Spokesman
King Edward’s School Newsletter
Winter 2013
The new sixth form centre
£5m modern languages
and science centre opens
A new £5m modern languages and science
centre, called the Andrew Brode Wing,
opened in September 2013.
The development which also incorporates a
new sixth form centre, has been substantially
funded by a donation from former pupil
Andrew Brode who is the Executive Chairman
of RWS Holdings and a keen linguist.
John Claughton, Chief Master, said: “The
gift given by Andrew Brode is of great scale
and significance and has enabled us to
create outstanding new facilities for science
and modern languages, including new
laboratories, new classrooms and a new
language laboratory. And there is a wonderful
new space for Sixth Form pupils, too.
“Languages are more important at King
Edward’s now than ever. Every boy takes at
least one modern language to IGCSE and,
since the introduction of the International
Baccalaureate, every boy continues to study
a language for two years in the Sixth Form.
The school also has an outstanding scientific
history with two Nobel Prize winners and the
great tradition continues: this year we have
seen the highest number of pupils ever to go
to read Medicine at Oxford or Cambridge.”
The modern languages and science centre
was officially opened on Wednesday,
16 October 2013 by Professor Martin Swales
Andrew Brode, Professor Swales and
John Claughton at the official opening
a former pupil and Emeritus Professor of
German at University College London.
Inside...
Music maestro honoured by Classic FM p8
King EDWARD’s SCHOOL
B I R M ING H A M
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School news
School news
KES
Outreach
Development &
OEA Office update
In October 2013, our 100th school
signed up to the outreach programme
and by November it had grown to 108.
It is clear that the word is getting out
among Birmingham’s primary schools
that we are keen to support them in
challenging their most able pupils, and
already this year we have held literacy,
chess, science, debating, drama, history
and classics events.
A brief word from...
Simon Singh (centre) and boys with their signed copies
The Chief Master
Simon Singh: The Simpsons
and Their Mathematical Secrets
After three years of teaching Theory
of Knowledge in the IB Diploma,
I now know one big thing: we might
pretend to be creatures of reason,
but we are, in fact creatures of
emotion. And that’s why passion
matters so much in schools.
We are not persuaded to study
a subject or play a sport by an
Aristotelian syllogism: we are inspired
by the passion of others and the thrill
of doing it. So, from the whirligig of this
term I’d like to pick on three moments
of inspiration and passion.
The first was at the opening of the
Andrew Brode Wing where Professor
Martin Swales spoke with humour and
intensity about his love of languages
and their value in this world. The
second was The Tolkien Lecture where
Simon Singh managed to convince
everyone, even the most sceptical
and least mathematical, that Maths
and The Simpsons were an irresistible
combination. The third was on a recent
windy Thursday lunchtime when Robbie
Ruisi played with such fire and such
delicacy that he reduced many of us
to tears.
Schools and school days can’t always
be about such moments, but without
such moments there would be no point
in schools like this.
Have you ever seen something for an
Bestselling author, Simon Singh, captivated
instant and the next moment it has
a full house in the Performing Arts Centre
vanished? Has this ever happened to
with these revelations. He explained how
you during The Simpsons with obscure
the producers of both The Simpsons and
combinations of numbers, symbols and
letters in the background? If you’ve ever
seen an episode of The Simpsons called
‘MoneyBart’, it should have.
Perhaps this is a one off occurrence; a single
editor’s joke? In fact, no! There are many
other highly mathematical references in The
Members of the 2013 telephone campaign team
The end of December marks the end of
our fundraising year and I am pleased to
report that 2013 has been one of our most
successful years yet.
Over £3 million has been raised, the majority
for Assisted Places, and as a result there are
currently 53 boys on Assisted Places in
the school.
The annual telephone campaign in the
summer raised £275,000 making it one of the
most successful alumni telephone campaigns
in the UK and 60% of those called pledged
to make a gift. The campaign team was made
up of 12 recent and current pupils, including
Tamir Ahmed-Choudhury, James Kuo,
Nick Porter, Alex Russell and Steven Yang.
During 2013 we also began fundraising for
the first ever ‘Leavers’ Assisted Place’
supported by parents whose sons left in the
summer. It has been a great success with
over £75,000 raised so far, enough to fund
an Assisted Place for a boy starting here
next year. Over one third of parents pledged
support and we are hoping to repeat the
initiative again next year.
had slipped a myriad of small mathematical
references into the shows.
With mathematical humour and freeze-frame
gags increasing both the comedic and ‘nerdic’
density of his talk, Singh brought accessible
Simpsons and its sister show Futurama, from
mathematical hilarity to all, for one night that I,
Narcissistic, Perfect and Taxicab Numbers to
as a mathematician, shall treasure forever.
supposed counter-examples to Fermat’s
Last Theorem.
Phil King reached the milestone of 40
years’ service to the school in October
2013 and enjoyed a tea-party in his honour
in the Chief Master’s study.
He is part of a dedicated eight-strong team of
Grounds Staff who have a total of 146 years’
experience looking after all things green.
Phil King (right) with Garry Watson cutting the
cake in the Chief Master’s study
school teachers into school to develop
their skills in teaching Level 6 literacy.
One participant said of the session:
“When I entered the grounds of King
Edward’s, I was immediately impressed
with the historic buildings and the
politeness of the boys who guided me
around. I thought that this type of school,
though impressive, was well out of our
children’s reach. After hearing from the
Chief Master, this notion had completely
changed and I was inspired to come
back to school and explain about the
opportunities your school could provide
for our children.
“My perceptions of King Edward’s
has changed and I hope some of our
children get the opportunity to come
to your school and see what amazing
experiences it has to offer.”
TJMA
Clement Chan
A milestone
Finally, if you have not already contacted us
and would be interested in offering careers
advice such as careers talks, mentoring
or work placements through our Careers
Network, contact Sue Dickens via:
[email protected] or tel: 0121 415 6050.
SML
Futurama were mathematicians and they
In November, we invited 100 primary
Garry Watson, who heads the team, said:
“Of the many unsung heroes here at KES Phil
must rank amongst the very highest. Over
the past 40 years Phil has proved himself
a most capable member of the team,
possessing the ability to turn his hand to all
aspects of the trade, whether planting a new
flower bed or preparing a cricket wicket on
south front.
“I would like to thank Phil for the support
he has shown to all the Ground Staff past
and present. Phil is presently contemplating
retirement and I know he will be sorely
missed by us all and an almost impossible
man to replace.”
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Academic news
4
Academic news
Theory of
Knowledge:
Dr Peter Vardy
Boys in front of the turbine blades of a Rolls Royce jet engine
Visit to the Manufacturing
Technology Centre
Euler lecture
A group of boys in the Sixths and Divisions visited one of the
world’s leading research centres for manufacturing in September.
A small but excited group of mathematicians left for the IMA
lectures on Tuesday 15 October. Ahead of us an exploration of
the life and work of Euler, one of the greatest mathematicians of
all time.
The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) represents one of the
largest public sector investments in manufacturing for many years and
is housed in a 12,000 square metre purpose built facility in Coventry. It
is a partnership between some of the UK’s major global manufacturers
and the universities of Birmingham, Nottingham and Loughborough,
and TWI Ltd, and provides a high-quality environment for the
development of cutting-edge technologies.
The boys, who all share an interest in Design and Technology and
Engineering, were allowed access to the workshop that houses
some of the impressive machinery and systems used in modern
manufacturing. Industry sectors including aerospace, automotive,
transport, healthcare, ICT, robotics, food production, defence
and marine all use the facility to further develop and improve their
manufacturing efficiency and capabilities.
PAB
On Monday 7 October the Sixth Form gathered in the Ruddock
Hall for our third Theory of Knowledge day. It was a privilege
to host Dr Vardy, who has given many lectures to boys taking
Philosophy or Religious Studies over the years, and for the
whole year group to be able to hear him.
In the first part of the morning Dr Vardy considered the problem of
knowledge through exploring the thinking of major philosophers
starting with Plato and Aristotle. He moved on to consider the
limits of reason and concluded the first session by considering
right and wrong.
Dr Vardy then considered the financial crisis and who was to blame
and what could be done to resolve it. He pointed out that Adam
Smith, the “father of modern economics” also wrote The Theory
of Moral Sentiments and that this book was always carried by
the last Chinese premier. The morning finished with a debate on
whether political assassination can ever be justified. After putting
forward arguments on both sides a lively debate ensued with many
contributions from the floor.
Dr Vardy impressed all who heard him with his energy and breadth of
knowledge. He clearly understood the Theory of Knowledge course,
able to relate what he said to past essay questions. However, it was
a lot for one morning so we hope to persuade him to come for the
whole day next year.
Prof Robin Wilson began his talk by outlining Euler’s early life in Basel
and his academic career which began at the age of 13 studying under
Johann Bernoulli. Euler first moved to St. Petersburg to work with
Bernoulli’s two sons, then to Berlin to Frederick the Great’s new
Academy where he wrote some of his greatest works, before
returning to St Petersburg.
TM
Prof Wilson detailed Euler’s many mathematical achievements and
his recognition as one of the greatest mathematicians in Europe. He
finished by explaining the extraordinary calculations Euler could do
with ease, and his ability to resolve mathematical disputes by doing
so, ending with the fact that he won the Paris Academy annual prize 12
times! A very interesting and informative talk, thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Two boys receive
prestigious scholarships
Felix Smith
In November, two boys in the Divisions were awarded prestigious
Arkwright Engineering Scholarships at a ceremony in London.
Alok Kumar and Xiaofan Zhang were presented with their Scholarships
by Jonathan Firth, Director of Operations & Projects at Virgin Galactic,
and met the organisations sponsoring their Scholarships, the University
of Birmingham and Network Rail respectively. The scholars will each
receive £600 to support them in their technical courses and have
access to mentoring and enrichment activities.
Record-breaking
GCSE results
In August 2013, boys in the Fifths achieved
the school’s best ever GCSE results. Boys
broke school records with the highest ever
percentage of A* grades at 67% (a 10%
increase on 2012 and 6% on the previous
2008 record), 89% A*-A and 97% of entries
resulted in A*-B grades. Out of a year
group of 126, 24 boys achieved 10 A*s and
a further 19 boys obtained 9 A*s.
The Chief Executive of the Arkwright Scholarships Trust, Dr Martin
Thomas, commented: “This year’s assessment process was
extremely tough. Any secondary school can become affiliated to enter
students, and this year we had 1,371 applicants competing for just
371 Scholarships. Alok and Xiaofan and all of our new Scholars have
absolutely phenomenal potential for future careers in the engineering
profession. Congratulations!”
PAB
Alok Kumar (above) and Xiaofan Zhang (below) with their sponsors
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Academic news
6
Academic news
Lord Mayor’s
Mega-Quiz 2013
National Maths
Summer School
German
Christmas
parcel
exchange
The KEStrels are presented with their prize by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Mike Leddy
The ‘KEStrels’ – a team of hand-picked chaps from our Divisions and Sixths – took flight
and winged its way to the far-distant land that is, well … just across the Edgbaston Park
Road, to the University of Birmingham to take part in the Lord Mayor’s Annual SixthForm Mega-Quiz.
With 40 teams from across the West Midlands, we tested our mettle in 10 rounds of questions
posed by celebrity quiz-master Mark ‘The Beast’ Labbett. Prior to the competition starting, each
school could choose one round to double its points in and KES took full advantage, choosing
the science round and scoring full marks.
This winter we decided to not only teach
our pupils what Christmas in Germany is
like, but also let them have the chance to
experience it.
Three German classes from the UMs and one
from the Fourths sent parcels to Germany,
which included traditional Christmas supplies
such as mistletoe, mince pies, chocolate,
christmas crackers and descriptions of a
typical Christmas Day with their families.
The KEStrels: Yanbo Yin (c), Clement Chan, Jonathan Gorard, Harrison Green, Richard Miller and
Patrick Wernham.
In return, their German exchange classes
will send a parcel with traditional German
Christmas items such as biscuits, decorations
and punch. We are really looking forward
to our pupils receiving a ‘small part’ of a
German Christmas.
TFC
AHE
After five rounds we were pipping KECHB’s ‘Beta’ team by one point, which stretched to three
and then four by the end of round nine. Holding out in a very difficult final round we emerged the
clear winners, beating the Vesey team by just three points and scoring 88 out of a possible 110.
17th National Open
Art Competition
Oliver Ridgley is the first student from KES to have work
accepted for the National Open Art Competition. His artwork, an
etching titled Kenilworth Castle, was exhibited in October at The
Royal College of Art, London and is currently on display with
the prize winners at the Minerva Gallery in Chichester.
Oliver Ridgley’s artwork titled Kenilworth Castle
The victorious 1st team
Schools’ Challenge 2013-4:
Regional Competition
On a Thursday in late November, the regional stage of this national competition took place
at KES. 13 teams from seven schools in the ‘South’ Midlands turned up to try to wrest the
Regional title from our sticky paws… and failed yet again.
Three KES teams participated in the knock-out competition. Our 2nd and 3rd teams sadly fell at the
first round stage in what turned out to be a strong field of teams, but our 1st team won all the way
and met our old enemy, Queen Mary’s GS, Walsall, in the final. In a reasonably close match, KES
took an early lead and held on to it, pulling away at the end to win the night and the title by 550
points to 380.
The victorious 1st team comprised Patrick Wernham, Yanbo Yin (c), Alex Pett and Alex Jarvis.
They were supported (and pushed for their places) by our 2nds: Nick Wyatt, Josh Kimblin,
Howard Kordan and Aloysius Lip and our 3rds: Alex Fung, Phil Holt, Si-Woo Kim and Nirad Abrol.
TFC
Senior Team Maths Challenge
soundly beating Warwick School and
Solihull School into second and third
Nathen Chung
the knowledge that we would no doubt
Mohammad Hasan, Clement Chan and
receive knighthoods for our exploits so
I, coached by Mrs Gardiner, had high
far, we powered through the third and final
Senior Team Maths Challenge.
With 14 of the best schools in the West
Midlands represented, and only one place
in the national final up for grabs, it was
always going to be a tall order to qualify.
The first round passed without incident, but
then in the second round, the crossnumber,
history was made. Zero marks dropped:
the perfect crossnumber. Spurred on by
The aim was to expand our mathematical
experience beyond the school
curricula and to socialise with other
mathematically able students. We
attended daily maths sessions, on topics
such as conic sections, combinatorics
and the pigeonhole principle; a masterclass on countability; and spent hours
building massive bridges with Zome kits
and playing ‘Mafia’.
We were split into six groups, each
named after a famous mathematician.
Our group, the Cantorians, battled the
others for points in academic activities,
such as maths relays, quizzes and
Olympiad-esque questions, but also in
those designed to show our aptitude in a
bowling alley and on stage. We didn’t win
overall… but it’s the experience of taking
part that counts. Isn’t it?
The senior maths team of Arron Dhesi,
hopes going into the regional final of the
During the summer holidays I attended
a week-long UKMT 2013 National
Maths Summer School at Woodhouse
Grove School, near Leeds with around
40 other students who were invited
based on high marks scored in the
Intermediate Maths Olympiad.
round, brushing aside all of the questions
thrown at us.
The final results revealed we had won,
places respectively. We now have our
sights firmly fixed on the national final
in February.
Harrison Green
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8
Performing arts
Performing arts
Magnificent Butterflies
Emerge: The Chrysalids
Music maestro
honoured by
Classic FM
Peter Bridle, who has taught music at
King Edward’s for 38 years, was presented
with the Lifetime Achievement Award at
the Classic FM Music Teacher of the Year
Awards at the Royal Albert Hall
in November.
The Chrysalids
One of the great joys about working at KES
post-apocalyptic landscape of David
is that we have the enormous privilege,
Harrower’s adaptation of John Wyndham’s
day in, day out, of working with bright,
classic novel, we explored prejudice, violence
engaged, generous and energetic young
and the enduring power of friendship.
people. They approach everything with so
There were some stunning individual
much willingness and gusto that, at times,
it does the soul good to just sit back for a
moment and take it all in. Working on this
performances but this remained firmly an
ensemble piece throughout. Huge thanks
go to Stage Crew, for our magnificent set,
year’s Junior Production of The Chrysalids
lighting and costume and to the Front
has certainly given me chance to do this.
of House team, who took on, with much
For three nights, from 27 to 29 November, this
joint KES/KEHS cast gave their audiences
a thought-provoking play, performed with a
maturity beyond their years. In the blasted,
flair, their role of starting the audiences’
experience from the minute they entered
the Performing Arts Centre.
GJB
The judges commented: “Peter has made
an outstanding contribution to music over
the past 46 years. He is deeply involved
in music making with young people in the
West Midlands, as a teacher, conductor,
musical director, accompanist and violinist.
His incredibly high standard of teaching is
a testament to his dedication to each and
every student, and his personal commitment
to music. We warmly congratulate him on his
achievements and thank him for all that he
has done for music education.”
On receiving his award Peter commented:
“I have always felt extremely lucky and
very privileged to teach music to so many
talented young students in Birmingham.
To receive recognition of my work from the
students themselves and Classic FM is quite
overwhelming. I would like to thank them all
and encourage them to continue with their
music making and pass the enjoyment of
listening and performing music onto their
own children and grandchildren, when that
time comes!”
Chamber orchestra performing in the cathedral in Chuisi
Orchestra
hits all the
right notes
in Italy
The Chamber Orchestra delighted
Siena, Assisi, Cortona, Orvieto, Pienza
audiences on a tour of Italy during the
and Motepulciano.
half term break under the leadership
of Peter Bridle.
John Claughton, Chief Master, said: “This
trip has been an unforgettable experience
16 boys from UMs to Sixths entertained large
for all the boys, staff and audiences. I know
audiences in three concerts across Tuscany
because I was there too. The quality of
in unusual venues, a cathedral in Chiusi, a
the music was truly exceptional: Robbie
theatre in Citta della Pieve, and a sanctuary
and Adam are two of the very best young
church in Mongiovino, near Perugia.
musicians in this country and the whole
The programme included pieces by Mozart,
chamber orchestra played beautifully. All
Marcello, Grieg and Rachmaninov and
of this is made possible by the brilliance of
involved solos by two boys who are members
Peter Bridle as the conductor who has set
of the National Youth Orchestra, Robbie Ruisi
amazing standards of musicianship in this
(violin) and Adam Phillips (oboe). The tour
school for 38 years. And we also had plenty
party also had the opportunity to visit
of time to see some beautiful places.”
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10
Extra-curricular
Extra-curricular
RAF Competition
Print workshop weekend
Please release
me let me go!!!
Early this term, several boys from the Fourths to Sixth Form
took part in a print workshop weekend. The artist, John
Howard, gave us an educational but extremely fun experience.
As a group we produced a wide range of designs including intricate
ships, carefully designed human bodies, highly detailed buildings
and scenery, and even Iron Man. By the Sunday lunchtime, we
had all completed our black and white final prints and begun to
create colour prints. The results were high quality prints which
look outstanding. We all learnt something from the weekend from
complex to basics and working with an experienced artist was a
great chance for us all.
The RAF section ‘fall out’!
Michael Fernandes and Joseph Tedd
The Crew: Josh Boulton, David Clegg OE, Tim Jones, Jake Mitchell and Joe Tedd
Model United
Nations Conference
The Model United Nations Society (MUN) aims to simulate the
real United Nations, by tackling the global problems it has to
face and coming up with solutions.
The delegations we were selected to represent at the Cheadle
Hulme conference were South Korea, for which I was ambassador,
and Turkey, which was led by Tom Barrett. Saturday was the main
day of debating; where we put to the test the resolutions we
had written in the weeks before. The day was filled with arguing,
motions and discussions between the delegates, and occasionally
agreements were met over issues.
At the closing ceremony, the time finally came to see whether our
hard work had paid off, and we actually did very well! We won four
individual awards: Sol Rosier and Tom Barrett were ‘Commended’
and Yanbo Yin and Josh Kimblin were awarded ‘Outstanding
Delegate’. As this was my last conference I was proud to collect
the award for ‘Highly Commended Delegation’, an award that KES
has never received before, leading to a great conclusion to my
MUN career at KES.
Imran Zaidi
You couldn’t hit
a barn door at
this distance!
Oh yes we can! Knocking holes in a barn door gives infinite
pleasure, especially if it wins you a prize. The competition was
the ‘Clash of the Catapults’ at History Live!, the major national
re-enactment festival organised by English Heritage at Kelmarsh.
The Living History Group competed with ‘Elizabeth’, our biggest
trebuchet, against the siege machines from four other re-enactment
companies. They included the highly experienced and respected Ermine
Street Guard who brought into action their fearsome onager and lent us
the concrete ball that won us the prize.
We won by acclamation and accuracy in front of a packed audience
of several thousand, smashing satisfyingly large holes in a barn door
at a hundred yards. The scratch, if not quite skeleton crew, impressed
everyone with their efficiency and professionalism and proved that
whatever ‘grown ups’ can do we can do just as well if not better!
JPD
Kind Edward’s School CCF RAF has made
quite a name for itself as a leading section
in the western area, and in the country.
With this in mind, hopes were high entering
this year’s RAF Western Area Competition
with an experienced team looking to seize
the title from the shame of 2nd place last year.
Having run the team independent of officer
organisation, the NCOs and cadets were
eager to make sure that our efforts paid off.
The day was intense(ish), consisting of
many disciplines for which we took weeks
of preparation – fitness, first aid, aircraft
recognition, digital range shooting, RAF
knowledge, command task, and the ever
beloved uniform and drill. Our team took to
every discipline with full vigour, determined
to prove our worth against 11 other
competing sections.
KES
Amnesty
Society
Despite the painstakingly long wait for the
results, high scores were achieved in every
discipline with first places in first aid, aircraft
recognition, and RAF knowledge, with Sgt
Adam Phillips, who led the latter two events,
getting the highest overall score on the
knowledge test. However, the best news
was yet to come as we were placed 1st in
the competition and will be advancing to
RAF Halton for the national Air Squadron
Trophy competition.
Congratulations to everyone in the team
who once again proved that our section is a
force to be reckoned with. Many thanks also
to Flt Lts Howard and McMullan for
their support and guidance.
Sgt Rohan Jain
Now the re-enactment season is over it’s
time to get busy. For the last few weeks
we have been preparing for our Christmas
feast and perhaps less festively honing our
martial skills.
Three consecutive Sundays have seen some
30 members of the Living History Group, of
all ages, practising their skill-at-arms and
archery under the expert tutelage of Mark
Vance and Stewart Willis.
Practising with longsword, dagger and even
unarmed, the boys and girls have cut, parried,
elbowed, shoved, twisted, slashed, gouged
and diced their opponents from 11.00am til
5.00pm, fortunately without injury but with
great zeal and unnerving enthusiasm. I am
sure this bodes well for 2014, for us if not for
our enemies.
I am also pleased to report that we have
been elected as members of the National
Association of Re-enactment Societies,
although it did take a lot of explaining as
there is no precedent for our existence!
JPD
KES Amnesty Society has made no slow
increasingly dubious human rights record
start in our weekly meetings, with a variety
of Vladimir Putin.
of pupil-led talks and debates on human
We have also kept up our tirade of letters
rights issues of today.
Highlights have included Ayush Prasad on
oil spills in Nigeria, Jack Walton on the
Iranian political prisoner Hossein Ronaghi
Maleki, and Patrick Wernham on the
of appeal to officials, as well as sending
solidarity messages to victims of human
rights abuses worldwide. Long may this
current period of productiveness continue.
Tom Barrett
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12
Trips
Trips
Birdwatching in the hide
KES Wildlife:
East Anglia
Boys from the Rems and UMs visited
East Anglia on expeditions weekend
at the start of the autumn term.
Iceland
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge
In October half term a group of Fourths and Fifths set out to see the wonders of the land of
snow and ice, Iceland.
Art superheroes in Berlin
Berlin
The full magnificence of this trip simply
surprise: an utterly bizarre theatre trip to
cannot be conveyed in such a brief space,
see an operatic German interpretation of
such was the jam-packed nature of the
A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
itinerary. The sheer range of museums,
monuments and memorials truly inundated
our experience with German culture.
One of the most notable aspects was the
night-time tour around the Reichstag, seeing
first hand Norman Foster’s exquisite rooftop
dome, allowing us to gaze upon the very
heart of the country’s governmental system
as well as affording views across the whole of
Berlin. Perhaps the most culturally saturated
experience was Brad’s Saturday evening
Olly’s excellent ‘Classical Column Quiz’
provided a level of entertainment previously
unknown to school trips, encouraging the
appreciation of Albert Speer’s neoclassical
influence on the architecture of Berlin.
Congratulations to Max Levell, an amateur
column-spotter and new to the sport, who
secured first place in the quiz, thus winning
the prestigious Column Spotting prize.
Oliver Ridgley, Amar Sall and Will Pardoe
We visited the island of Heimaey, where we set off up the volcano, first stopping at the lava fields
before continuing to the top where our two team leaders, Miss Jones and Miss Leavers, found
‘hot rocks’ which are still hot from its eruption over 40 years ago! Then we found a spot where a
previous expedition had dug into the volcano. I was very sceptical about how hot the hole would
be; however I can now say that it is like putting your hand into a hot oven.
The next day, we went to see the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and found a rift big enough for all the students
on the trip to stand in. Afterwards we went to Geysir and watched it erupt in spires of boiling water.
We then went to Gullfoss the golden waterfall and saw the immense power of hydraulic action, as
the water was still reaching us even though we were at least 100m above the falls, and finally we
went for a soak in the Blue Lagoon.
We started off our last full day in Iceland with a visit to Skogafoss, another waterfall which was
created by the glacial uplift after the last ice age. Afterwards, we went to the visitor centre of the
Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull that erupted in 2010 and then carried on to the glacier where
we went on a guided tour. On our final day we visited Reykjavik and saw the town hall and the
cathedral and enjoyed some free time to explore the capital before heading home.
Iceland, the land without forests and when we went, the land without snow! But lots to see and
admire and plenty of opportunity to breathe in the geography and enjoy the local food!
Oisin Robinson
We started in the ‘brecks’ and were in
the hide at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s
Weeting Heath reserve in time to watch
the gambolling rabbits and patrolling
bats as the sun set. Unexpectedly
(as the trust thought they had already
migrated) Stone Curlews started to call.
Saturday started with a full English
breakfast before we made our way to
Minsmere, one of the RSPB’s premier
reserves. The group spent the morning
walking a circuit out along the sea
front and then back through the marsh
where the Marsh Mallow was in flower.
A variety of ducks, waders and herons
were on show from the hides. Large
numbers of photogenic dragonflies
were on the wing pursued in turn by
the Hobby.
In the afternoon we concentrated on the
reedbeds. Marsh Harriers cruised low,
Egrets fished the waters and a Water
Shrew busied itself on the mud beneath
the boardwalk. Finally, Altay Gardiner
alerted a grateful public, patiently
waiting in the hide, to an incoming
Bittern in time for everyone to get
excellent views. Thanks to SEL for
giving his time and expertise.
JP
13
14
Sport
Sport
Water Polo U18 English
School’s Match Assessments
The U13 Water polo team
The
President’s
Trophy
The U15 water polo team with triple Olympic Gold Medallist Peter Biros in Hungary
There and back again
On Friday, 25 October 2013 the U15 Water Polo squad set off on a
journey to Eger in Hungary, accompanied by our Director of Sport,
Mr Johnson, water polo coach Phil Powell, and George Sadler from
the Divisions who acted as our assistant coach and ‘extra player’.
Eger is a spectacular spa city and its Water Polo Club currently holds
the national champion status in both Men’s Senior and Under 18 age
groups. Founded in 1910, the Club has become particularly prestigious
in recent years, winning the national senior championship in 2011 as
well as having five club players in the current national team. The pool
we trained in most during our tour was also 100 years old; a particularly
fascinating 50m swimming and water polo pool with natural thermal
spring water filtering through a pebble floor.
During our time in Eger the squad spent over 20 hours in three Olympic
standard pools. We endured four hard training sessions with our
coaches and survived six competitive matches, resulting in four wins
and two losses against various teams from the local club. We also
met Peter Biros, a player from the Eger Men’s team, a former world
champion and three-time Olympic Gold Medallist, on a couple of
occasions during our travels. Some day we hope that Peter and his
team might be as good as us!
We also enjoyed many social activities including an afternoon in the
thermal spa pools, a Hungarian language lesson and spectating at three
national championship matches. We visited the Eger Sports Museum
where we saw many important and interesting sporting artefacts.
On the last day we ventured into Budapest and visited Buda Castle,
the Hungarian Houses of Parliament, St. Stephen’s Cathedral and
Heroes Square.
The U15 team is very grateful to the school staff who made this
wonderful trip possible, to Eger Water Polo Club for hosting us and
to one another – a group of players who each contributed to such an
enjoyable tour. A 2014 repeat visit to Hungary has already been quietly
suggested and we are poised to sign up!
Matt Madden
George Sadler
Our first game against Stowe was a typical slow KES start, the
first half ending 1-0 with Matt Madden’s solitary goal being the only
highlight. The second half was a different story with George Sadler
taking the forefront after recovering from a self-inflicted nose bleed
in the first half, resulting in a comfortable 6-0 victory.
Going into the next game we knew defeat would result in another
appearance in the Plate Competition, not something we wanted to
do again. The fantastic end result: 10-1 clearly indicates how, through
simple play and self-belief, we can comfortably beat any team we put
our mind to. A special mention to Angus Crombie, without whom we
would have conceded more than one goal.
Manchester was our final game and safe in the knowledge we would
be progressing to the next round, we were not deterred against this
notoriously good team. A great start ensued and KES took an early lead
with Matt Madden placing an excellent top corner shot. The first half
was closely fought with solid performances from Peter Shipway, Josh
Gain and Tom Garfield. However, Manchester’s fitness was evident in the
second half and despite Angus Crombie’s heroic attempts to stop oneon-one shots, Manchester secured a 7-4 win. Despite being plagued by
injury, overall this was a great first performance of the year and I have
every hope for the coming matches.
Harry Divall
Tennis
Following a 6-0 victory against QEGS Ashbourne, we have
reached the quarter-finals of the Aegon school’s national
championships for the sixth time in a row. The team was
Ying Hou, Declan Bradley, Rayan De and Yousuf Ali.
The President’s Trophy tournament
at Bolton School, provided another
super afternoon of water polo for
the U13 team. With not much match
practise under their belts this was
a big opportunity to put their
training into action and improve
their match skills, which they did
match after match.
Five top northern and midland schools
turned up this year making it more
exciting. Everyone plays everyone in the
opening games, our first match against
the home team was hard but positive
as all the boys started to play as a
team, finishing KES 1-5 Bolton. Next
Warwick which was a very even game,
a few missed opportunities, but we
held for a 2-2 draw. We turned a corner
against Kings Grantham and with good
team work won 4-1. In our last opening
against St. Bedes, Ben Coward, our top
scorer at the end of the day, put some
great goals away resulting in a 5-2 win.
The U14A rugby team
Greater
Birmingham
Tournament
Water Polo
U16 first
round match
report
The U14A rugby team finished a very
pleasing 2nd in the Greater Birmingham
Tournament on 12 November 2013,
improving on their 3rd place finish last
year. We overcame a strong group
including last year’s winners Bishop
Vesey’s to face a very strong KE Five
Ways in the final, narrowly losing 12-0.
The first match was against Bedford,
a reasonably good team, however we
worked together well and came out
of the pool with a 12-0 victory.
Next we played the hosts, Stowe, winning
12-1.The final match of the first round against
King’s Grantham was by far the most difficult
but solid performances from Matt Madden
and Gugs Vecchio resulted in a 4-0 victory
and going through to the second round first
in our group.
Tom Garfield
In the play-offs for the final we met
Kings Grantham. The whole team played
strongly, especially Declan Bradley and
Joe Taylor excelling in defence, ending
in a convincing 4-1 win. So to the final
against Bolton, a repeat of last year.
It was far more evenly matched than
our opening game and the team put in
a huge effort but we just missed out,
losing 2-3. Runners-up, a silver medal
and a great performance by all.
Badminton
On Tuesday, 22 October a mixed KES /
KEHS U18 badminton team played against
North Warwickshire & Hinkley College in
the first round of the British Colleges Cup.
The King Edward’s team won 10-0 and now
progress to the second round.
HAB
The U18 mixed badminton team
15
Sport
16
Jake Litchfield in the U12 Tournament
Hockey
success
Hockey has made an amazing start
to the season.
The U13 cricket team
Under 13 cricket team
win County Cup
The first week of the new school year was greeted by lovely summer weather. Until Friday,
the date of the Under 13 cricket team’s County Cup Final, when it rained. Fortunately, it
eased by lunchtime and a thirty-overs-a-side match started at 2.30pm at Eastern Road.
KES were put in to bat by Solihull and managed 114 all out in the thirtieth over. Having been
70-1, we should have scored more, but after a good start from the captain, Adam Hussain,
Ajeet Bhambra and Tanay Kulkarni, the rest of the batsmen failed to add significantly. However,
as we had bowled Solihull out for 81 earlier in the season, we hoped it would be enough.
Solihull started steadily but good tight bowling kept the run rate down and wickets fell at regular
intervals. At 67-5, KES were favourites but Solihull still had a chance. Then five wickets fell for no
runs and KES won by 47 runs.
Credit must go to the captain, Adam Hussain, who managed his bowling attack adeptly and set
good fields. The fielders made it difficult for the batsmen to score and Oscar Lyttle held two good
catches. Felix Abbot Black bowled well and deserved more than his one wicket. Alex Bartley was
the most successful bowler with three wickets, and Tanay Kulkarni, Jujhar Bhambra and Oscar
Lyttle also bowled well and picked up wickets. Overall, it was an excellent team performance
and KES were winners of the Leslie Fellows Cup for the second year in a row.
TM
The 1st XI have made significant
progress and currently sit top of the
Warwickshire League. Both the U15
and U14 A teams are competing for the
title ‘team of the term’. Both teams are
unbeaten, with perhaps the U15 team
edging the battle with the stats played
10, won 10, scored 63, conceded 1.
Clearly the team is benefiting from being
coached by Olympic hockey player,
James Fair.
The U12 hockey players have made
their debuts in the KES colours and they
clearly have potential to continue the
success of King Edward’s hockey.
MEJ
A special thanks to Chris
Boardman and David Ash whose
photographs appear throughout
this edition.
www.kes.org.uk
King Edward’s School, Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham B15 2UA
Tel: 0121 472 1672 Fax: 0121 415 4327 Email: [email protected]
B I R M ING H A M
Registered Charity No. 529051
King EDWARD’s SCHOOL
B I R M ING H A M