discuss these with your child as well as reflect on their achievements and where they
need to push themselves further. The Year 10 exams take place in the first week of term, from
5–9 January, and students have been getting lots of support with revision techniques both
within tutor sessions and via revision workshops. Please support them in creating
a revision timetable, together with a quiet space at home to fully prepare them for these important examinations.
In addition, the Year 10 parents’ evening will be held on Wednesday 28 January; this is another opportunity to
speak to teachers to discuss students’ progress.
I would also like to congratulate the number of students who have achieved over 50 House points this term and
who have received a gold crown to wear on their blazers. This is a wonderful achievement and gives recognition
of their hard work. They can also include this in their Record of Achievement folders, as they are all currently
working towards their Employability for Life award.
May I also take this opportunity to wish you all a very peaceful Christmas and a very happy New Year.
Delia Webster, Head of Year 10
Year 11
Can I firstly thank those who attended the Sixth Form open evening; it was a very positive event
and lots of good feedback was received both from parents and students.
The mock exams have brought the term to a close. Students will get their results on 17
December in a format similar to what they will experience next summer after their real exams.
The mocks are a very good indication of how well students are doing and the work needed to
achieve their potential. All Year 11 students will sit another mock in February to prepare them
for their external exams.
The Year 11 prefects responded really well to this year’s Children in Need appeal and came up with the theme of
a superhero non-uniform day. The prefects were responsible for collecting the donations for the charity.
Our Head students, Stephanie, Jordan, Abbie and Evan, represented KES at the remembrance service held at
St Andrew’s Church in November. The Student Council met for the first time this year and Tom and Jessica were
voted in to represent the year group. Lots of very valuable points were raised and I really look forward to working
with them.
Louise Butler, Head of Year 11
Sixth Form
The Year 13 students are currently receiving various offers for places at university. If your son or daughter has
not completed their UCAS application, can you please encourage them to do so; it will provide them with extra
motivation for the final months of sixth form.
Year 12 and 13 students have been working hard to create the end-ofyear quiz which will be enjoyed by students and staff on the final day of
term. The students also managed to raise money for Save the Children by
wearing Christmas jumpers on Friday 12 December.
We would like to wish everyone a merry Christmas and a prosperous
New Year.
Emma Cooke,
Head of Year 12
Tom Hickey,
Head of Year 13
•4•
FACULTY FOCUS ON MATHEMATICS
New Staff
I am delighted to let you know that we have a new Head of Maths at KES from
the start of next term. Miss Nicola Woods-Taylor will be joining us from Appleton
School and will be coming to us full of new ideas to help students’ progress. I am
sure you will join us in wishing her every success in this important role.
During this term, there have been a number of significant changes in the Maths
Faculty. We have six new staff: Mr Mahfoudh, Miss Lambert, Mrs Catling, Mr
Channon, Mr Tam and Mrs Cassidy. They have all settled quickly and are working
hard to support students.
Revision Passports
Students in Year 11 have been issued with a revision passport. The passport
lists the topics (grade-specific) that the students should be revising between
now and next summer. Once a topic has been revised, students should provide
their teacher with evidence so the passport can be stamped and House points
awarded. The most helpful revision resource available to students is MathsWatch;
they have all been shown how to use it. So, for Year 11 there is no excuse for not
learning mathematics!
Maths Club
Every Tuesday afternoon we run Maths Club, where students can work with a number of
maths teachers on developing their skills. Students from all year groups are welcome.
Awards Scheme
The Maths Faculty has introduced an award scheme to
celebrate students making exceptional effort and/or progress
over an extended period of time. The award, an impressive
trophy, is to be presented each half term to the student (Year
7–Year 13) that has been nominated by their teacher and then
deemed to be most deserving. The winner will then be awarded
the trophy in assembly and will be able to keep it at home for
the next half term. Nominees will be presented with certificates
which can be included in their Record of Achievement. A
permanent display of winners and nominees will be on ‘F’ floor.
Huge congratulations go to Thomas in Year 8, our first ever winner.
Celebrating Success
The decision has been made to openly celebrate success,
so the maths corridors have displays featuring those Year 11
students that are making expected or more than expected
progress in maths. Hopefully this public celebration will
encourage more students to make a greater effort and become
part of the display. I am sure you will have noticed that all of
the initiatives outlined are to encourage students to adopt a
growth mindset and take more responsibility for their learning.
It is important that all of our students recognise the strong
correlation between hard work and academic progress.
Martin Haynes,
Deputy Headteacher (Curriculum)
and Acting Head of Mathematics
•5•
FACULTY FOCUS ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION
The PE Faculty has had an excellent start to the
school year. We have been very impressed by the
hard work and commitment of those who have
regularly attended extracurricular training sessions
and competed in fixtures, even when the weather has
been particularly unkind to us. Keep up the good work!
The Year 7 and Year 10 boys have made a very good
start to training after school at basketball and football.
The fixtures we have played to date have brought
mixed results but I have been very pleased with the
effort and hard work put in. Attendance at Year 10
football training has been encouraging, although
the Year 7 basketball squad has been inconsistent.
Teams are being selected based on skill level, hard
work, commitment, and the ability to work as a team.
The Year 10 boys have won two of the five games
they have played so far, including an excellent win
over Greensward. In the other games, they have been
competitive but soft goals cost them a 2–1 defeat
at Fitzwimarc when they deserved better. The Year
7 basketball squad have played two friendly games
so far against Eastwood and King John respectively.
Practice sessions have been hampered due to varied
attendance levels and students being involved in other
activities, but the squad is improving.
Forthcoming Events
In addition to our numerous league and cup fixtures,
KES will be taking part in the following major school
sporting events during the next two months: the
CPR Swimming Championship, District Badminton
Championship (Girls) and District Badminton
Championship (Boys) – dates to be advised. We would
like to remind all those who aim to compete that it is
essential to attend all training sessions. The squads
will be selected from those who attend regularly and
work hard. Good luck to all who take part.
Year 10/11 Futsal Team: new initiative
Mr Lilleker is planning to start a senior futsal team
at KES with the aim to enter the National Futsal
Tournament in February. Futsal is an indoor football
game with an emphasis on speed and skill, played
with a reduced bounce, size 4 football. This is an
exciting initiative for the PE Faculty, especially as we
already have two Year 11 boys, Shaun Flicker and Ali
Goodwin, who are part of the England Futsal Centre of
Excellence, and we are hoping to develop more talent.
Training will take place on Fridays after school.
KES Sports
The yearly inter-House sports competition is well and
truly underway. After the Cross Country competition, the
current leaders are Vikings, but there’s everything to
play for. Dates for events in 2015 are as follows:
Date
Tuesday 13 January 2015
Monday 19 January 2015
Monday 23 March 2015
Thursday 25 June 2015
BoysGirls
Swimming
Football
Football
Rugby
Netball
Cricket
Rounders
All competitions take place after school. Players of all
abilities are welcome, so come along and earn points
for your House: Romans, Vikings or Saxons.
Student Nominated for
Sports Award
At the start of November, Mr
Lilleker had the pleasure of
accompanying Sebastian and
his family to the Castle Point and
Rochford District Sports Awards.
After nominating him for the Young Sports Personality
of the Year Award for throwing the shot further than
anyone in the UK’s history at under 13 level, it was
great for him to be shortlisted for the award and attend
the evening with so many outstanding sports people.
It was a wonderful evening and Sebastian received
a certificate of distinction and met Max Whitlock, an
Essex Olympic gymnast.
Student Becomes
Gymnastics Coach
Michael in Year 10 has
recently become a volunteer
gymnastics coach to children
aged 4 to 12.
He has been injured since the
summer and is building up his
fitness levels so he can get
back to competing.
He last won a silver medal in the summer for vault
when competing in the Pipers Vale challenge in
Ipswich and his goal is to compete in the 2020
Olympic Games.
Table Tennis
Table Tennis Club has started up and is held in the gym
on Mondays after school with Mr Hickey.
Fitness Club
This is a reminder that Fitness Club is held on Tuesday
after school. This is for Year 10 and above, but
numbers have recently declined.
•6•
Craig Simpson,
Head of Physical Education
FACULTY FOCUS ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION
News from KES
Team Managers
Mrs S Evison
The Year 7 girls have made an excellent
start to training, and attendance has
been really encouraging. Outstanding
performances have come from
Jessi Sibindi, Elizabeth Bailey, Alicia
Sotolongo, Jessica-Anne Angel, Hattie
Marden, Holly Dodkins, Polly Anna
Bradley, Sophie Poole, and Karley
Tipper, to mention just a few.
Mr R Halle
I am particularly pleased that the
Year 7 boys’ football team got through
to the semi finals of the CPRD cup.
Outstanding performances came from
Alfie Chrystal and Spencer Bakewell.
The rugby team have won two of the
three games played so far. Attendance
at training is improving but I would
like to see more students coming to
practice. Outstanding performances
have come from Dylan Coetzee,
Hayden Frederick and Enoch Taffa.
The Year 9 basketball team have had
an encouraging start to their season,
playing two tough fixtures against the
District finalists. Although both games
were lost, the margin of loss has
reduced significantly since last year.
The boys are training really hard and
attending extra practice sessions.
Mr T Hickey
I have been very pleased with the
commitment shown by the Year 9
football team this year and they have
produced some good performances,
albeit not necessarily with the desired
result. They played particularly
well against Sweyne Park and got
the rewards they deserved with a
convincing victory. Training takes
place on Tuesdays after school.
Miss D Kelly
I have been pleased with the start
to 2014; the girls have had success
in hockey and netball already. A
special mention must go to the three
senior girls who were part of the
inter girls cross country team who
made the regional finals this year.
Congratulations go to Chloe Gilligan,
Jasmyne Head and Rebecca Mead.
Senior training is Monday netball,
Tuesday hockey, Thursday football and
Friday cross country.
Mr A Lilleker
The Year 11 football team have
made a solid start to the school
football season and despite losing
to Greensward 2–1, they played very
well and were unlucky to lose. In their
last match they defeated Castle View
6–3 in the South East Essex Cup. Man
of the Match was Adam Buckthorpe.
This year’s senior basketball season
has been very much a learning curve.
With the squad consisting of Year 10
boys only, it has been important not to
let their heads go down in defeats to
some of the best basketball schools
in the county, whose teams consist of
mostly Year 11 boys. All of the boys
have worked extremely hard and I am
sure that their hard work and patience
will pay off. The squad train very hard
and they all deserve a mention. Well
done to Tom Baker, Joe Nagy, Alex
Grey, Conor Atay, Lewis Glazebrook
Smith, Tyler Barnes, Ben Bridge, Zac
Churn and Jack Williams. Keep up the
great work.
Miss G Lowe
The Year 9 girls have made a great
start to this term. They have played
against some tough opposition and
have been unlucky with some of the
results. However, they have never
given up and have always fought
to the end. The girls are talented
but it is essential that everyone is
at training every week. Training is
Monday hockey, Tuesday netball,
Thursday football and Friday cross
country. Well done to Megan Davies,
Charlotte Brooks and Sophie Brunt
who have not missed a netball or
hockey training session! A special
mention must also go to Charlotte
Brooks who was part of the inter girls
cross country team who made it to
the regional finals this year. This is a
massive achievement.
Miss R Manning
The Year 8 hockey and netball teams
have been working really hard this
year. They have been unfortunate
to have had a number of matches
cancelled on them by other schools,
but the games that they have played
have been a success. The hockey
team played Sweyne Park and drew
1–1 and Cornelius was 0–0.
•7•
In both Hockey and Netball, Megan
Peck needs to be recognised for her
excellent goalkeeping skills. She has a
very strong defensive team in front of
her, but when she does have to keep
the ball out, she is successful 99%
of the time! The netball team have
only had a few matches and have
played well although the score lines
do not reflect how well they have been
playing as a team. I am really proud of
them as a squad; they are developing
well in their skill base and becoming
more and more successful. This year
we have set up a Sixth Form hockey
team. They have had one friendly
match so far against King John when
they really did gel together as a team
and play a high standard of hockey.
Player of the Match was Lloyd King.
Mr L Read
This year has been a difficult year
for the Year 8 students: a year group
riddled with injuries that have affected
their performances but not their
commitment levels. Football has been
very positive this year, with the Year
8 boys welcoming new students to
the team. Students have worked hard
but have been unfortunate in many
games. Year 8 rugby has seen one of
the school’s most talented students
face a long-term injury, with results
not going our way so far this year.
Attendance at rugby practice must
increase if we are going to improve
results in our matches. Basketball has
seen four of our starting five players
suffer long-term injuries from the start
of the season; a lot of new students
have been coming to practice,
showing great enthusiasm and desire
to succeed during competitive games.
Mrs E Talbott
Girls’ football is a very popular sport.
Training is held every Thursday with
myself and Miss Lowe. Top attendees
that deserve a mention include HollyAnne Dodkins, Holly Gilligan, Jessica
Mason, Sophie Brunt, Olivia Francis,
Louise Lawrence, Daisy Turner and
Lauren Mitchell. It is lovely to see so
many girls committed to their football
and I hope this continues throughout
the year.
FACULTY FOCUS ON PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Cross Country – Castle
Point and Rochford District
Competition
At the end of November we had our
District cross country competition
at Gloucester Park. Even though
the rain held off for the events, the
previous weather had made the
ground very slippery and muddy
underfoot.
Every student who was picked to
represent KES was a credit and
dealt with the conditions and tough
courses well. The students seemed
proud to wear the school vest and
they deserve credit for their efforts
on the day. There are nine schools
in our district and the races varied
from 80–140 students in each race,
so our results are excellent. The
students’ performances are listed
below.
Boys
Year 7 team
4th Alfie Chrystal
26th Joseph Brown
34th Oliver Francis
37th Spencer Bakewell
49th Alfie Crosby
57th Jack Newby
59th Dylan Coetzee
61st Tommy Brimfield
68th Kody Watts
70th Bradley Bakewell
76th Blu Davies
83rd Sam Rex
92nd Teddy Graham
94th Ellis Blows
95th Tom Cox
99th Joseph Robinson
TEAM POSITION = 5th
Year 8/9 team
1st Cameron Jarvis
13th Callum Horncastle
27th Stanley Simms
31st Lucas Waughman
36th Tyler Machon
45th Elliot Saggers
47th Cameron Dunn
53rd Braydon Flannery
63rd Finnan Sharp
73rd Reece Bennett
74th Owen Davies
88th Ethan Stoner
92nd George Hammond
TEAM POSITION = 3rd
Year 10/11 team
4th Eben Rowledge
6th Jack Woolf
17th Dexter Goward
23rd Liam Reeve
25th Jack Williams
44th Zac Churn
61st Johnny Neave Houghton
71st Ben Brooks
81st Adam Buckthorpe
TEAM POSITION = 3rd
BOYS’ OVERALL POSITION =3rd
Girls
Year 7 team
12th Kelsey Bridge
13th Jessica-Anne Angel
15th Pollyanna Bradley
18th Alicia Sotolongo
27th Lauren Watson
31st Hattie Marden
33rd Micheala De-Matos
65th Romy Sharp
TEAM POSITION = 3rd
Year 8/9 team
1st Charlotte Brooks
6th Georgia Goble
10th Amy Wood
14th Elouise O’Hart
19th Daisy Pallett
27th Rosie Prior
31st Lucy Still
42nd Amber Head
51st Chesleen Dell
TEAM POSITION = 2nd
Year 10/11 team
9th Jasmyne Head
10th Emily White
14th Rebecca Mead
15th Chloe Gilligan
A special mention must go to
TEAM POSITION = 3rd
Cameron Jarvis for winning the inter GIRLS’ OVERALL POSITION = 3rd
boys race, leading to him become
District Champion. Cameron started A special mention goes to Kelsey
Bridge for not only coming first out
the race strongly, leading from the
of the Year 7 KES girls, but also for
front; he then fell back into third
position before the gruelling hill run. completing the course after losing
her trainer in the race due to the
His desire and determination to
mud! Special mentions also go
win led him to victory, crossing the
finishing line 30 metres clear of any to Charlotte Brooks for becoming
District Champion and leading from
other competitor.
the front and Emily White for her
Lucas Waughman’s performance
first senior cross country event and
was also impressive, being the first completing the course confidently in
Year 8 back in the inter boys race;
10th place.
he shows lots of promise for next
Performances were excellent from
year.
all the girls and once again showed
Alfie Chrystal was the first Year
how training has helped us improve
7 KES boy back, claiming 4th
in fighting for 1st and 2nd team
place and running a strong race
places in the district.
throughout.
The senior boys finished well as a
team but special mentions go to
Eben Rowledge and Jack Woolf who
secured 4th and 6th places; Jack
was running despite being a year
younger than other competitors.
•8•
LATEST NEWS
Dance Logo Competition
A big thank you goes to all those
students who entered the ‘design a
dance logo’ competition; the creativity
and detail of all the designs was very
impressive.
After much deliberation, huge
congratulations go to Jessica Ewers in
Year 11 for the winning design, which
will feature on dance t-shirts available
for purchase by students. A big well done
also goes to Macey Hare who achieved
second place and Molly Simmons who
achieved third place.
Art Club
Over the last term, Art Club has been focusing on textile-based
art and experimenting with Batik.
Students have really enjoyed creating flower-inspired pieces using
techniques where they layer ink and hot wax. They developed this
work by using their own images and sewing onto their designs to
add some hand embellishment. In the future, they will be learning
how to use silk and fabric paints and image marker. They will then
be making their own t-shirts using all of the techniques. Art Club
gives students the opportunity to learn techniques they may not
otherwise learn until GCSE or A Level.
KES Christmas Card Winner
Each year students are able to enter a competition to design the school
Christmas card.
This year’s winner is Paris Walsh in Year 9 and her card will be distributed
to over 300 people. Congratulations also go to all the other students that
worked so hard on their designs.
With over 400 entries it was a difficult task to choose just one winner.
Children in Need 2014
Students and staff
became superheroes for
the day to raise money for
Children in Need.
By wearing amazing
superhero costumes
and making and selling
cupcakes, KES managed
to raise over £2,000 for
this year’s Children in
Need appeal.
•9•
LATEST NEWS
Little Havens Hospice Tour
Career Academy Trip
In November, the Head and Deputy Head students
were given a behind-the-scenes tour of Little
Havens Hospice.
Five of the Career Academy students recently
attended the London South Bank University
(LSBU) to hear inspirational talks from Michael
Guralnick at Citi Group and a former LSBU
student.
Stephanie, Jordan, Abbie and Evan were able to see
first hand the facilities and care on offer to families
in their local community.
The group then attended two workshop taster
sessions and had a complimentary lunch. After
the final workshop, there were further talks from
Imran Rasaul at the BT Group and a student
ambassador. They both talked about their own
experiences to help inspire the students.
The visit gave them a real understanding of how
respite care is provided for children from birth to 19
years and the incredible support that Little Havens
offers.
The students will be helping to raise money in the
future for this very worthwhile charity.
Institute of Directors Final
Three Career Academy students, ElleMae, James
and Tegan, made it through to the final of the
Institute of Directors Aspire an Entrepreneur in
November.
Year 2 Enterprise Day
Students from Holt Farm Infant School visisted
KES for the day in November for a Business and
Enterprise day.
The team were given two weeks to work out an
austerity plan for a failing business and make
it successful again. They studied the brief and
looked at both scenarios before number crunching
with their table host Clive Purdy from Devines
Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors.
Enterprising activities included making snow globes,
wrapping paper, Christmas cards, coasters and
notepads.
The children thoroughly enjoyed the day and the
items they made were sold at their Christmas fair.
This was no mean feat for the Year 12 students,
having only started in the Sixth Form in September.
It was a big ask and, although the team didn’t
win, they were highly commended for their efforts,
particularly in answering probing questions in their
findings for the task. Well done Team KES. They
can now put ‘IoD Aspire an Entrepreneur Finalist’
on their CV.
The students were assisted throughout the day by
KES Sixth Form CACHE students.
• 10 •
LATEST NEWS
Jack Petchey Achievement Award
Jack in Year 10 won the Jack Petchey Achievement Award for November.
Jack worked for a charity at the London Rugby Legends Awards, he held a
‘meet and greet’ for the rugby players and celebrities, and helped to run the
event. He also does a lot of fundraising for the Willow Foundation. Jack has
chosen to spend his money on some new rugby equipment.
The annual Castle Point and Rochford Jack Petchey Achievement Awards evening
was held at the Paddocks in Canvey Island at the start of December. All of this
year’s winners (Jasmine, Michael, Tom, Bethany, Callum and Jack) attended and
were presented with their gold medallions in front of their family and friends.
Kirstie was also celebrated for
receiving a Leader Award for the
hard work and commitment she
showed to Sam Fraser who left
Year 11 last year, while Jasmine
performed and sang with her guitar.
The evening provided an
opportunity to reflect on the
outstanding talent and commitment
that KES students show to
the school and also the wider
community.
Nominations will start again
in January. If you would like to
nominate any student at KES for
this award, please send an email
to [email protected].
uk or complete a nomination form
(available from student reception).
Staff Member Takes Part in Chelmsford Marathon
Mr Lamb, the Headteacher’s PA and Office Manager, took part in a grueling
26.4 mile multi-terrain run in the Chelmsford Parks on 19 October in aid of J’s
Hospice.
It was the very first Chelmsford City Marathon and, in difficult conditions, he
successfully completed the course in 3 hours and 50 minutes. Mr Lamb came
210th out of approximately 1,000 finishers.
Mr Lamb has already managed to raise £500 in donations, both online and
through sponsorship pledges.
Sociologists/Psychologists of the Half Term
Well done to the following students for their continued
hard work and effort over the last half term.
Sociologists of the Half Term: Millie Arnold in Year
10, Abbie Cummings in Year 11, Katie Cozens in
Year 12 and Matthew Day in Year 13.
Psychologists of the Half Term: Elizabeth
Routledge in Year 12, Rachel Nagy and Mia Cotton
in Year 13.
Business Brain
of the month
October’s winners were Luke in Year 13 and Ross
in Year 10.
• 11 •
LATEST NEWS
Year 10 Interview Days
In order to prepare for their work experience in February, all Year 10 students took part in the ‘preparation
for work experience day’ run by Enterprise and Education.
Students worked on their CVs, covering letters and body language, including handshakes and eye contact. The
penultimate part of the day was a short interview with a business guest. Each business guest picked out a star of
the day, who received a certificate.
Feedback from the students was good: 78% felt the programme had developed their interview techniques, 69%
came to understand how important first impressions are, and 97% of students now feel more prepared to attend
future interviews.
Year 10 Hospitality Students’ Christmas Cakes
During the last half term, Year 10 Hospitality students have been
working on a unit based on cakes, sponges and biscuits.
They made shortbread, flapjack, muffins and Swiss rolls using
various methods of cake making and finished this unit of work by
making their own Christmas cakes and learning the art of sugar
craft. The standard this year has been extremely high and feedback
from students and parents has been very positive.
The same students transferred their skills and produced a
Christmas afternoon tea party for 100 senior citizens in December.
• 12 •
Supporting Great Ormond
Street’s ‘Bake it Better’ Event
The Year 12 and 13 BTEC Hospitality
students made cupcakes for the
school’s open evening in support of
the McMillan Coffee Morning and
Great Ormond Street’s ‘Bake it Better’
event, raising £280 which was shared
equally between the two charities.
To further support the ‘Bake it Better’
event, the Heads of Year selected two
cakes which were consumed during
their team meetings, where staff were
asked to donate in return for a slice
or two of cake. Over £75 was raised,
making the grand total for ‘Bake It
Better’ a fantastic £215. Thank you to
everyone who supported the students.
LATEST NEWS
Students Fill Shoeboxes with Gifts for Local Children
In conjunction with the Rochford Rotary Club, students have been
busy filling shoeboxes with gifts for less fortunate children than
themselves.
The Rotary Club provided KES with the boxes and is organising the
distribution of them to under-privileged children in the local area.
Martin Haynes, Deputy Head, said: ‘We have had a wonderful
response from our students for this Christmas appeal and we are
very proud that they are helping children in the local community who
are less fortunate than themselves’.
Parent–Toddler Christmas Party
An Afternoon of Dance
Christmas came early to KES in the form of the
annual parent–toddler party.
Year 10 and 11 GCSE dancers and Year 12
performing arts students performed an afternoon
of dance on Thursday 11 December 2014.
Year 12 and 13 CACHE students spent weeks
organising and preparing for the party. Activities
included calendar making, a book corner, a shredded
paper boat, cookie decorating, Christmas card making,
a music circle, hat making and balloons.
The students also made a grotto and organised a visit
from Father Christmas. 29 toddlers visited the party and
parents/childminders said they thought the event was
well planned and looked forward to returning next year.
The Year 10 students performed a physical
contemporary dance piece and a Christmas
medley, including tap. The performance showcased
the skills and qualities they have learnt over the
past term.
Year 11 students performed their assessment
group pieces in preparation for their real
examination in the new year, along with a variety
of choreographies created by the students
themselves.
Year 12 performers worked hard over the last
term to create a performance based on real life
accounts of the London Riots, using real life text
from rioters, police officers and onlookers.
Capital Experience
The new cohort of Career Academy students recently
travelled to London to visit Kaplan Financial, where
the students found out about the courses on offer and
alternative routes to employment.
They were given advice by Charlotte Binstead from
Kaplan Holborn College’s schools and colleges
liaison team, who advised the students to visit lots of
universities, both campus-based and city-based, speak
to lecturers and talk to other students.
• 13 •
ADULT LEARNING AT KES
At KES, we believe it is really important that we share the excellent facilities that students use with our
adult learners.
In the last term, we have introduced a variety of exciting new courses such as Zumba, Wood Turning,
Dressmaking, Soft Furnishings and Patchwork and Quilting classes.
Our community programme is open to all parents/carers and individuals living in the borough. All of our
classes are delivered by professional and patient teachers, with the emphasis on having fun while learning.
It is never too late to learn!
Computer Classes
This term we have delivered a number of different types of computer courses. The most successful has been
our LoveYourLaptop course, where students bring along their own laptop and learn how to master the machine.
Topics covered this term included learning how to use Windows 8, play a cd and listen to music, as well as how
to understand apps, file documents, download photographs from a camera and many more useful everyday
tasks. The classes are hands-on and everyone leaves the room very enthusiastic and motivated!
If you have plenty of experience but are looking to
gain a qualification in IT, you can join one of our
ongoing ECDL classes. They are roll-on, roll-off
courses and it is possible to join at any time of the
year. This is an excellent way to showcase how you
have updated your CV with current skills.
For those more experienced students, we have
individual Advanced courses in Word Processing,
Spreadsheets, Databases and Presentations on offer.
Last but not least, with the popularity of tablets we
also run regular one-off workshops showing people
how to get the most out of their tablet, whether it is
an ipad, Samsung, Tesco Hudl or Windows tablet.
Soft Furnishings
This was designed to introduce learners to the art of making various types of cushions and cushion covers. The
class was initially made up of six individuals, with different ability levels being easily incorporated into the class.
The students were taught how to cut out, prepare the inner padding and pipe a cushion. The shapes, sizes and
fabrics were decided by individuals. Additional skills taught included appliqué, inserting beads in a beanbag
and using fabric glue. Examples of work are shown below. In the months to come, we will be incorporating other
useful skills such as creating a door stop, measuring and creating a Roman Blind, and understanding how to
make curtains, tablecloths and much more.
• 14 •
ADULT LEARNING AT KES
Art
This term at KES, art and drawing for beginners and intermediates
has been a very productive time; with five new beginners introduced
into the small class, there has been lots of group and one-to-one
support. As a tutor for many years, it is really rewarding to see how
people enjoy the pleasures of drawing and painting.
Introduction to Bridge
Have you ever wanted to learn how to play Bridge? This is open to everyone,
even if you have never played cards before. This course will show you how to
master this intelligent game of cards. Come along with your son/daughter or
parent/grandparent, work together as a team and enjoy some quality time
together.
The Bridge class last term was a mixture of people who have never played
Bridge before through to people who have played before but who wish to
either improve their standard or refresh their game. Each week we learnt
a new element of the game and then practised what had been learnt. The
emphasis is on practical play and learning through enjoyment.
Each session begins with a hand or two where the previous week’s lesson is practised and handouts are given
explaining the new topic for the present session; pre-set hands are then played for the rest of the session to
ensure everyone understands and can demonstrate skill in the new concept taught. Each hand is discussed
and analysed during and after play, usually with obvious humour and excitement. This term the class learnt how
to evaluate their hands, how to bid, how to play their cards to achieve their stated contract, how to score, and
the meanings of various bids and responses. The Bridge session is a delightful way to spend the afternoon.
Coming Soon – 29 January 2015
Bollywood-Bhangra Dance Workshop
Indian Cookery and Tasting Workshop
For an informal chat about any of the courses listed above, or the January programme, please contact Claire
Elliott or Jayn Warner on 01702 545771, extensions 3272 or 3237, or to speak to someone out of school
hours, call 07734 347 073.
Further information can also be found on the school’s website at www.kes.essex.sch.uk or by emailing
[email protected].
• 15 •
INFORMATION
Library
Keeping Parents Informed
The library competition, ‘Design a Poster’,
closed in mid November and the overall
winner of the Kindle e-reader was Mia Key
in Year 11; she also received 10 House
points.
As part of our ongoing drive to help parents stay informed
of what’s happening at school, we’re using School Gateway
– a website and smartphone app that shows information
relating to your child.
The winners from each year group, who also
received a £10 Waterstones voucher and 5
House points, are:
Year 7 – Alyssa Layzell
Year 8 – Jessica Mason
Year 10 – Kayleigh Macdonald
Well done to everyone who entered.
Students in Year 7 have now chosen their
free book from the ‘BookBuzz’ scheme
and should have received their copy by the
middle of December. If they have not, they
need to speak to the Librarian.
Some suggestions of new books which
would make ideal Christmas presents are:
• Awful Auntie by David Walliams
• Dragons at Crumbling Castle: And Other
Stories by Terry Pratchett
• Opal Plumstead by Jacqueline Wilson
• The Long Haul: Book 9 – Diary of a
Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
• Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz
• The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil
Gaiman (Young Adult book)
• Let It Snow by John Green (Young
Adult book)
Please carry on supporting and encouraging
your child with their reading as this will help
them with their reading lessons and with all
of their other subjects.
Lost Property
Lost property will be cleared out over
the Christmas break and any items not
collected will be sent to charity.
Please ensure your child has collected
their possessions before the end of term.
You will be able to view the following information:
• Monitor attendance and inform school of unexplained/
future absences
• Check the contact details that our school holds for you
• Find useful school details such as telephone numbers
• View the contact details of parents and carers that our
school holds for your child
• View details of any medical conditions that our school has
on record
• View your child’s rolling two-week timetable
Activating your School Gateway account is quick and easy to
do. All you need is the email address and mobile number that
we hold on record for you. If you have not previously provided
us with a current email address and mobile number you will
need to send the information to [email protected].
sch.uk before using School Gateway.
You can access the system via www.schoolgateway.com. Click
on ‘New User’ and you’ll receive a text message with a PIN
number. Use this PIN to log in.
If you have a smartphone, you can download School Gateway
from your app store. The app is suitable for Apple (iPhone 3GS
or later, iPad, iPod Touch) and Android (2.3/Gingerbread or
later) devices.
The app shows the same information as the website PLUS
you can message the school for FREE – this will also save the
school money when we send you a text message.
The set-up process is simple and will take no more than a
couple of minutes:
1. Search for ‘School Gateway’ in the Apple App Store or
on Google Play. Alternatively, go to www.schoolgateway.
com/apple (Apple) or www.schoolgateway.com/android
(Android)
2. Install the app and if you are asked then say yes to ‘Allow
Push Notifications’
3. When you launch School Gateway for the first time, please
select ‘New User’ and enter the email address and mobile
telephone number you have registered with the school
4. The system will send a PIN code to your phone; please
enter this PIN code and the app will be activated for you
As soon as you’ve got the system set up, all of the text
messages we send you will appear in the app; you’ll receive
notifications/alerts as normal.
For more details on how to use the app, please download the
guide below. To find out more, please contact Mrs Burrows on
01702 545771, extension 3256.
For child protection safeguarding purposes, students’ full names cannot be published with their photographs in this newsletter. This newsletter is intended
for the sole use of students and parents of The King Edmund School. We very much hope that others will enjoy the opportunity to read it and learn about the
activities at our school, but it may not be further distributed or reproduced, in part, or in whole, in any way, without the written permission of the Headteacher.
The King Edmund School, Vaughan Close, Rochford SS4 1TL. Telephone: 01702 545771