The PortaWinter 2012-13

Welcome from the HeadWelcome to the Winter 2012-13 edition of The Porta, which provides our most valued stakeholders with an opportunity to read all about the exciting adventures and achievements that have taken place throughout the King’s ely community since the start of the academic year. We begin this edition by reflecting upon some outstanding teaching achievements before handing the limelight back over to our students. We also catch up with two Old Eleans who have been making headlines across the world, followed by our regular update of news and achievements from all sections of the school. We hope you enjoy this publication and, as always, we welcome your feedback. Please email any comments or suggestions for future features to the media and marketing department at media@kingsely.org

Sue FreestoneHead

Front cover image: The Old Palace in winter, by former Year 13 student, Tristan Davis

Ned inspires students at cambridge UniversityPHYSIcS teacher Ned Kittoe, who inspires young people to take an interest in science, has been encouraging cambridge University students to consider a career in the profession.The Institute of Physics asked Ned to give a talk on the life of a physics teacher to around 80 students in the Cavendish Laboratory at the Cambridge University Physics department as part of a national campaign to recruit more physics teachers.Not the average physics teacher, Ned began his teaching career as a rowing coach after a successful career rowing for Great Britain. Until that point he was never really sure what he wanted to do, and empathises with students and graduates who suffer from the same predicament. But the engineering graduate enjoyed teaching so much that he decided to put his knowledge and passion for science to good use and eagerly enrolled on a PGCE teacher training course. Since that fateful day, he has never looked back and he is now Head of Physics.Like all teachers at King’s Ely, Ned is an advocate of adventurous learning and firmly believes that there’s no excuse for a boring physics lesson.“A physics teacher is an interface between a fascinating subject and a keen learner; it is one of the most challenging and fulfilling careers that a graduate could consider,” Ned told the Cambridge University students.“It’s an immensely rewarding career and, as physics is a combination of logic and application, every lesson can be exciting and relevant.”

KING’S ely has been awarded the British council’s prestigious International School Award (ISA) in recognition of its work to bring the world into the classroom.The ISA is a badge of honour for schools that do outstanding work to foster an international dimension within many areas of the curriculum to provide young people with the cultural understanding and skills they need to live and work as global citizens.Since September 2011, students from all sections of the school have been involved in international competitions, celebrations and online projects through links with overseas schools. Highlights include the celebration of Chinese New Year in Reception, International Day in Acremont, where parents were invited to share their culture and language with the children at

school, and the Elympics, where Junior and Senior students took part in a variety of Olympic and Paralympic sports and international cultural activities.Connecting with overseas schools has also been an integral part of the programme. Children as young as seven have enjoyed a taster of Mandarin while exchanging information with a primary school in China, learning first-hand about daily life and comparing traditions, and in Year Five, pupils are able to choose two languages – from French, German and Spanish – and enjoy regular correspondence with peers in the relative country.Last year, pupils linked up with schools in Kuwait and Japan as well as meeting a group of Japanese students who visited the school while studying in Cambridge.Teacher Lorraine Oldham said: “During this visit, it was wonderful to see the children conversing, practising their newly found language skills and finding other

ways to communicate through smiles and gestures. This year we are embarking on a new project, collaborating with nine schools from as far north as Norway and as far south as Turkey.“The school has really embraced this opportunity. By forging friendships between pupils of different countries, we can help build international understanding, which in turn will help motivate global citizens to act for peace and justice in the world.”King’s Ely Senior’s International Coordinator, Esmeralda Salgado added: “Lots of work and much adventurous teaching has taken place throughout the year, and everyone involved is delighted that the school has received the accreditation. This fantastic work is not only giving the young people a better understanding of the world around them; it’s also making a real difference to their future prospects.”

Bringing the world into the classroom

WITH so many exciting opportunities provided by the school’s co-curricular departments, not to mention the host of activities and life-changing challenges on offer through ely Scheme, life at King’s ely is about so much more than passing exams. Yet we also take great pride in our commitment to meeting the educational needs of all our students by providing an inspiring environment which encourages them to maximise their potential and develop their talents and abilities to the full.We challenge and support all of our pupils, placing the responsibility for learning squarely with the student. Since the start of the academic year, students of all age groups have continued to exceed our expectations academically. The following examples are just a taster.

King’s ely trio wins debating competition at The Perse (again!)FoR the second year running, a team of students from King’s ely has won the Rotary club of cambridge Rutherford’s Youth Speaks public speaking competition.Maddie Pinto (Year 11), George Ryan (Year 12) and Leo Banahan (Year 13) competed against teams from six other schools in Cambridgeshire at the Perse School in Cambridge. The main speaker, George, argued that ‘Being offended is a natural consequence of leaving the house’. He criticised recent attempts to restrict by law people’s right to insult and offend others, arguing that offence is an entirely subjective term that cannot be defined by politicians or the police. George was introduced by Leo, then thanked and insulted – in jest – by Maddie, proving the point of his argument!One of the judges of the competition, David Harvey, who is the Managing Editor of BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, has offered the King’s Ely trio the opportunity to take part in a news meeting at Broadcasting House in Cambridge, along with a tour of the studios.The team will progress to the next round of the competition in the Lent Term, when they will compete against schools from throughout East Anglia.

exceeding expectations

Georgia excels in prestigious Spanish Embassy competitionUP AGAINST 20 exceptional language students from top schools across the country, Sixth Form’s Georgia Baynes won second place at a national competition to represent the UK on the South American expedition, Ruta Quetzal 2013.Run by the Spanish Embassy and Spanish Bank BBVA, Ruta Quetzal is a prestigious expedition programme where children from different European countries spend a month in South America taking part in sport activities and helping out native villages in Panama, while attending a Spanish course, all free of charge.Georgia made it to the final stage of the competition at the Instituto Cervantes in London in December where she completed a range of linguistic, cultural and talent tests, including an oral exam in front of an audience of around fifty people. After impressing the judges with an exceptionally high standard of Spanish, Georgia then made it to the shortlist for the final ten, narrowly missing out on the top prize by finishing in second place overall.Spanish teacher Esmeralda Salgado commented: “For Georgia to have come second in the national finals for Ruta Quetzal 2013 is just remarkable; even making it to the national final was an amazing achievement in itself. The level of Spanish was extremely high and she was so close to winning the overall competition.”Georgia, who won a holiday to Spain for her achievement, said: “The competition was incredibly nerve-racking and exhausting; they made me speak in Spanish for the duration of the day, even in the lunch break. Although I narrowly missed out on attending the expedition, I am really pleased to have done so well and would like to thank everyone at King’s Ely for giving me this opportunity.”

Bright sparks have the winning solutionBRIGHT sparks from King’s ely Sixth Form have been awarded Gold, Silver and copper certificates in the cambridge chemistry challenge.The competition is designed to challenge students above and beyond the AS Level syllabus and encourage them to think about science in the way they would at university. The challenge takes place under exam conditions and the paper includes complex calculations, advanced theory and questions that require unconventional thinking, as well as a bit of luck. As the paper progresses, the questions become more difficult, culminating in the final question that is only accessible to those with a real talent for chemistry.This year there were more than 4,000 participants and, despite it being the first time that the school has entered, King’s Ely’s students came home with eight top awards. Five copper awards (top 61% of all entrants) went to Tony Lesmeister, Sam Huguet, Axel Rois, Tommy Chien and Ji Sung Lee; two silver certificates (top 23%) were awarded to Luke Cave and James Wege; and the gold award (top 8%) went to Charles Lin.Student James Wege said: “The paper was an exceptionally challenging but fulfilling test of our chemistry knowledge applied in totally different situations. It was interesting to have tried something new that stretched my mind and I was thrilled to achieve a silver award.”Tony Lesmeister added: “I would recommend the challenge as it is a unique and rewarding opportunity that should be embraced by everyone who studies or likes chemistry.”

olD eleans are highly valued stakeholders within the school’s close community and play a key role in the school’s development, as benefactors, contributors and role models. Generations of alumni boast a wealth of academic, creative and industrial successes to motivate and inspire current pupils and raise King’s Ely’s profile as a centre of opportunity and excellence across the board.

FoRmeR King’s ely pupil Gus Unger-Hamilton and his band, Alt-J won the prestigious Barclaycard mercury Prize in November for their debut album, An Awesome Wave.Named after the Apple keyboard shortcut for the triangular delta symbol, Alt-J beat other shortlisted acts including Plan B, Richard Hawley, the Maccabees, Ben Howard, Django Django, Lianne La Havas and Jessie Ware. They collected their award, which recognises the best British album of the year, during a star-studded event at the Roundhouse in North London, which was hosted by Lauren Laverne and Nick Grimshaw.A classically trained pianist, Gus plays the keyboard and sings harmonies in the critically acclaimed band, whose innovative music and songwriting has earned them the title of “the most talked-about band in Britain” (NME).Gus’ singer teacher, Peter North said: “Gus was a pupil at King’s Ely from 1997 until 2005. He was a chorister at Ely Cathedral during his time at the Junior school before moving up to King’s Ely Senior, where he became a music scholar and joined The King’s Ely Barbers.“From an early age, Gus showed a keen interest in text and the use of words, something which we can see in Alt-J’s lyrics, and seemed always to be destined to do something unusual and interesting.”

Gus went on to study English Literature at Leeds University in 2007, where he met fellow Alt-J band members Joe Newman (vocals/guitar), Gwil Sainsbury (bass/guitar) and Thom Green (drums), who all studied Fine Art. This may explain the band’s artistic influences; the video for the single “Tessellate” was filmed in a triangle motion and is a rework of Raphael’s The School of Athens, which depicts many great philosophers and scholars including Pythagoras. Their music was also recently used during an art installation at the Louvre.The week the prize was announced, the band gained their highest chart position to date since the album’s release in May 2012, with the album jumping 13 places in the Official Albums Chart from Number 27 to 14. At the time of publication, the record has sold over 86,000 copies.

Former pupil’s band, Alt-J, wins mercury Prize

Above: Old Elean Gus Unger-Hamilton (third from left) proudly displays the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for the best album of the year with fellow Alt-J bandmates

left: Gus (top row, centre) at Zurich Airport in 2003 during the King’s Ely Barbers’ trip to Thailand

opposite page: The cover of Alt-J’s debut album, An Awesome Wave, which features a satellite image of the Ganges delta, courtesy of the European Space Agency

RAcING driver and old elean, oliver Jarvis made a pit-stop at King’s ely this term to talk to pupils at his former school about his exciting career as a factory driver for Audi.Oliver (28), who was a pupil at both King’s Ely Junior and Senior until 2000, recently secured a podium finish at Le Mans 24 and currently competes in the FIA GT1 World Championship.After talking about his career in the fast lane, Oliver was given a tour of the whole school, and it wasn’t long before he was picking up his fountain pen once again to sign autographs for his newfound fans. He also returned to the Monastic Barn to join pupils and staff for lunch; only this time, he didn’t have to queue.Oliver said: “The school has changed so much over the last 12 years, with the development of so many new buildings and facilities, but I am pleased to say that the spirit of King’s Ely is as strong as ever.”As well as advising pupils on the dedication and commitment needed to make it to the top, Oliver also has a degree in Business Studies and stressed the importance of a good education in whatever career path they choose.“My racing career won’t last forever”, said Oliver, “and having a good education has given me the confidence and aptitude required to handle all kinds of situations, such as negotiating business deals and being interviewed live on television, helping me stand out from other drivers.”Head Sue Freestone said: “It was great to welcome Ollie back to King’s Ely and to

hear him speak with such enthusiasm and real humility. He was a great inspiration to the students of today.”The marketing team interviewed Oliver during his visit to find out why he talks so highly of King’s Ely. Do you have fond memories of your time at King’s ely?I have great memories; I remember my first day and thinking how large the school was compared to my previous school. However, I quickly settled in and made some very good friends, some of whom I am still in contact with today, even those from my time at King’s Ely Junior. During your most recent visit, you commented that you were pleased to see that the spirit of King’s ely still remained. How would you describe this spirit?It’s difficult to explain, but any former students can testify to the fact that it does indeed exist. There is such a friendly atmosphere throughout the school and you can feel the buzz when students are walking between classes. One thing I love about King’s Ely is that the classrooms are not all situated in one building and that the school is spread out and intertwined with the cathedral. Were you academic at school?I would say I was reasonably academic. My main focus was sports, although I took my studies seriously and realised that my grades were important. I probably had the ability to be even more academic than I was, but I wanted a good balance between my studies and my sporting life, and I feel that this was achieved.

What GcSe grades did you get?I got six As, two Bs and three Cs. Do you think that the school helped you to fulfil your potential?King’s Ely was extremely important in helping me fulfil my potential. It gave me the confidence in life necessary to achieve, and the drive and determination required. I don’t think it is a coincidence that many of the pupils I was at school with have gone on to get extremely good jobs in their respected fields.You say that you always wanted to be a racing driver, yet you went on to take a degree in Business Studies. Why, and do you feel that you have benefited from developing your education?There were no guarantees that I would be able to fulfil my dream so it was important to me to have a good education to fall back on. I also feel it has been a huge benefit along the way, giving me the confidence and abilities to deal with a wide range of situations. Nowadays, driving the car only forms a small part of a racing driver’s job as press and marketing activities have become increasingly important, and my education and degree have helped me no end in these areas.

Kingof the road returns

ART and design displays by some of the school’s most gifted and talented students were exhibited at the South Hill Park Arts centre in Bracknell this term. The exhibition featured a collection of Fine Art, Fashion and Photography displays from current King’s Ely students and Sixth Form graduates. Many of the students achieved A and A* in their exams, and Kate Martin managed to gain a spectacular 100 per cent for her A2 Textile project. Around 20 other British schools also

contributed towards the exhibition, which was organised by King’s Ely’s Director of Art, Alison Rhodes as part of The Society of Heads, which helps independent schools to share ideas and experiences.Alison commented: “The collaborative exhibitions are held annually, with the previous exhibition being held at the Royal Ballet in Covent Garden. The events provide the young artists with the opportunity to showcase their work, to build their portfolios and to raise their profile nationally.“Our students will now get a taste

of professional exposure, and it is a fabulous way to celebrate their superb results.”Former pupils of King’s Ely who have gone on to achieve success include designer and Vogue writer Rupert Sanderson, whose shoes are worn by film stars and celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Moss, Cheryl Cole and Samantha Cameron; sculptor Stephen Vince, who has created ‘Sculpture Safaris’ throughout the world; and artist Aubrey Powell, who designed the artwork on Led Zeppelin’s album, Houses of the Holy.

eXhIBItIonIstsKing’s Ely students showcase outstanding artwork

Edward stars in English National Opera’s The Magic Flute at ColiseumA TAleNTeD young performer made his first appearances on the stage of the london coliseum this term after being chosen to play the role of lead Boy in english National opera’s (eNo) latest rendition of mozart’s The Magic Flute.Year 9 pupil and ex-head chorister, Edward Birchinall (13) was one of hundreds of hopefuls from across the UK who auditioned for the role in what has been acclaimed as ‘one of ENO’s most magical productions’ (The Times).And as if that wasn’t enough excitement for one week, within 24 hours of making his ENO debut, Edward also learnt that he had passed his Associated Board Recital Diploma, allowing him to place the letters DipABRSM after his name.Vanessa Scott, Edward’s singing teacher, said: “Edward has a very beautiful voice and sings with musicianship and artistry way above his years. He is a thoroughly nice young man and worked with tremendous focus during the summer holidays to prepare for these two challenges.“Passing the Recital Diploma is a notable achievement at any age, but to have managed both of these at 13 is exceptional, and he deserves every bit of his success.”Edward has already enjoyed a busy year with Ely Cathedral Choir and passed his Grade 8 singing with a high Distinction in the spring. He also sang for the Queen at the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London in June 2012 and recently appeared in the West End production of Oliver alongside Rowan Atkinson.Head of King’s Ely, Sue Freestone said: “Edward is a gifted individual with an innate sense of performance and well-rounded musicality.”

Anna sings solo for VIPs at the NSPCC London carol serviceYeAR 10 chorister Anna Willis (in red and white) sang to a star-studded audience at NSPcc london’s annual carols by candlelight service in December, helping to raise over £17,500 for childline.In addition to traditional carols and musical performances, the service featured readings by special guests including HRH The Countess of Wessex, Sir Michael Caine and Sir David Frost.Representing King’s Ely and Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir (ECGC) at the high profile event, held at Christ Church Spitalfields, Anna opened the concert with a solo performance of the first verse of ‘Once in Royal’ for the Choir of Selwyn College, University of Cambridge.Sarah MacDonald, who is Director of both Selwyn Choir and ECGC, said: “Selwyn Choir has performed at NSPCC London’s annual Carols by Candlelight service for the last four years. When I was asked to provide a soloist for the opening, I was delighted to be able to offer the opportunity to one of the girls from ECGC. Not only does this give ECGC more national exposure, it also helps King’s Ely and Ely Cathedral to support such an inspirational children’s charity at a time of year when remembering those who are less fortunate than ourselves is so very important.”

© Avery-Green Photography 2012

Back to nature cHIlDReN from King’s ely Acremont have been learning about local history and wildlife while working in tandem with the education Department at Wicken Fen. The Year 1 pupils enjoyed three visits to Wicken Fen, one of the UK’s oldest nature reserves, where they learnt about habitats, made camouflaged dens for observing wildlife, enjoyed pond dipping and constructed tree and mud sculptures. One of the Education Officers made three visits to the Acremont grounds, where the children learnt about combustion and fire safety as part of their science project. Everyone helped to create a large bonfire and cooked hot dogs and marshmallows, providing the children with a tasty home-cooked snack. They also dissected owl pellets, discovering tiny skulls, teeth and bones from animals eaten by owls at Wicken Fen.Head of Acremont, Lynda Brereton said: “This project was a super springboard for learning and greatly enhanced our creative curriculum. The children had so much fun in their roles as ‘Acremont Foresters’ and have benefited from a variety of wonderful experiences.”

King’s wins the Tesco cup!eXcITemeNT hit fever pitch this term when King’s ely Junior won the Isle of ely District football tournament, the Tesco cup.The boys played well from the start, finishing top of the group by beating Kingsfield 2-0 and Isleham 2-1. Tommy Hutchinson and Ben Marshall scored in the first game and Tommy netted again in match two, with Billy Pinto grabbing the winner and continuing his fine form.The semi-final saw the best two footballing teams on the day clash for a place in the final as King’s Ely went head to head with Robert Arkenstall. The game was very even, with chances for both teams, but neither team converted and the dreaded penalty shoot-out loomed.Everyone’s minds turned to last year’s disappointment, where the same two teams had been involved in a mammoth 23-24 shoot-out! However, this time King’s Ely came out on top with two fine saves from goalkeeper Jamie Cooper and solid penalties from Jacob Berraondo, Arthur Plews, Tommy Hutchinson and Max Allen, making it 4-2 on penalties.Saving our best performance for the final against Little Thetford, the result never looked in doubt when two quick goals came in as many minutes. The first was an own goal after good passing in midfield and the second was an easy tap in from Tommy Hutchinson, following great work from Arthur Plews. Harry Black completed the scoring with an excellent team goal, securing victory and the trophy with a 3-0 lead.Teacher Dan Parratt commented: “It was a great competition with some good football being played, despite the wet and windy conditions. The boys thoroughly deserved the win as they grew stronger throughout the tournament.”

Footballer picked for national squad

YeAR 10 student ollie Pleasants is following in the footsteps of pro footballers Frank lampard, Victor moses and Will Keane by being picked to play for the Independent Schools Football Association’s (ISFA) national squad.Following the national trials in summer 2012, Ollie – who plays centre back – has once again been selected to represent the Under 15s team after a successful season with the squad last year, when they won every match against tough competition from rival teams across the country.The ISFA is affiliated to the Football Association (FA) and provides the most talented players from independent schools in England with an opportunity to play at a standard higher than normal inter-school football, in order to help them develop their skills.Ben Edmondson, Head of Sport at King’s Ely Senior said: “We are really proud of Ollie’s achievement. We have heard that the ISFA has reduced the number of players selected this year so we are very pleased that Ollie made it through to the new U15 squad.“On behalf of the school, I wish him all the best for the year ahead.”

Sport

Rugby and hockey bits , girls picked for hockey, buy picked for footballtesco cup

TeAm GB hockey player, Hannah macleod visited the girls’ hockey teams at King’s ely this term to encourage the young players to up their game.Hannah (in Team GB kit), who helped the British hockey team secure a Bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics this summer, provided a motivational speech to the 1st and 2nd team before coaching various teams from both King’s Ely Junior and Senior.

The fervent forward, who has a PhD in Exercise Physiology, has enjoyed further international success with England and Great Britain, winning medals at the World Cup, Champions Trophy, European Championships and Commonwealth Games.Head of Girls’ Games, Chanre Bond said: “As well as having an impressive educational background, Hannah is extremely passionate about hockey and other sports, and her enthusiasm really shone through. She talked of how she was inspired by the performances of Linford Christie and Sally Gunnell at the 1992 Olympic Games when she was about their age, and that they too could be standing on stage with an Olympic medal if that’s what they set out to achieve.”Earlier on in the term, two hot-shot hockey coaches tackled the Senior girls’ hockey teams to get them into shape for the new season. Jon Belby (below, left), who boasts an impressive 95 caps for Great Britain

during events such as the Beijing Olympics, Commonwealth Games and the World Cup, and Chris Marriott (below, centre), Director of Hockey at Cambridge University and head coach for two national teams in Wales, have been helping the first and second teams raise their game before the start of the new term.The intensive training drills, which took place on the school’s astro field, included passing and receiving skills; lead runs and movement off the ball; tackling and interceptions; goal shooting and general fitness. They also helped with team selection.Chanre said: “Although the school has used other international coaches before, it is the first time that Jon and Chris have been in to coach for us, and we were really impressed. Despite some torrential rain during day one, they managed to keep the girls engaged and motivated throughout the training and helped them to make the most of the experience, pushing them harder than ever before.”

Hockey teams get ahead of the game

THANK you for reading the Winter 2012-13 edition of The Porta.We will be back later in the year with news and developments from all sections of the school. In next term’s edition, we will also be asking pupils from all ages and backgrounds, with a myriad of individual skills and ambitions, why they feel that King’s Ely is the right choice for them. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to get in touch at media@kingsely.org