KC TImes Spring 2014 v2.indd

Kent College
Spring 2014
kentcollege.com
Times
REACHING
for the SKY
The Head Master’s Desk
It is wonderful to see the Spring flowers
around the school and the sunshine
of recent weeks might lead one to
forget all the awful storms of Winter.
So many areas of school life seem to
blossom at this time of year and it is
always a delight to move from football
matches, to dramatic performances, to a
maths competition to see our students
‘reaching for the sky’ in so many fields.
As if the girls were not busy enough with
netball competitions this term, in hockey
the U16 girls progressed to the National
Finals of both the indoor and outdoor
competitions. They did brilliantly against
larger schools, finishing in the top eight
in the outdoor competition and national
runners up in the indoors.
Individually in hockey, Sam Barrett (Year
11) and Lizzie Neal (Year 10 - a year
young) – have been selected for the U16
England Hockey squad.
The boys’ hockey teams have also done
very well this term, particularly the First
XI which progressed through to the last
sixteen in the National Championships.
Our sports men and women have also
been taking part in cross country races
and Emily Bond, Anna Weston and
Amy Old all represented Kent in the
national competition at Donington Park,
Leicestershire where Amy finished 19th.
Intellectually we have been stimulated
this term with Liberal Studies lectures
on a range of topics from ‘The Mafia’ to
‘Margaret Thatcher’. The World Quiz at
the beginning of the term and house
competitions including a Spelling-Bee
and ‘Countdown’ have further inspired
our students.
Our Year 10 Maths team, comprising
of Robert Whittaker, Huan Qu, Sherry
Wu and Jack Yu have progressed to the
national finals after winning against other
top local schools in the regional round
of the Further Mathematics Support
Programme’s team competition.
In addition, we have yet again been
represented in the finals of the National
Science and Engineering Competition
Dr David Lamper
Head Master
@kentcollegehm
at the Big Bang Fair, which this year was
hosted in Birmingham. Oliver O’Shea
(Year 9) and Toby Silver’s (Year 8) working
model of a rollercoaster attracted
over 2,000 pupils, parents, teachers
and judges to their stand where they
explained their project ‘What makes
theme park rides fun?’
department trips have included the
Opera in London and the Philharmonia
in Canterbury.
Eva Harris (Year 12) produced a project
for ‘The Science of Life: How Your Body
Works’ competition. The first stages have
been judged and she has been chosen
as one of just fourteen nationally to
further develop and then present it to
be judged at a scientific conference in
London in June.
In Drama, students took part in the
Thanet Festival of Speech and Drama
and ‘swept the board’ winning the top
trophies for individual performances.
See page 15 for the full story.
The school public speaking team also
did well in the local heats and the Inter
House Debating and Public Speaking
competitions gave many opportunities
for students to present their points of
view on provocative motions.
Also this term Michael Rosciszewski and
Charlotte Wilson Holliday (both Year 12)
represented Kent College at the Dicey
Conference at Oxford University.
As ever, the Music Department has been
incredibly busy; the choirs and choral
society performed Howard Goodall’s
‘Eternal Light’ at the end of term in the
University of Kent’s spectacular ColyerFergusson Hall.
Furthermore, Hannah Parry (Year 11)
won through to the final of the Marlowe
Young Musician of the Year on the violin,
having won it three years previously on
the recorder.
Olivia Earl (Year 9) has been selected
as one of only sixteen girls for the first
Canterbury Cathedral Girls’ Choir. The
historic establishment of this new choir
attracted a great deal of national media
coverage.
There have also been tea-time concerts
and lunchtime concerts at St Peter’s
Methodist Church in Canterbury, and a
new style of concert featuring pianists
across the age range in a splendid
evening’s entertainment. The music
The English Department and the Library
have hosted visits by successful authors
Jasper Cooper and Bali Rai, as well as led
trips to the Marlowe Theatre.
The social side of life has also been well
catered for with an entertaining Wine
and Wisdom evening for parents and
friends around a romantic theme for
Valentines, and the Sixth Form Ball at the
Darwin Suites at the University was one
of the best and most well attended that
I can remember.
As ever our students enjoy the
opportunity to travel on their studies
with successful trips to Rome for the
Business Studies Department and to
Salamanca for students taking Spanish.
Boarders have also had the opportunity
to go on a variety of trips this term,
including the magical Disneyland Paris
Report. During the forthcoming Easter
break the Geography department head
off on their fifth international tour, this
year to Nepal, and we also continue our
language exchanges with schools on
the continent.
The school featured strongly again in the
Department for Education examination
statistics which were released in January.
This may be one of the reasons why we
had our biggest cohort for many years to
take the Year 7 entrance exam in January.
We have also received many applications
for places at other points of entry into
Year 9 and Year 12. It was pleasing that
‘schoolguide.com’ has recognised Kent
College as a 5 star school for its academic
achievements, reflecting particularly
well in comparision to neighbouring
schools.
Old
Canterburian,
graduated
from
Amy
Grover,
Southampton
Robert Whittaker
Editor
“Now for our top
story. A crack team
of students from Kent
College, Canterbury,
have today descended
on the Sky Studios in
West London with the
intention of producing
their very own news
report”.
Reaching for the Sky
If only the newsreader would have
actually said those words upon our
arrival at the broadcasting giant’s
colossal media village!
Following the success of their Winter
Edition, this term the KC Times student
team of budding journalists had the
opportunity to write, shoot and edit a
professional standard news report at the
Sky Academy, based around the theme
of Cultural Diversity.
Having written the news report so that
it was hard-hitting but also intertwined
with hints of humour, the team used
green-screen technology to give the
impression of reporting on location at
the opening of a new community centre
in Canterbury, before breaking the news
that the Prime Minister had proposed
the idea of a National Diversity Day and
University with a First Class Bachelor
Degree in Nursing. She is now working
at the William Harvey Hospital in the
Accident and Emergency Department
as a staff nurse.
Canterbury Ladies Hockey captain
Grace Balsdon (OC) has been drafted
into the GB squad. She began a parttime contract with the GB women’s
performance squad at the start of
January. The midfielder – who came
through the ranks at Polo Farm and has
represented her country from U16 to
U21 level – was named in the England
party for the EuroHockey Indoor Nations
Championships in Prague, Czech
Republic, and four warm-up matches
against Scotland in Perth.
She gained her first full international cap
in a match in the USA and a full time
contract followed.
Out of an entry pool of over 2000,
Demi Browne’s photograph ‘Asha’s Eye’
was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ by
the judges of a national photographic
competition and was displayed as part
of the winners’ exhibition at the Strand
Gallery in London.
Following a day of examinations (over
five hours!) sat at the Italian Institute
in London, the Deputy Head Master,
Mr Julian Waltho has been awarded a
“Certificazione di Italiano come Lingua
Straniera” (CILS Tre) - Certificate of Italian
as a Foreign Language - issued by the
University of Siena.
heading back to the studio to ask an
expert’s opinion on the matter. During
the weather report which followed,
the programme ended abruptly with
scenes of terror and devastation due to a
hurricane which led to the studio being
quite literally blown away. Thankfully,
having survived the hurricane, members
of the team had the opportunity to
explore how Sky ‘Make, Shape and Share’
their television within the complex.
The hard-working team members all
thoroughly enjoyed their day and were
then in the right mindset to produce
some barnstorming articles which
you can enjoy in this edition; I thank
everyone involved for their hard work.
Once again, if you have any comments
or queries, please email us at
kctimes@kentcollege.co.uk.
The qualification is equivalent to IELTS
7.5 or 8 and is the requirement for
entry to postgraduate studies in Italian
universities.
I remain so proud to be part of a school
community which aspires and achieves
at such high levels across so many areas.
If you would like to hear of school news
as it happens, please follow me on
Twitter @kentcollegehm.
The student editorial team’s first edition
of the Kent College Times was warmly
received last term and from the planning
that has already happened at the time
at which I write, it looks as though this
term’s will be just as good. I trust you will
enjoy reading it.
10 Minutes With...
Mr Noble
For the second in our series of ‘10
Minutes With...’ interviews, I chose to
quiz Mr Graham Noble, Head of History,
about his life. Mr Noble is regarded
as a real legend within the school
community, renowned for his fantastic
sense of humour.
What’s your background?
I was born in London. Just a short
distance from Lord’s cricket ground, in
fact. The family lived in North Harrow,
then moved to Wallington in Surrey,
which is where I grew up. For me, it was
a wasteland.
How about your education?
My school was Dulwich College, a big,
south London day school, full of very
bright middle-class boys. We were left
much more our own devices then. Very
little teaching seemed to go on but,
somehow, there was a fair amount of
learning. Nigel Farage (the leader of
UKIP) was quite a close school friend and
I was always amused by his colourful
bonhomie, obsessive shoe polishing
and right-wing politics.
I did my undergraduate degree at the
University of Hull and my teaching
qualification at Bristol University. It was
at Hull that I met some historians who
really helped me to understand and
to value education; in particular Dr.
Jon Palmer, who was an expert in the
Domesday Book and a pioneer in the
use of computers to analyse data. A
computer was the size of a Volvo in those
days but it all seemed very exciting.
Ambitions: What
were
your
childhood goals - did you always
want to become a teacher?
I’ve never been good with ambitions. I
didn’t know what to do when I finished
my degree and took on several jobs,
including running an off license at one
time. It took me a while to work out
that teaching was for me. After Bristol,
I got a job at Bedales in Hampshire. It
was a wonderful, tolerant and liberating
environment and I’m sure that I learned
far more than any of my pupils did. The
Head of History there, Ruth Whiting, was,
and remains, an inspiration to me. Away
from the classroom, writing history is
still a stimulation and a relaxation; I have
a particular yen for sixteenth century
intolerance.
Have you got a teaching motto or
quote that you follow?
No - you can’t live by slogans or cliches.
Finally, if you had to have a dinner
party with four people, from any
period in time, who would you invite
and why?
‘Had to have’ is about right.
Dinner parties are a form
of social interaction that I
struggle with. In the first
lesson I was ever paid to
teach, a Year 9 pupil told
me that she thought
history
was
useful
because it was ‘so good
for dinner parties’. To be
honest, I haven’t found it
so!
Charlotte Wilson-Holliday
Deputy Editor
Eva Harris
Features
Following the success of the Autumn
term, the Charities Committee returned
determined to make Spring match-up.
The term got off to a roaring start with
the brightest and best that Kent College
has to offer taking to the stage in the
annual Variety Show. The event was,
once again, a resounding success with
the acts singing and dancing their way
to a £514 total. Special thanks must go
to Mrs McGibney for organizing this
wonderful event.
The smell of freshly baked pancakes
filled the air at Kent College on Shrove
Tuesday. Using the culinary skills they
acquired in last term’s bake off, the
Charities team cooked up piles and piles
of steaming stacks which resulted in a
£125 contribution to the charity fund.
Though the pancakes were of course
Charities - Interact
michelin-star standard, the highlight of
the term for the Committee was without
doubt the Murder Mystery Evening.
For one night only Kent College was
transformed into Yorkshire’s Primrose
Glade Hotel. 50 guests arrived to a string
quartet for an evening of laughter,
good food and super sleuthing. Whilst
enjoying a wonderful three-course
meal served by Kent College’s very own
team of senior students, the guests
worked in teams to determine who had
murdered the hotel manager, Nathaniel
Shaughnessy. Suspects included a
policewoman with a secret in her past, a
new guest with a harpoon in his suitcase
and a hotel chef with some serious
gambling debts. It was a fantastic
evening; a magnificent end to a very
successful term.
Geography Field Trip Wales
It wouldn’t have been a trip to
Snowdonia National Park without a
refreshing hike up into hills. At the top,
the group surveyed a number of glacial
features such as cirques and tarns, which
are common in the area.
The Geography Department believe
passionately that one of the best ways
to learn about the subject is through
experiencing it first hand, and we
took that to the limit at the end of the
fieldwork!
To complete the compulsory fieldwork
for the AS and IB courses, the Geography
students packed up their wet weather
gear and walking boots and headed to
Snowdonia, Wales.
During the residential trip, the students
carried out fieldwork whilst battling the
torrential rain and cold climates of north
Wales on the Nant Avon Peris (a local
river) and then again along the Criccieth
coastline. The data collected during
the day was used in analysis during the
evening sessions.
Gorge scrambling is not for the feint
hearted - it basically involves traversing
up a flooding river channel! This
complemented the hydrology work we
had been doing perfectly. The group
donned wetsuits, crash helmets and life
jackets before setting off into the torrent
that was flowing at the bottom of the
local gorge.
Most of the group, especially the staff,
were very apprehensive about the whole
activity but with the more adventurous
leading the way we were soon making
good progress up the gorge. Everyone
Miss Alison McCardle
Head of Geography
was battered and drenched as they
fought their way up the river! It is unclear
exactly how much anyone heard of the
continuous ramblings from Mr Letley
about the river, erosion and how much
fun it all was. What was clear, was that
this made an exciting and challenging
team building activity which everyone
enjoyed, even Mrs Jain was heard to say
that she would do it again!
A swim in the mountain lake that fed the
river was a fitting way to mark the end of
the scramble.
My Day @ KC
Georgia Timpson
On a typical Wednesday I leave for
school at 7:30am so that I arrive in time
for our early morning Sedecim rehearsal.
The school’s high achieving chamber
choir require all the rehearsal time we
can get!
Between 9am and 10.10am we have
PE. In Year 10 small groups work on a
rotation of sports, including the new
addition of yoga, as well as volleyball,
orienteering and fitness. Yoga has been
my personal favourite, the best way to
start a day is with some stretching and
meditation!
10.35am - 11.45am is English. GCSEs
loom next summer so we have
been working hard on our exam
technique and Controlled Assessment
(coursework) essays. We do, however,
have time occasionally for impromptu
games of ‘Just a Minute’ which provide
a hilarious way of improving our
vocabulary!
Maths is next up from 11.45am 12.55pm. Maths was never a strong
subject of mine before I came to Kent
College; I used to dread the idea of
anything to do with algebra.
Yet I now have a much
better grasp of the
subject, we use
‘MyMaths.co.uk’ as a
way of integrating
our
MacBooks
into our maths
lessons,
where
we can complete
virtual
lessons
and homework.
At present we are
working on areas
and circumferences
of circles.
Lunchtime follows
maths, where we
can choose from
a wide variety of
hot meals, or choose a lighter option
such as jacket potato and salad or pasta.
Lunch is always best polished off with
one of the colourful selection of jellies
which are on offer!
Having eaten my fill, I head over to my
lunchtime activity, the Year 10 drama
club. Mrs Beth Greenlaw, our resident
LAMDA teacher, is currently working on
the show ‘Historical Big Brother’ with us,
which we are devising.
At 2pm on a Wednesday is Religious
Studies. Our short 35 minute lesson
means we can engage in heated
class debates over many different
philosophical and ethical issues.
From 2.35pm - 3.10pm I make my way
over to the music block for a private
singing lesson.
Next up is Drama, which is possibly my
favourite lesson out of all. As part of our
course, we have been taken to see some
amazing West End plays such as ‘War
Horse’ and ‘The Curious Incident of The
Dog in The Night Time’, both of which
were truly spectacular.
The academic day may finish at 4.20pm,
when I sometimes choose to go home,
however I have another hour of activities
on a Wednesday as I’m in the netball
team. Anyone in our age group can
come and join in with the training, so it
is always good fun. As a team, we usually
have a match about once a week, and we
play all over Kent and against some very
strong competitors. This is one of my
favourite aspects of sport because I love
competing with all my friends, especially
when we come home victorious!
I then return home and complete
homework and usually have a chance
to relax, although at the moment I also
spend my evenings preparing for the
geography department’s trip to Nepal,
which I am lucky enough to be going on
over Easter.
Georgia Timpson
Features
Melissa Holland
Whilst I am in lessons, Melissa Holland
is one of the dedicated members of our
team working in the kitchen, but her job
deals with a lot more than just cooking.
Melissa has been at Kent College for four
years. Her favourite meal is cheesy chips
and she says that working in the kitchen
is, “Fantastic!”.
At 5am Melissa comes into school, to
ensure the kitchen is clean and ready for
the day. From 8am onwards the children
who need transport to the Junior School
arrive and Melissa is there to look after
them and make sure they get off to
school safely.
9am sees the commencement of
preparation for break time, when
Melissa cooks the cookies. She then lays
all these out, along with the baskets of
fruit and flapjacks, and waits for the rush!
Soon, a queue of hungry students form,
and Melissa is there to make sure they all
are fed and happy.
Then, at around 11.30am, Melissa puts
out all the cold puddings and the
crackers which are always available at
lunch. From around 12.50pm onwards
is the lunchtime rush, and it’s all hands
on deck in the kitchen, where Melissa
often helps with serving. With the whole
school coming through the canteen, it’s
a very big job indeed!
Art
Arts Week 2014 was the big event in
The Art Department’s Calendar, a week
of exciting activities for Years 7,8 and 9
students. The Art Department organised
a ‘Big Draw’ activity for Year 7 and took
the whole year group to Canterbury
Cathedral for inspiration. They then
came back to school and worked in
groups to produce a large mixed media
art piece combining their drawings and
photographs. Read more about Arts
Week overleaf.
The main school entrance was decorated
with a large banner, each letter of
International Arts Week an individual
photograph taken by students. Posters
as well were designed by Art Scholars
and the Year 10 GCSE Art group.
An exhibition of A Level and IB work was
on show throughout the week in The
Old Library and showed the wide range
of exciting work by our current Year 12
and 13 students.
Mrs Marie Montague
Head of Art
Demi Browne - Asha’s Eye
Last November over 2000 students took part in a national photographic
competition, titled ‘Where Do I Belong?’, which was run by the ESRC
(Economic and Social Research Council). A number of Year Ten pupils
entered their work and Demi Browne’s photograph, ‘Asha’s Eye’ was
awarded ‘Highly Commended’ by the judges. As part of the winners’
exhibition, it was displayed at the Strand Gallery in London from the
18th-23rd of March. Demi and her family attended a private viewing on
Thursday 20th March.
Arts Week
Elizabeth Brown
n
Arts Editorr
Arts Week is the school’s annual feast
of the Arts. Starting off with a bang
at Monday night’s Variety Show, Years
7, 8 and 9 were then treated to a
variety of cultural activities and trips
throughout the week, and there was
a different event on every evening.
Year 7 took part in an art project
based on Canterbury Cathedral, had
a session trying out African drumming,
and even had a go at making sushi and
origami in their Japanese afternoon.
Year 8 enjoyed cheerleading and a
visit to a local produce centre. Year
9 spent the day at the O2 Arena in
London, where they had fun at the
‘British Music Experience’ and in
the ‘Emirates Aviation Experience’.
In addition, the lower school took
part in poetry workshops and had
the chance to perform in Thursday
evening’s House Drama Competition,
where a group from each academic
house performed their own
pieces based on hallucinations. The
performances were interspersed by
screenings of Year 9’s music videos
which they had made on Monday.
Wednesday night was the third
annual House Music Festival, which
saw every upper school student
perform their energetic house songs,
and Tuesday’s House Public Speaking
was a competitive evening displaying
complex arguments from students of
all ages.
Nursery, Infant
Dance Mania
the disco-themed sports hall. It was the
best fundraising event ever!
On Friday 14th February (Valentine’s
Day!) Kent College Nursery, Infant and
Junior School went crazy for charity, in
aid of two special causes that are close
to our school.
Mr Buckley had previously taken one of
our assemblies to explain about what we
would be dancing and raising funds for.
He spoke about his trip with Mr Carter
in 2013 to Tanzania, where they visited
the Saba Saba School and the orphanage
opposite it. We were all very interested
and wanted to know more, because the
money we raised is for these wonderful
causes. The money going to Saba Saba
will provide one pencil case for every
The fundraising event, ‘Dance Hour’ was
one whole hour of pure dance. Even the
teachers joined in although their moves
were not as good as the children’s!. We
all wore non-school uniform and danced
the night away to our favourite tunes in
Reading
The Year 9 Dyslexia group were given
the project to create an iBook based on
the theme of ‘The Flying Snowman’, to
be targeted towards the 6-8 age range.
Mr Bloice, the school’s classroom
facilitator, showed the group how to
use the basic functions of the software
on their MacBooks, and then how to
integrate more advanced features such
as 3D interactive models and movie clips,
which all of the students used in their
iBooks.
Mrs Bunyan arranged a date for the Year
9s to visit the Junior School and read their
completed iBooks to the Year 3 classes as
a way of practicing their reading skills and
for their finished products to be enjoyed
by an audience.
There was also an element of competition
for the Year 9s who were awarded points
child in the whole school, and another
part of the money we raised will go to
the orphanage, where Letti - one of the
people who helps to change the lives of
all the children there - will decide what
to do with it.
Dance hour is not the only fundraising
we’ve been doing at the Junior School.
We are thinking up lots of ideas for
supporting charities. Stay tuned for our
next big fundraising event.
Grace Morrison
Year 6
for technology used, story-content and
story-telling. The overall winner was
Laura Dixon who was awarded full
marks on all of the criteria, and was a
popular choice with the young audience.
The reading session was a great success
with super interaction between the two
year groups.
Adelaide Heneghan
NI&J Editor
Spring Concert
Any event that includes Beethoven’s
‘Ode to Joy’, ‘Mamma Mia’ by Abba and
‘Guys and Dolls’ has got my vote! A
fitting climax to a fantastic term of music
making in the Junior School was enjoyed
by a large audience recently. There were
many highlights and it was lovely to see
the new cello group perform for the first
time and then a full choir raise the roof
with the title song from ‘Guys and Dolls’.
A testament to lots of hard work and
inspirational teaching.
Revd Dr Paul Glass
Chaplain
& Junior School
Ramblings
During my years in teaching I have often found
that the most difficult questions to answer are
posed by the youngest members of our school
community.Whilst I always enjoy visiting the Senior
School, where I can hear pupils who I remember
from their younger days discussing important
topics such as the verification of a complicated
scientific theory, the political ramifications of the
recent budget for the upcoming election, or even
which member of One Direction is the cutest,
some of the most challenging questions come
from the very young children. Recently, a young
man looked up, fixed me with a serious and intent
stare and said, ‘Mrs Carter, what does a Head
Master do?’
Action from the Junior School Cross Country
Invitational Event which saw over 300 children
take part.
Eleanor Griffin
Year 2
Synagogue Trip
After a quick explanation about the differences
between Mr and Mrs Carter that were of course,
age appropriate, I eventually had to give some
thought to main thrust of the question. My first
idea was to ‘phone a friend’. Dr Lamper should
be able to help me. A Senior School Head
Master would know the answer, but would he
be available? Being at the helm of one of the Top
10 schools for IB results in the country, he would
probably be busy. I figured I would have to answer
the question myself and so, in good political style,
I decided that the best course of action was to
avoid the question by asking my questioner a
similar question. So, I retorted with, “What do
you think a Head Master does?” A risky strategy
but one that appeared to immediately inspire my
inquisitive young pupil.
“Well - he tells very long stories - he walks about
school a lot - he smiles when he does lunch duty
and doesn’t mind us talking in the queue - he
makes lessons interesting and fun” (I liked that
one!)
Much to my delight and relief my inquisitor went
to join his friends in completing a complicated
construction task in the sandpit!
It is at this point in an article that readers expect a
succinct and interesting analysis as to what a Head
Master does. However, like what happened to the
crew of the Marie Celeste or why PE teachers
lack a sense of humour, I feel it is best for it to
remain one of the great mysteries of our world!
What I can say is that that being Head of Kent
College Nursery, Infant and Junior School is the
best job in the world, due to the positive support
I get from all members of our community
combining with the sheer joy, awe and wonder I
see in our children as they face up to and love the
many and varied challenges thatt each day brings.
Mr Andrew Carter
NI&J Head Master
@andycarterkentc
ETERNAL LIGHT
A capacity audience packed the Colyer-Fergusson Concert Hall at the University of Kent and were thrilled by a remarkable end of
term concert. The Kent College Choral Society, Senior Choir, Sedecim, orchestra and soloists: Mr Clifford Lister, Helen Sotillio, Josie
Frappart (Year 13), Helen Sammut, David Cain, Katrina Fray (Year 12) and Hannah Parry (Year 11) provided an incredible evening
of music making with Howard Goodall’s ‘Eternal Light’ being the central piece along with Haydn’s ‘Insanae et Vanae Curae’, Mozart’s
‘Sinfonia Concertante’ and Schubert’s ‘Symphony No. 8’.
Business Studies
Seb Van Eerten
Features
pleasure to attend a lecture on Roman
agriculture at LUISS University Rome.
That evening we all had some work
experience as pizza chefs! What added
to the authenticity the the experience
was our deadline for the making and
eating of the pizza set by the beginning
of a football match between Lazio (a
local team) and Ludogorets (Bulgarian
visitors) which we were to attend.
The Business and Economics trip is
always a much anticipated event in the
Sixth Form calendar and this year’s trip
to Rome was no different. Almost 30
students embarked on the trip to Italy
in February. Having met at school at
11.30am on the first day (a far more
sociable time to meet than previous
years), we eventually arrived at our hotel
in the centre of Rome by the evening.
If the first day wasn’t something to make
your mouth water, our second day was!
Starting with a visit to the chocolate
factory featuring a generous tasting
session and the introduction of what we
called, a chocolate fortune cookie. This
followed with a visit to a winery with,
much to the teachers’ disappointment, a
less generous tasting session.
It was only fitting that our first activity
in Rome was to learn about local pasta
production and pasta tasting. The small,
family-run business which we visited was
a real reminder of the heritage behind
the local industry in the Italian capital.
Following on from this, we had the
Harry Potter Studios
On Tuesday 21st January, a group of around 20 IB Film students went to the
Harry Potter Studios in Leavesden. This educational and fun trip helped the
film students see just how much effort it takes to make a film, including sets,
costumes, props, effects, catering, and even cats! There was an audio narration
of the tour by Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the world famous
films. All the students enjoyed the trip immensely and found every piece of
the exhibit interesting; every minute detail had a story behind it! Thanks to
Mr and Mrs Joy for making the day possible.
Gareth Owens
Features
Our trip would round off with a Six
Nations rugby game between Italy and
Scotland. We were seated right in the
middle of the Italian fans, which made
it interesting for those who chose
to scream ‘SCOTLAAAAAND’ in
obnoxiously bad Scottish accents. On the
final, most unfortunate dropkick in which
stole Scotland the game; Mr Waltho’s
head fell; the Italians protested; and we, in
our obnoxious Scottish accents cheered.
This hype carried us home and was the
perfect ending to a fantastic trip.
Salamanca
Frank Radcliffe-Adams
Features
The 2014 Spanish trip to Salamanca
began with the fateful words; ‘Now,
there’s a slim chance that we are going
to miss this flight.’ And in fact, due to a
misunderstanding concerning the actual
time of departure there was a moment
at which - after a slightly graceless dash
through the airport - we reflected that in
reality the closed gate was as near as we
were likely to get to our destination.
Fortunately, this feeling of dejection
was lifted by a certain amount of skill
in negotiation and the subsequent
knowledge that we would in fact be
getting on a later flight. As we boarded
a plane at 5pm that evening the general
mood was one of tired relief.
and conversation followed by activities
such as a class in Spanish cookery,
literature and salsa as well as exploration
of the historic city which is home to two
cathedrals (one dating to the pre roman
period) and prolific universities, earning it
the epithet, the ‘Oxford of Spain’.
The city is steeped in historical oddities,
legends and tradition. An example of
which is the frog (la lana) which is part
of the city’s coat of arms and is engraved
into the stonework of one of the
cathedrals. Legend has it that the student
who can find the single tiny frog amongst
the other decor will certainly pass his or
her exams. Needless to say, we all stood
for a time squinting up at the cathedral
wall in search of this frog of fortune.
At the end of our super trip, the return
journey was less eventful than the first. In
the light of the morning we were able to
see the famous ‘torros’ roaming the fields
surrounding the autopista and the huge
cross marking the Golgotha like mound
in which General Franco is entombed as
we drove from Salamanca to Madrid.
At the airport, we boarded the plane we
originally intended to fly on, arrived at
Stanstead and eventually Kent College at
eight o’clock in the pouring rain.
After the landing and a two hour coach
journey through the dark Castilian
countryside we arrived in the centre of
Salamanca at around midnight, dropped
of our luggage and swiftly began a search
for food. Eventually, with the help of
some friendly locals, we found the only
café in the city which was still open, ate,
and returned to the ‘Mester Language
School’ where we were staying.
Each day began with breakfast in the
neighboring café and lessons in grammar
Drama
On the first weekend in March, many
of the school’s drama scholars travelled
down to Broadstairs to compete
against each other in the Thanet Festival
of Speech and Drama. Although the
day was competitive, it was a great
enjoyment for the pupils to watch each
other’s performances as well as a great
Helen Sammut
Arts
experience to learn new techniques
from different actors amongst the group.
The first category was the Shakespeare
category, where Charlotte WilsonHolliday and Tobias Corteen-Coleman
came to a worthy victory as joint first,
winning the Thespian Cup; Charlotte as
‘Ophelia’ in Hamlet and Tobi as the ‘First
Gaoler’ ffrom Cymbeline.
The next
n
category was everyone’s
chance
chan
to show off their
contemporary
co
pieces. It was great
to see such a good response
from the audience in every
actor’s performance. Hugo
Lamper, who shone as ‘Mozart’
from Amadeus, gave a superb
performance and was announced the
winner. In addition, Tara Woodley (Year
9) won the Dickens Prose Class and was
invited to perform at the Dickens Festival
in Broadstairs.
Elsewhere in the drama department,
aside from the junior House Drama
competition, there have been continuing
preparations for the GCSE and A-Level
Performances and for Oscar Wilde’s
‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ in the
summer term. There was also another
LAMDA teatime concert which saw
many LAMDA (London Academy of
Music and Dramatic Art) students
perform their exam pieces.
Doughnuts & Conservation
Every year a group of Kent College
IB students and Duke of Edinburgh
volunteers from Years 10 and 12 carry
out important conservation work in
Blean woods, organised by Mr Sochacki
and Mr Waltho. The trees are coppiced
in rotation so the same part of woodland
will be cut to the ground roughly every 15
years. This rotation method is important
to ensure there is always suitable habitat
Year 10 Maths
for certain animals such as nightjars and
nightingales. There is great biodiversity in
these woods achieved by having different
ages and structures of woodland. The
felled trees need to be cleared by
volunteers from the woodland floor to
enable light to encourage new growth.
This dedicated group battles through wind
and rain, sorting larger logs into piles to
be taken away and used for construction
materials and burning the smaller twigs
on a controlled fire which is kept as small
as possible. This periodic renewal of life
via coppicing has been a management
technique used for thousands of years
in Blean Woods. The area was once the
property of Canterbury Cathedral but is
now managed by the RSPB. If helping the
Eva Harris
Features Editor
Anya Sochacka
ka
Features
res
environment on a Sunday morning isn’t
enough incentive, there are doughnuts
every week and occasionally sausages
and marshmallows to roast on the fire!
The Big Bang
A team of four Year 10 students: Robert Whittaker; Huan Qu; Sherry
Wu and Jack Yu, this term beat off competition from fourteen other
local schools at the regional FMSP (Further Mathematics Support
Programme) Year 10 Challenge, held at Simon Langton Girls’ on
Tuesday 11th March.
Oliver O’Shea (Year 9) and Toby Silver (Year 8)
represented the school at the national finals of the
National Science and Engineering Competition at the
Big Bang fair on 13th and 14th March at the NEC in
Birmingham.
At the competition, the team were faced with five rounds of tricky
problems in which we had to work together as a team, against the clock.
The third round was based on ‘base six’ arithmetic, that is, numbers are
grouped in powers of six rather than in powers of ten (what we use
in everyday life). As an example, the number 100 is base ten is 244 in
base six! The study of bases isn’t on the traditional curriculum, so the
talented group spent time to learn about them before putting their
new knowledge into practice at the competition. Following two further
rounds which comprised of more traditional problems, the team were
declared the winners!
They presented their project ‘What makes theme park
rides fun?’ with great professionalism, and we should
all be very proud of their achievements. Although
they didn’t win, if there had been a prize for the most
popular project stand, they would have won! The pair
spoke to over 2000 people over the two days and,
at times, it was difficult to see the boys through the
crowds of pupils, visitors, staff, exhibitors and judges
who wanted to look at their working model of a roller
coaster!
The team now progress to the national final at Sussex University in
May, where they face competition against other heat winners and a
studied round based on matricies.
Mrs Alice Haines
Teacher of Physics
David Cain & William Sratton
Arts Editors
Music continues to be part of Kent
College’s beating heart. Before we detail
this term’s countless individual and group
successes, however, there is the small
matter of the Senior Choir’s tour to the
Czech Republic to deal with.
In December, a group totalling 24 pupils
and staff headed to the beautiful city
of Prague and the smaller, picturesque
city of Jihlava. The very first evening saw
the choir sing Vespers in the enchanting
setting of St Vitus Cathedral. Sightseeing
in Wenceslas Square and at the Charles
Bridge, as well as services in some of
the Czech capital’s finest churches
made up the second day. A particularly
memorable moment came when the
group performed some favourite carols
(even one in Czech) underneath a
famous clock-tower in the city and drew
a crowd which was 10-deep in places!
The following day began with an 80 mile
coach ride to Jihlava. Upon arrival at the
new destination, the group disembarked,
checked in at the hotel and were then
given the opportunity to explore the
area in small groups. They gained a good
understanding of the local culture and
a good amount about the history of
the place. Afterwards, the students and
staff had the opportunity to meet some
pupils and teachers at a local school and
then perform there that evening as part
of a spectacular Christmas concert.
The following day the group teamed up
with the school again and headed out
to the local town of Telc (complete with
frozen lake) where they were given a
tour in English by the Czech students and
had a pizza lunch. One last mass followed
at a local church before a farewell dinner
and flight home the following morning.
There were of course so many hilarious
memories from the trip which just
cannot fit into this report and it is, of
course, always important to remember;
‘what happens on tour, stays on tour!’
This term, Oliva Earl (Year 9) made
history by earning a place in the first ever
all female choir at Canterbury Cathedral,
breaking the tradition of more than a
thousand years of all male singing. Ages of
girls within the newly-formed choir range
between twelve and sixteen and, after a
rigorous audition process, Olivia is one of
the sixteen girls who now sing regularly
at the Cathedral’s evensongs, led by their
choirmaster, assistant Cathedral organist
David Newsholme.
Elsewhere, Hannah Parry shone at the
glittering Marlowe Young Musician of the
Year Award. Having previously won the
award on the recorder, Hannah this time
Music
opted for the violin and gave a sublime
rendition of Dvorak’s Romance. She was
keenly supported by a large number
of pupils and staff, and was extremely
unfortunate not to have emerged
victorious.
Furthermore, the series of lunchtime
concerts at St Peters Methodist Church
have continued; so too have the teatime
concerts which provide pupils of all ages
and abilities the opportunity to share
their musical talent. In a new addition
to the musical calendar, this term saw
the first ever piano concert with a large
number of the school’s pianists taking
part.
Sedecim performed in the BBC Choir of
the year competition at the Fairfield Halls
in Croydon. The choir performed well
and received many positive comments.
The Choristers have also had a busy
term and are currently involved in two
national competitions - more details of
their progress will shared in our next
issue.
Trips this term have included an outing to
the Opera in London and a visit to the
Philharmonia Orchestra at The Marlowe
Theatre in Canterbury.
Houses of Parliament
A group of Sixth Form students from
Kent College recently visited the Houses
of Parliament. After a slight delay at
Canterbury East railway station while
Mr Waltho ensured that all ticketing
arrangements were correct, the group
was on its way to London. There were
a few good-natured complaints that the
group had to walk from Victoria station,
but soon they arrived at Westminster Hall
and their muttering ceased. They were
clearly eager to see all that Parliament
has to offer.
The first part of the visit consisted of
a guided tour of the House of Lords
chamber and its surrounding rooms,
during which the importance of the
sometimes overlooked upper house
was explained. On being told by a very
friendly security guard to not dare to sit
on the red leather benches as only Peers
were allowed to do so, some students
were keen to discover what they needed
to do to be given a place in the House of
Lords in the future.
After a light lunch in Parliament’s own
Jubilee Cafe, the students headed to
a committee room where they held a
question and answer session with three of
the four Old Canterburians in Parliament.
They were: Mike Weatherley, MP for
Hove and Portslade (Conservative);
Natascha Engel, MP for North East
Derbyshire (Labour); and Dr John Inge,
Bishop of Worcester. Questions came
in on a number of different topics, from
‘Why are there Bishops in the House of
Lords?’ to ‘Can you describe your typical
working day as an MP?’.
We then divided into two smaller groups
for the next hour or so. One group
Emerging Technologies
Emerging Technology is a new
department within the school, using
new technology being released into
the world today to help shape the
future of the Kent College environment.
ETOP (Emerging Technology and Other
Projects) will be helping the efficiency of
the school through investigating new and
inventive technologies. At present, ETOP
have a 3D printer in their room with
which they have produced a number
of designs, including busts of heads and
certain gadgets which can be used in the
physics department. The device works by
extruding layers of plastic or other similar
materials, rising the print head slightly
for each layer, thus allowing practically
anything to be created by the machine.
Everything is ‘ETOP’ secret at present, but
Mr Lander and Mr Fisher say that more
will be ‘emerging’ soon.
Gareth Owens
Features
Simon Moore
Features
succeeding in being broadcast live on
BBC Parliament, by sitting in on Natascha
Engel’s Backbench Business Committee
meeting, while the other group attended
debates in both Houses. In the Commons,
from behind a sheet of bullet proof glass,
they listened to a debate on fairness
and equality. Later, in the more intimate
surroundings of the Lords, they watched
Bishop Inge and his fellow peers debate a
number of topics, including the economy,
Sudan and the recent flooding.
It was a most informative day, and
a number of those who attended
cannot wait to return to the Palace of
Westminster in the near future. Thanks
must go to those who arranged this
opportunity and accompanied the group
on the day.
Frank Radcliffe-Adams
Features
Liberal Studies
exploring the unbuilt reveals ingenuity
and imagination. She explored some of
Britain’s most ambitious architectural
projects that were planned but never
built.
Kent College has enjoyed a number of
edifying liberal studies lectures this year,
covering a variety of controversial topics.
Talks have been given by Professor John
Dickie, from University College London,
who held a thought provoking discussion
on his documentary concerning ‘The
Mafia’. With unique insight into the
murderous criminal network, Dickie
was able to uncover the truth about
one of the world’s most most powerful
organized crime groups.
At the end of last term, Professor Tim
Luckhurst gave his insight into journalism
into the modern age (a very relevant
topic for the new Kent College Times
team). A charismatic and passionate
speaker, Luckhurst instantly won our
attention with the intriguing statement,
‘journalists are indeed ‘scum bags’’. Some
may argue this was a slightly controversial
declaration for a Professor of Journalism
to make. He then went on to argue,
however, that journalism should not be
monitored by the government and gave
numerous reasons for not doing so.
These are just three out of a number
of lectures that we have had this year.
All lectures profoundly engaged the
Kent College audience, many of whom
enthusiastically challenged the arguments
presented in aspiration to discover the
topics in a whole new light. Students
anticipate many more intellectually
stimulating lectures over the course of
the year and in years to come.
Dr Olivia Horsfall Turner also presented a
captivating discussion on English heritage
and elicited her idea of how we can
use architecture to show who we are,
Secrets Revealed at The National Archives
KC pupils reading secret Cold War
documents? Well yes, they did. In late
November, Year 12 IB History students
went to the National Archives in London
to research evidence of British policy
during the Cold War years. They also had
the rare opportunity of becoming official
‘readers’, allowing them to request and
study any document they wished.
‘Operation Unthinkable’, written in 1945,
which made plans for the UK to go to war
with the USSR!
The party looked at a wide range of
fascinating records from the end of World
War II through to the era of the Berlin
Wall. One particularly sensational and
slightly alarming find was a plan named
Charles Blümmers
Features
After an entire day pouring over these
captivating finds, the pupils returned home
with a whole new understanding of what
the Cold War meant for the politicians of
Britain.
Old Canterburians
Mrs Carol Baker
President of the Old Canterburian Club
cabaker@kentcollege.co.uk
+44 1227 813904
KC Students Meet James Hunt
The highly acclaimed film, Rush, which
is a re-creation of the merciless 1970s
rivalry between Formula One drivers
James Hunt, one of the most celebrated
personalities in the history of motor
racing, and his Austrian friend, Nicki
Lauda, was released on DVD earlier this
year.
In June 1979 the School raised over
£2,000 with a sponsored walk in aid of
the Gunnar Nilsson appeal for Cancer
Relief. As a result, a group of students
was invited to present the cheque to a
Formula One driver of their choice at a
meeting at the Donington Park circuit in
Leicestershire. It was no surprise that they
chose the World Champion driver James
In Memoriam Trevor Stephenson
When you start at a new place of work
the first thing you become aware of are
the people who have become almost a
legend in their own lifetime on the staff
of the place that you’re joining. When I
joined Kent College 7 years ago - one
of those people was clearly Trevor
Stephenson. He’d joined the staff at
school in January 2002. And when I joined
he was very much a fixture. So much so
that he pretty much had his own seat in
the staff Common Room. He’d come
in each morning having photocopied
the crossword from the paper and
start to do it. Despite the appearance
of being laid back however Trevor did a
huge amount of work. There is virtually
no concert or play or Chapel event or
project in DT that has happened at KC in
the past 10 years that Trevor has not had
a hand in. He has worked all hours - been
in evenings, weekends, working on shows,
concerts and events. With Trevor there
was the outer layer - the curmudgeonly,
gruff, world weary layer but underneath
that was a glorious man with a heart of
gold who would do anything for anybody.
I stand in awe of the battle he fought after
his cancer was diagnosed - the goals he
set himself and the things he was able to
achieve. It has been extraordinary to be
a witness to the grace that he has shown.
The stories of Trevor’s exploits at Kent
College are legion.
What I will carry with me for the longest
time though are the conversations - over
lunch, over coffee, over the backs of the
sofas in the staff room. We put the world
to rights on more than one occasion we shared stories of our experiences
travelling in America we talked about
life and what it means and doesn’t mean.
When Trevor first heard of his diagnosis
I thought he might want to travel or at
least stop working but there was no way
that was going to happen. He came in
- pretty much everyday. Trevor was part
of our school family - and a wise, good
hearted, loving family member at that.
Hunt, who had recently announced his
retirement from motor racing.
With James Hunt are (left to right)
Robert Wraight, Kirk Botelle, Tim Palmer,
Graeme Robertson, Alison Gunn, Nicola
Russell and Helen Smith.
Dr Gerald Colson
Revd Dr Paul Glass
Chaplain
There is a corner of the staff room that
as far as I am concerned is Trevor’s corner.
And when I go in at morning break I still
miss seeing him there. We don’t do the
crossword as much now that he’s gone.
He was a wonderful colleague, a good
friend, a member of our family and we
miss him.
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Sir Tim Clark
In the New Year’s Honours List the
president of Dubai’s Emirates Airline, Tim
Clark, was appointed Knight Commander
of the Order of the British Empire (KBE),
one of the country’s highest recognitions
of service. The award was given for his
‘services to British prosperity and to the
aviation industry’.
Emirates (which is now one of the fastest
growing airlines in the world) in 2003.
In addition, he is the president of the
Emirates Foundation, a non-profit making
charity that he helped to found and which
provides humanitarian philanthropic aid
and services for children in need around
the world.
Sir Tim has been in the civil airlines
business since 1972 when he joined
British Caledonian. From there he moved
to Gulf Air in Bahrain and subsequently
to Dubai in 1985, becoming president of
Tim Clark was a student at Kent College
from 1960 until 1968, before going on
to London University where he gained
his BSc in Economics. In his final report
the headmaster, Mr David Norfolk,
thanked him for his
contribution to the life
of the School both as
Head of House and
School Prefect,
commenting
‘we shall miss
him, but shall
follow
his
career
with
close interest’.
Dr Gerald
Colson
Development
KC remembers...
We all have a shared interest in maintaining Kent College as a
leading independent school. Many parents, staff and alumni
contribute back to school life in some way, by offering work
experience, by supporting school events as Friends or Old
Canterburians or by making philanthropic gifts. Some members
of our community do all three!
The Old Canterburian Club are commissioning a book to
record all Old Canterburians lost in combat in the two
World Wars, Korea, Northern Ireland and the Falklands.
The success of Kent College over the years has been, in part, due
to the generosity of individuals who either attended the school
or were teachers at the school. The land on which the main
school is situated was a generous gift, followed later by the farm.
Guilford House and the current Sports Hall were partly funded
by donations.
The school now has grand development plans to enhance its
facilities. A new auditorium and modern sports complex are
important parts of the development plan. The school is excelling
academically (a top performing school for both A Levels and
IB) and the teaching areas have benefited from significant
improvements over the last few years. The size and scale of the
arenas needed for performing music, theatre and sport mean that
the required investment is beyond the scope of the school alone.
Keeping the doors of Kent College open to all through increasing
bursary provision is also a vital part of the development office. If
you are able to support the school in anyway please contact me,
your generosity is greatly appreciated.
The probable launch date will be 1st July 2016 to mark the
centenary of the first day of the Somme, when three OCs
lost their lives.
Led by Mr Graham Noble, the History Department are
taking on the research task and there will be some pupil
participation.
In the archives at Kent College we have well documented
lists of those lost in the wars. Some soldiers are better
documented than others, however.The full list of those to be
included in the book will be listed on the Old Canterburian
website later this year. Please contact gnoble@kentcollege.
co.uk if you have any information you may wish to share
about those included on the list.
Guilford House: 50!
This year sees Guilford House reach the age of 50! Although,
for the first few months of its life it was not Guilford House at
all but rather Highfield House. To celebrate the last 50 years
there will be a celebration on 27th September 2014, alongside
the annual reunion. The hope is to see as many Guilford
House boys as possible return to celebrate this event, where
the guest of honour will be Audrey Charlesworth, who with
her husband Alan took up the reigns of Guilford House in
1964 and served the school tirelessly before retiring in 1988.
There will be a chance to see how the House has changed
in 50 years and to chat to some of the current inhabitants.
Celebrations will take place throughout the day on the 27th.
There will be plenty of archive material on display; please
put the date in your diary and contact cabaker@kentcollege.
co.uk if you would like me to reserve you a place.
Sport
KC’s new football team have been
playing and competing at new heights.
The talented and committed group of
boys have been able improve their skills
whilst playing more and more matches,
including a well deserved 5-3 victory
over St Lawrence College. Girls football
training has also been taking place
once a week and provided even more
opportunities for our students.
Dan Marsik, Hannah Watton, Sophie Wilson & Jack Valentine
The Sport Team
with the First VII winning all but three of
their matches. Numerous teams have also
participated in many county tournaments
in which they performed very well.
Congratulations to all teams in the
school for their fantastic performances
and commitment throughout the season.
Thanks to Mrs Balsdon and Ms Brander.
In basketball, the team has continued to
strive, training hard in their weekly after
school sessions. Also this term, with the
arrival of Mr Matthew Swaffer - our
new maths teacher and Great British
trampolinist - pupils have been inspired
to become involved in trampolining. For
the first time at KC, we participated
in the Kent Schools’ Trampolining
Championships, with the participating
students representing the school with
pride.
This netball term, Kent College have had
many triumphs and there have been
encouraging performances from all ages.
Each year group have benefitted from
regular fixtures against numerous schools
from around the district and the county,
Goodbye to Kwan Browne
There will be a big loss to hockey and
indeed the whole sports department at
the end of this term as Mr Kwan Browne,
who has been such a dedicated member
of the sports department over the past
few years, will be leaving Kent College.
Tremendous thanks must go to Mr
Browne, and we wish him the very best
in his future endeavours.
Scholarship Talk
Throughout the year, a huge variety
of guest speakers give talks and
advice to the school’s many sports
scholars. Kent County Cricket
physiotherapist, Mr Dan George,
this term gave the students a
fascinating insight into how to
prevent injury and techniques to
keep fit. Mr George was a highly
engaging speaker from whom the
young sports men and women
learned a lot.
The gauze curtain recently seen in the production of
Grease, provided by the Friends of Kent College.
Hockey
Hockey is quite literally at the heart of
Kent College. This year, our teams have
had one of their most successful ever
years.
The 1st XI hockey team has been as
strong as ever. During the Christmas
holidays, there were two days of preseason training in which the team took
part in a warm-up game against Ashford
Hockey Club Mens 1st XI. Although the
team lost, they performed well with this
being the first time the new lineup had
played together. The match also saw the
debut of the new kit, which gave the
team an identity and made Kent College
recognisable on the pitch. The first game
of the term was against Cranleigh School
in the English Schools U18 National
Hockey Cup. The final score was 7-3
to Kent College, all seven goals being
scored by Harry Roberts (Year 13). This
successful win really set the scene for the
rest of the season.
The next game was also important,
although it was not a cup match, but a
local, friendly derby against The King’s
School in Canterbury with Kent College
winning with a close score of 5-4. With
training on a Monday night getting
tougher, Mr Robinson introduced a
fitness session involving a range of speed
and endurance exercises; he obviously
believed that the team had eaten a few
too many Christmas lunches during the
winter break! The team were victorious
in their next game in the National Cup
against Hurstpierpoint School, where
they won 6-4 having turned the game
around from 0-2.
The Frank Mason tournament was the
next big competition for the team. They
emerged victorious from games with
The Harvey Grammar School, Borden
Grammar School, Tonbridge School and
The King’s School in Rochester, and only
lost in the semi-finals to local rivals, Simon
Langton Grammar School for Boys on
sudden-death penalty flicks.
Just before the half term break, Kent
College 1st XI team fought well in their
third round National Cup match against
Abingdon School, which again drew the
Kent College pupils to the new astro
pitch to support them. A well worked
win of 4-0 was an excellent result.
Progressing to the fourth round, Kent
College played their best game of the
season against Sir William Borlase’s
School, unfortunately losing 4-3; even
though Kent College dominated most
of the game. Before the team could go
home, however, they had to push the
coach out of the mud filled holes in
which the wheels had sunk in to! This
was the end to the 1st XI’s National
Cup campaign and the team would like
to thank Mr Clark, Mr Browne and Mr
Robinson, whose training sessions were
much appreciated by the boys. The team
would also like to thank Mr Sutherland,
who sadly will be leaving to go back to
Australia just before Easter, he will be
greatly missed.
Yet it is not just the 1st XI who have
seen success this term. Throughout
the younger age groups, all teams have
shown a great excitement towards the
game and have really enthused about the
chance to play. The U12s have adapted
extremely well to a game that was new
to the majority of them and the U13s
have enjoyed another successful season;
losing only one game in the entire season.
New heights of skill have been reached
in the U14s who have been one of
the stand out age groups this term, in
terms of commitment and dedication
towards the game, whilst the U15s have
participated in another good season,
competing well in the Peter Furminger
tournament. Joshua Ollerenshaw and
Henry Todd from the U13s competed in
the tournament for the U15s and they
should be commended for their efforts.
The girls U16 hockey squad performed
extremely well in their National
Championships, which they progressed
to having been crowned as regional
winners last term. Winning their qualifier
on Monday 24th February 1-0 against
Millfield School, the U16 hockey team
left at the beginning of March to battle
it out in Cannock along with seven other
teams who had qualified. The team
stayed two nights, playing three matches
in total. During the first day, the girls had
an unlucky loss against Wakefield 0-1, but
came back fighting against Eastbourne
with Hannah Griggs scoring a great goal.
Unfortunately, they lost 1-4. In the day
that followed, the girls played Denstone,
who later became the runners up
of the National Championships. The
determined Kent College team played
exceptionally well, with Marina Barwick
(capt) scoring, however they narrowly
lost 1-2. Although the girls were not
crowned as overall national champions,
it is an incredible achievement that they
made it to the national finals. It was a
fantastic experience for all the players
who were excellent representatives of
the school.
The same girls team were also overall
runners up in the national indoor
hockey finals earlier in the term. Playing
extremely well, the group won their box
against some strong opposition, including
Cranleigh (3-2), Malvern College (3-2),
and King’s Burton (6-2). Having won
their box, KC made it through to the final
after winning on penalty strokes against
Ipswich School 2-1. In the final, the team
faced Repton School and scored two
great goals, but this wasn’t quite enough
to emerge victorious on this occasion.
The team would like to thank all of the
supporters and coaches that have been
with the team throughout the journey.
With many youngsters coming up
through the ranks at Kent College, the
future looks very bright for hockey. We
can look forward to similar successes in
the future.
Sport Relief Hockey
Friday 21st March marked ‘Sport
Relief ’ and Kent College joined in
with the fundraising by hosting a staff
v students hockey match. A mixed
Kent College student team took on
the teachers who boasted some very
impressive performers. It was a hard
fought game with the staff starting with
no goalkeeper and the students taking
an immediate two goal lead. However,
with the arrival of keeper Mr Knapp, the
staff fought back and it was soon 3-2 to
the teachers. Even after a late rally from
the students, they could do nothing to
stop the teachers taking victory 4-3 on
the day.
The whole school enjoyed watching
the match and everybody involved
should be commended for taking part
and raising awareness and funds for
such a worthy cause.
Sporting Stars
Louis Duprez
Amy Old
Sam Barrett
There are many talented individual
sportspeople at Kent College. We hope to
share success stories in each edition of the
Kent College Times.
Harry Roberts
Lizzie Neal
Harry Roberts has been selected for the U18
England Hockey squad. Amy Old represented
Kent at a national cross country event and
finished 19th. Sam Barrett and Lizzie Neal
have both been selected for the U16 England
Hockey squads. Phoebe Watton (not pictured)
is also in the top 20 nationally in her age
range for tennis and looks forward to a bright
summer ahead, whilst Louis Duprez is also
excelling in hockey, playing for the Canterbury
First XI.