Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope that this finds you safe and well wherever you may be. So much happened last term that the holidays must have felt very welcome for everyone. I hope that these few weeks have provided time for rest and relaxation, as well as time with loved ones.
Since the beginning of the calendar year so much has happened. To help capture all that has been achieved so far, we created a video montage as a visual roundup of the scale and scope of what has been taking place. Together, with the co-curricular reports, this is an impressive view of school life. I would like to thank all staff for all that they do to support the pupils.
In addition, we awarded colours in recognition of the effort and achievement of the individual pupils and teams.
We also named and appointed the pupil leadership team as we applauded School Prefects and Heads of House. It is an opportune moment to note heartfelt appreciation for the work of the current Heads of School, Ben and Koko, and their excellent team of Prefects. Ambassadors, monitors, spokespeople, guides and mentors, the role of the senior pupils is valuable for the smooth running of the school and shaping the ethos of kindness, service and duty.
Addressing the School, I have focused on our maxim of ‘United by Diversity’, emphasising our distinctive character of King Edward’s and the value we place on acceptance and belonging. This theme featured in a House chapel. Our pupils excel in speaking out with authenticity and eloquence. There have been many occasions when pupils have written and delivered their own talks in chapel, raising awareness of eco-challenge, World Book Day or the Charity Committee.
Of greatest poignancy was the pupil-led vigil for those in Ukraine. Lighting candles together were pupils from Russia and from Ukraine: King Edward’s Witley is their safe space where friendship and freedom to be themselves remains intact. However, we are aware that the pupils, though calm here in the beautiful Surrey Hills, are not protected from the horrors of destruction and demolition. Some of our pupils’ have had to manage the anxiety of separation, uncertainty of being out of contact with family, and seeing images of destruction of places they know and love, including their homes.
So many of our pupils are supportive of each other, quick to praise and are generous in team spirit. Occasionally, pupils push or break boundaries and when this happens, we aim to be firm and clear in our response. To work proactively, we ask parents to keep in good touch with the School about any concerns or worries that you may have.
Staff News
Mrs Janet Todd bid us a farewell at the end of term and now together with her husband Mr Stuart Todd plans to enjoy retirement. Mrs Todd has taught in the MFL Department, was Tudor Matron, an evening and weekend tutor, spent a term teaching in the Home Economics Department covering maternity leave, and spent six years as Ridley Matron before finishing her long career in the Exams Office. She has run the exam sessions with precision and meticulous attention to detail which, in normal times, is no mean feat. However, in these last two years of changing assessments and unruly regulations, Mrs Todd, aided skilfully by Mr Todd, has been amazing in navigating candidates and colleagues through the complexities of Exam Board requirements. We wish Mrs Todd a long and happy retirement with Mr Todd, former Housemaster and Exams Officer. We hope to keep in good contact as they may visit and help us, whether in the exam hall or on the cricket square!
Mrs Fiona Fitch has been appointed Head of Girls’ Games. This has been a great season for sport and Mrs Fitch has enabled the girls’ and boys’ performance to go from strength to strength.
We are sorry that Mrs Caroline Shouksmith will be leaving at the end of the academic year to go to Kenya where she will embark on a new and exciting venture as Head of Art at St Andrew’s.
Wakefield House will be saying goodbye to Mr Angus Macmillan and his family at the end of the Summer Term. He heads off for Culford School to become Head of DT, he leaves alongside a fantastic Upper Sixth Form year group.
Mrs Harris Jones will also be leaving with her family to take on the role of Head of Futures and Housemistress at Hereford Cathedral School.
We thank them all for all that they have contributed to the life of the School.
As we look ahead, we will welcome Mr Roddy Laughton who joins us from Guildford High School where he currently teaches Art, is a Housemaster and leads Duke of Edinburgh.
Now that Easter approaches, we look ahead to the Summer Term, knowing that we will continue to be busy and purposeful with many, many activities and events planned for pupils, staff and parents. All of these are planned alongside the lessons in the classroom and contribute to the all-round programme of purposeful learning that we offer. If you have not yet experienced a Summer Term at King Edward’s, please know how I empathise. This is the first ‘normal’ term that I too will have experienced since joining, so I look forward to all that we are going to do together as a School this summer as we hope to run a normal programme of activities and end of year events.
To all families, I hope that you enjoy a happy Easter weekend.
Joanna
Head
Another excellent term of sport, it has been fantastic to have played a full fixture programme without the interference of Covid. It has been a season of new beginnings with both Boys Rugby and Girls Football taking place alongside the traditional core sports. We hope that this will be the start of full programmes in both of these sports as we progress through the upcoming years.
Team Sports
Boys Hockey
Hockey went from strength to strength and it was brilliant to see how enthused the boys were training and playing. The progress made was superb with some quality hockey being played.
The A team performed well in the U12 age group playing predominantly against U13 sides. Joe Swift was the outstanding player leading the team with great competency. Regular goal scorers were Jesse Nwanang, Dexter Rich and Joe. At the other end of the pitch, Cameron Hermiston was calm and composed in defence, goal keeping duties were shared between Rupert Butler and Harry Smith. The B team showed the biggest improvement with many players never having played hockey before. James Bevan and Noah Johnson both stood out in their determination and energy all over the pitch.
It was exciting to watch the U13A side who scored 21 goals this term in only 9 games. Will Cook, Oscar Perkins and James Nott were the stand out players, scoring some excellent goals and showing great resilience and determination. Bobby Drury made the most improvement in defence with his excellent eye for a tackle. The 13B team had a strong term with a solid win ratio of 63%. Owen Angell’s non-stop energy up front, Max Holden’s skills in midfield and Lachlan Ranson and Will Craggs’ defending were all a delight to observe, this could be the team to watch in the future. It was great to field an enthusiastic U13C team with Archie Penton-Stewart, Jed Olaose-Tienikan and Ben Wright at the heart of the team.
The U15’s had a very successful term of hockey amassing over 50 goals between them. This included the 3rd Form players who took gold at the Hampshire Trophy for the first time in the School’s history. It was great to see Cade Tierney and Lewis Hannon perform so superbly this year. Conceding just 6 goals, the joint goal keepers Louis Vacula-Ashton and Tom Vautier, were impressive alongside a strong defensive line including Elias Savage, Michael Swayne and Henry Perkins. The team was captained by Ollie Fitch who led by example and demonstrated some excellent distribution skills. The U15B side were a delight to watch, helped by Jack Berry and Johnny Fleming’s performances and Oli James in goal. Henry Allen and Ben Tobias worked tirelessly with goals scored by Freddie Alexander and Oli Bain. The team made great progress. The C team had a mixed season against some tough sides but their resilience and determination was impressive especially when the came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 against PGS. The whole squad were excellent but a special mention must go to Luke Frampton, Nate Hurles, Umayer Hashem and Will Lindsay for their hard work and sportsmanship.
The Seniors struggled with availability and consistency due to external commitments and Covid which enabled several U15’s to step up and enjoy the honour of 1st Team duties. Congratulations go to Ollie Fitch, Michael Swayne, Henry Perkins, Monty Wheals, Oli James, Jordan Njipap and Cade Tierney. Tom Maybury was top scorer and Harry Peterson’s superb saves meant some very respectable score lines against strong opponents. Tom Clarke captained the side with great composure and commitment on and off the pitch resulting in the boys, namely Oli Glasspool and Jack Eccles, progressing well. This term also saw the start of the mixed senior XI fixtures which were all successful. It is an area we are looking to develop.
Girls Netball
The girls netball sides had the strongest season of win rates across all teams this year amassing 66%.
In the U12 age group, the A team have had a particularly strong season and look to be the team to watch as they progress through the school. Heidi Klein and Jocelyn Earl worked together as centre and goal shooter to score some excellent goals. Overall, they played 9 games, winning 8 of them and drawing the other while amassing 145 points and conceding only 38. The B side also competed brilliantly and won all but one games, with Lily Purcell proving to be an excellent goal shooter.
The U13A side had a mixed season with some comprehensive victories. Their highlight was the winning of every game in the Lord Wandsworth College tournament. Working well April Klein as goal shooter and Robyn Kersey developing well as a centre. Additionally, there were some strong development by Rose Redman, Sophie Archibald and Molly Marsden throughout the season. Martha Lawlor was regularly voted player of the match by the opposition for her excellent efforts and ability as a goal defence.
At the U15 level, we managed an A, B and C team with our A side arguably being the strongest side in the School. Considering many of the players are 3rd Form, it is a great achievement. They also managed to win all but one of their games with their only defeat being by one-point against a ‘Seniors’ side. A notable scalp was the Charterhouse defeat by U15A where we played the best netball of the season taking a 27-16 victory over the highly confident opposition. The team scored a total of 199 points in just 8 games demonstrating the shooting capabilities of Phoebe Paterson and Sarah Ransom. Defensively, Lillie Abbott showed fantastic stability and thwarted the many attacks. Bernice Onojeide made such a difference in tight matches with her continued progression in the number of interceptions. The B side had a mixed season, scoring many goals but also conceding a few too many against some top level B teams. The development of Emily Bensley has been a real highlight, she should aim to be the regular Senior team goal shooter from next season. Developing rapidly throughout the season, Jess Combes is well placed in the A team place next season. The C team started the season with 2 defeats and a draw. However their team spirit and camaraderie, alongside hard work in training, meant they proceeded to win their remaining fixtures often by huge score lines, such as 25-3 victory over the Charterhouse C team.
The Seniors also had a very good season with 6 victories from 8 games. Sibel Oztas led both on and off the court ensuring the girls knew that only the highest of standards would suffice. Abby Paterson was as dependable as ever with her shooting and Sophia Mbikina developed defensively over every game.
Girls Football
The term saw the introduction of girls football as a core sport alongside their netball season. The undoubted highlight of the term was the Belmont School Girls 5 a side tournament this year. In the group stage, only finishing top of the table would result in progression to the Cup knockout. Having won the first game comprehensively the decider was a ‘winner takes all’ match against Box Hill who had progressed to the final stage. In a tense game we snatched a goal taking the lead. Heidi Klein performed magnificently alongside April Klein and Lily Purcell all of whom defended superbly to ensure we topped the group. Penny Frampton contributed tremendously to the defensive effort.
It was a bit of a canter from then on as we defeated the winners of both groups, Belmont School and Duke of Kent, by comfortable margins to become the overall champions of the tournament. Robyn Kersey scored four goals, ably assisted by the brilliant Jocelyn Earl and Nora Arrillaga Gabirondo who also managed to score a goal each.
The U14 fixtures included very large numbers of our U13/U12 sides. The highlight of the season was the first 11 a-side game against Lord Wandsworth College. We started slowly and were 1-0 down after just two minutes it looked like a heavy defeat ahead. However, the team demonstrated resilience and quality in abundance against the older group of girls Bernice Onojeide went onto score a hat-trick celebrating wildly after each goal! Phoebe Paterson made a couple of crucial goal keeping saves keeping us ahead for most of the game. The girls managed the game brilliantly, passing the ball intricately and leading us to a 4-2 victory. 1st Form player Jocelyn Earl breezed past four or five players to tuck home a fourth goal resulting in the deflation of the Lord Wandsworth side .
Boys Rugby
This term has marked the first foray by King Edward’s into a coordinated Rugby programme under the tutelage of Reverent Radcliffe and Mr Andrade. We hope that this is the start of the development of Rugby as a major sport at the School over the coming years. We have been fielding an U13 7’s team as well as U15 sides in 7’s and 10’s Rugby.
Our U15’s started off brilliantly taking on Downsend School firstly and, despite the team being made up almost entirely of U14 players, won the game with relative ease thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of all the players involved. We then entered the Embley School 7’s tournament playing against some traditional Rugby schools. Winning some games comfortably we also lost to a couple of very established schools which has now provided the benchmark to aspire to next season. Out of 9 schools, we finished in 4th place which is a great achievement for our first ever entry into a reputable competition. Johnny Fleming and Freddie Marren have been players of note throughout the season.
Similarly, our U13 side entered a 7’s competition at Boundary Oak School, and on a busy day of fixtures won many but lost some. Several of the boys were completely new to rugby so to win a large volume of their games is a great achievement. Brandon Obiozo has taken to rugby very well considering he was a complete beginner at the start of the season.
Mixed Swimming
Our swimming programmes continues to improve each term under the expert guidance of Mrs Meyer. Early in the term we were invited to participate in an U13 gala, hosted by Barrow Hills, which took place in our own pool.
The girls side included Rose Redman who swam a brilliant backstroke, Heidi Klein and Sophie Archibald were also terrific. The boys were equally successful, notably Owen Angell who won all of his races by a huge distance as well as Harrison Fleming and Harry Hastie who won their races in a similar fashion. Adding Will Craggs into the relay side meant they cantered to victory in the final race to win the entire event by a huge margin. Well done to all swimmers.
Interhouse Results
| Event | Winner |
| Girls Netball – Seniors | Tudor |
| Boys Hockey – QMH | Bowen |
| Boys Hockey – Inters | Grafton |
| Boys Hockey – Seniors | Wakefield |
| Cross Country – Boys | Ridley |
| Cross Country – Girls | Elizabeth |
| Boys Basketball – Inters | Wakefield |
| Boys Basketball – Seniors | Edward |
Team Awards and Colours
Girls Netball
| Age Group | MIP | MVP |
| U12A | Heidi Klein | Amelia Powell |
| U12B | Isla Cathro | Lily Purcell |
| U13A | Martha Lawlor | Molly Marsden |
| U15A | Sarah Ransom | Phoebe Paterson |
| U15B | Emily Bensley | Nora Arrillaga Gabirondo |
| U15C | Alia Harris | Carol Yiu |
| 1st Team | Fleur Marren | Sophia Mbikina |
Half Colours
| QMH | Inters | Seniors |
| Jocelyn Earl
Heidi Klein Ruby Wilson April Klein Robyn Kersey Martha Lawlor |
Phoebe Paterson
Tilly Vautier Bernice Onojeide Zoe Rinaldi Phoebe Wilson
|
Yoon-Jee Nam
Abbie Paterson Fleur Marren |
Full Colours
| Inters | Seniors |
| Lillie Abbott
Sarah Ransom |
Sibel Oztas |
Boys Hockey
| Age Group | MIP | MVP |
| U12A | Joe Swift | Dexter Rich |
| U12B | Noah Johnson | James Bevan |
| U13A | Will Cook | Bobby Drury |
| U13B | Owen Angell | Jackson Ciesla |
| U15A | Ollie Fitch | Barnaby Jones |
| U15B | Jack Berry | Ollie Bain |
| U15C | Luke Frampton | Nate Hurles |
| 1st Team | Harry Peterson | Oli Glasspool |
Half Colours
| QMH | Inters | Seniors |
| Joe Swift
Dexter Rich James Nott Will Hodges
|
Austin Clarke
Lewis Hannon Cade Tierney Monty Wheals Michael Maybury Elias Savage
|
Sammy Regan
Jake Combes Harry Peterson Will Bensley Jack Eccles Ben Charles |
Full Colours
| QMH | Inters |
| Will Cook
Oscar Perkins
|
Henry Perkins
Ollie Fitch Michael Swayne |
Mr P Miller
Director of Sport
Although a short term, it has been a very busy and productive one for our musicians. At the start of term we welcomed Ian Richardson as our new Head of Keyboard. We now have a full complement of staff with Tamsin Cowell as Head of Brass, Rebecca McNaught as Head of Strings and Huw Wiggin as Head of Wind. Some 1,300 individual music lessons have been taught over the term with pupils preparing for concerts, competitions and exams. On the first Friday after the Christmas break, the parents of Chapel Choir were invited to School for a rerun of the Carol Service so that they could hear the Choir sing live. It has been wonderful to see some semblance of normality with a calendar nearing where it should be, and for parents to once again be invited into School. The first concert of the term was given by some of our singers and was arranged by Rob Lewis, one of our singing teachers. After a delay of nearly two years, the School Musical, Bugsy Malone was finally staged in early February with both familiar and new faces on the stage showcasing a wealth of singers on stage and musicians in the band. Things got even busier after half term with Chapel Choir taking the City of London by storm once again singing at the Spital Sermon and Bridewell Day. Jazz Band took their turn providing music during lunch on Bridewell Day. Musician of the Year saw over a hundred musicians perform in the preliminary rounds and in the final. Congratulations to everyone who took part. The winners were:
Beginners’ Class
Kirstian Towson (contemporary)
Archie Penton-Stewart (keyboard)
Progressing Class
Samuel Akinsomisoye (contemporary)
Max Brooksby (vocal)
Intermediate Class
William Morberg-Pain (contemporary)
Harry Elderkin (instrumental)
Senior Class
Welsey Kwok (contemporary)
Jack Elderkin (piano)
Ben Charles (voice)
Julien Early (instrumental)
Overall Musician of the Year 2021-22 was Zoe Rinaldi.
Both the preliminary rounds and the final were a real celebration of the musicianship of our pupils. In competition outside of School, Julien Early came second in the Brass Section of the Godalming Festival.
As term began to draw to a close, it was time to start thinking of saying farewell to our talented Upper Sixth and their parents with a concert on Thursday 17th March. They are a particularly talented year group, we will miss them and wish them well in the future. Ben Charles, one of our Music Scholars, is to take up a place at The Royal Academy of Music in September.
House Music took place towards the end of term – a fantastic evening celebrating music, community and House spirit. Our congratulations go to Wakefield and Elizabeth who were the worthy winners. One of the final events of the term was the Prep Schools’ Orchestral Day that had had to be postponed back in February. We welcomed over fifty pupils from surrounding Prep and Primary schools for a day of music culminating in a wonderful concert to which parents were invited. On the final day of term, we wished some twenty pupils taking ABRSM practical exams much luck. Music has not stopped during the holidays – a number of pupils played at the University of Surrey for a concert over Easter.
Mr S Sliwka
Director of Music
We began this term with a professional theatre project based on a new play called ‘Other Guys’, a verbatim play written by Shireen Mula which explores attitudes to masculinity and being a man in the 21st century. After two rounds of auditions six talented actors from 1st to 3rd Form were cast in the roles and working alongside the playwright and professional theatre director Jesse Jones they developed the play for a performance. A highlight was when the six professional adult actors came to School to work with the young cast. The rehearsals were great fun and everyone involved learned a huge amount. The day of the performance was a celebratory one; the boys headed to London early for the dress and technical rehearsals and later parents, staff and industry professionals arrived at the venue, Rich Mix, at 4pm for the show. The boys performed their hour-long piece with energy, focus and professionalism beyond their own experience. Producers and directors from several London theatres were amongst the audience and we are hopeful that the show will be commissioned and developed further in future.
One week later all the 3rd Form pupils came together in Charter Hall for an afternoon to watch each other perform plays they had been rehearsing during their drama lessons. Some pupils operated the technical aspects of the productions whilst others took to the stage acting in plays including Blackout, Face and The Sad Club. It was an entertaining afternoon, showcasing lots of future talent.
Shortly afterwards, we were contacted by film makers to help with the casting of a movie called ‘Club Zero’ and several of our young actors sent off self-tape auditions and progressed beyond the first round. One of our drama scholars was then invited to a face to face casting call and audition which was a great experience. We will be collaborating with more casting directors in future.
Our GCSE, IB, LAMDA and A-level candidates have all performed for examinations this half term and we wish them much luck for their results. We have also been fortunate enough to see Six! The Musical and The Life Of Pi.
Just a couple of days ago our Studio Theatre hosted the first ever entirely ‘Student led theatre production’, a new project that will happen once a year. A Sixth Form Theatre Director proposes an idea for a show and if their bid is successful they are given a mentor, a budget and a technical crew. The Sixth Form Director then runs the auditions and rehearsal schedule before performing to a live audience in the Studio Theatre. Azariah Pindelski (Lower Sixth, Grafton) produced and directed ‘Who Cares’. This show was thought provoking and powerful and a huge triumph paving the way for future theatre makers at King Edward’s.
Amid this busy and exciting term, we mustn’t forget our critically acclaimed adaptation of ‘Bugsy Malone’. Almost 500 people came to see the hard work and talent of this cast and crew, the reviews were excellent and well deserved.
Next term we will collaborate with the Art Department to produce a production called ‘Finding Mat Finderling’. This will be an immersive performance involving actors from across the whole School performing in several different locations around the campus.
We also have the QMH Drama production to look forward to in July.
Mrs L Cleaves
Director of Drama
Art Scholars have continued to meet weekly under the guidance of our Artist-in-Residence, Miss Emma Trussler. Earlier in the term they exhibited their work in The Bunker Gallery and more recently were busy decorating a Haslemere Hen to be exhibited locally.
Miss Trussler recently organised a House art competition – an exciting and competitive morning of making ensued as 2 metre square canvases were tackled in a hotly fought battle for creative supremacy! Won by QMH with fantastic teamwork by Elliott Smith and Oscar Miller. Charlie Cossey came 2nd place producing an amazing solo effort for Edward House. Izabel, Nancy, Shine, Yana and Sylvia from Tudor were in 3rd place. Wakefield’s piece also deserves a mention for superb teamwork – the entire House contributed to produce a wonderful self-portrait.
Artwork by King Edward’s pupils is being exhibited in the foyer of Haslemere Museum until 31st March, while the Bunker Gallery is showcasing the work of our two IB Visual Arts students: Ryan Farrell and Doga Yavuz. On 19th March, a lively and well-attended IB private view took place, which was very professional and impressive. On the same evening the Spring Art Show showcasing art from our feeder Prep and Primary schools took place in the library – a temporary venue for this year. The quality of work was, as ever, exceptionally high and presented a challenge to the judges. The exhibiting pupils, their parents and art teachers attended this social event and thoroughly enjoyed viewing the work while chatting over food and drinks. It has been brilliant to be able to welcome visitors back on site and enjoy these events in person once again.
I worked with Mrs Hooker this term to guide several pupils in creating exciting designs from waste materials for the international ‘Junk Kouture’ competition. Entries have been submitted and we wish Rosa Ryder, Alia Harris and Katie Easton every success.
Additionally, I have also been working closely with Mrs Cleaves and other staff on the whole school collaborative production: ‘Finding Mat Finderling’, which will see the history of our school brought to life through Art, Drama, Dance and Music. Look out for opportunities to become involved in this project after Easter and please save the date – Sunday 22nd May.
Mrs C Shouksmith
Head of Art
