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Week beginning Monday 11 December

UK Senior Maths Challenge
Out of 31 volunteer entrants, 9 students were awarded gold certificates, 6 silver, and 4 bronze. The gold certificate winners were Chris Blake, Pranav Khamar, Maris Elmore, Mike Blake, David Reid Alexei Makhort and Matthew Skues of the U6th, and Leo Scott and Kate McMahon of the L6th.

Chris Blake, Pranav Khamar, Maris Elmore and Leo Scott alos qualified for this year's Maths Olympiad - the selection contest for the British International Olympiad team. This means that they ranked in the top 1% of students.

Week beginning Monday 20 November

RAF Eagle Trophy
This is awarded annually to the best of the junior members of the RAF cadets. The trophy has lain forgotten in a box for a number of years and was only rediscovered recently when the CCF moved into their new headquarters. The trophy has been presented to Tim Pemberton (3JM) who joined the cadets last year. Read a full report on the CCF (RAF) Annual Ground Training Competition, in which Tim (and others) greatly impressed the inspecting Officers, on the CCF page.

Model United Nations Conference
Our delegation to this event, hosted by Cheadle Hulme School, comprised Emily Dawson (U6DP) as the Ambassador, along with William Cunningham (U6NH), Michael Cannon (U6C-R), Matthew Skues (U6DP) and Iain Braid (U6C-R). They were representing Austria in a simulation of the working of the United Nations. There were 75 other delegates from schools across the UK.

Emily Dawson was recognised as a "commended delegate" for her work in the Health and Youth Committee where resolutions were constructed on such issues as Aids and juvenile deliquency. This award reflects her understanding and accurate presentation of Austria's policies and opinions on these issues. It also reflects the quality of her contribution towards debate and the effectiveness of her speech-making.

UK Senior Maths Challenge
Gold certificates were awarded to nine students from King's, with another six achieving silver and four achieving bronze. Of the gold winners Chris Blake (U6C-R), Pranav Khamar (U6KL), Maris Elmore (U6NH) and Leo Scott (L6SW) qualified for this year's British Maths Olympiad. This is the selection contest for the British International Olympiad team. It means that these students were ranked in the top 1% of students.

Children in Need fund-raising
A fantastic response from pupils (and staff) meant that over £700 for the charity's work.

Week beginning Monday 6 November

Battle of the Bands fund-raising
The event, which was organised jointly by King's, Christleton High School and Bishop's C of E High School, raised £3200 for the B Positive Appeal at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Week beginning Monday 30 October

Christmas at King's
On 8 November the School will be releasing it’s first CD , entitled Christmas at King’s. This recording, a perfect Christmas present for all the family, features a selection of carols and Christmas songs recorded by the Schola Cantorum, School Choir and Junior School Choir. The CD was recorded in July at All Saints’ Church, Gresford and the Music School Recital Hall. It has been mixed and engineered in the Music School Recording Studio by Chris Wharton, so it really is all our own work!

Chester and District Schools' Cross Country Championships and Trials
22 pupils from King's took part. The best girl's result was Nadine Pilkington's finishing 2nd in the seniors, and the best boy's result was James Ellis' finishing 2nd in the juniors.

Cheshire Schools' FA selections
Andrew Dyne (L6SD) and Liam West (U6KS) were selected to play for the under 18 squad in the fixture against the Northern Independent Schools' FA.

Week beginning Monday 16 October

CCF competing in the King's and Cheshire Cup
15 cadets from the CCF formed two teams that entered the competition that was held at Altcar over the weekend.

The competition tested cadet's skills such as first aid, leadership, battlefield preparation and drill. The cadets also had the opportunity to talk to soldiers about army life, to fire the British Army's machine gun, and perhaps most interestingly to meet and quiz members of the Special Air Service.

In spite of a superb effort by both teams a poor result in the shooting meant that neither team was able to win a cup. However, officers of the Cheshire Regiment complimented our cadets on their turnout, bearing and enthusiasm throughout the competition.

Sailing for Wales
Thomas Williams (RmSR) has been selected for the Welsh national squad to sail in Optimist boats, which are single-handed craft. He will be training over the winter in readiness for the three main competitions starting in May.

Liverpool Physics Olympics
On Saturday 14th October, a team of four sixth form physicists - Leo Scott, Chris Blake, Mike Blake and Peter Walker - represented the School in the annual Liverpool University Physics Olympics. The competition lasted for most of the day and consisted of five practical challenges and a theoretical one - the Fermi Quiz. Activities this year involved building and launching missiles from a trebuchet, and attempting to throw a boomerang with aboriginal accuracy. The latter task proved rather difficult for the team, but for the second year running, they triumphed over the other 29 teams in what is arguably the 'Blue Riband' event, the Fermi Quiz, and in the end managed a very creditable second place overall, being pipped by only one point to the top spot by Merchant Taylors' School for Girls. The team deserves congratulation for producing yet another very strong King's School performance.

Week beginning Monday 9 October

Senior strings perform in top fundraiser
The school’s Senior String Ensemble was invited to accompany Chester Cathedral Choir in a performance of Zadok the Priest on Saturday 7 October.  This was a wonderful opportunity for a group of very talented musicians to perform in front of a large audience at Chester Cathedral. The concert was a fundraiser for the choir’s American tour in Autumn 2007.

The Ensemble is coached by Adrian Rushforth, the school’s Head of Strings.

Photo below: The school’s Senior Strings Ensemble and the full Chester Cathedral choir, all under the baton of David Poulter, Director of Music at Chester Cathedral. Philip Rushforth, Assistant Director of Music at Chester Cathedral, provided the organ accompaniment.

Caroline's gap year in Uganda
Caroline Brindle (Upper Sixth 2005/06) is spending her gap year in the Kigezi region of southern Uganda, where she is teaching maths in a rural secondary school, as well as helping with a number of local voluntary projects. Caroline is keeping a diary of her year abroad on an on-line "blog" so that friends and family can keep in touch with her adventures - link to Caroline's blog. As you will see from her entries, life in Uganda has some interesting similarities and differences to here in the UK! Caroline arranged her gap year through the educational charity, Project Trust.

As you can see from the photo below, where Caroline is in Kigezi is very different from the traditional view of an African landscape.

Next week is half term at the school so Caroline and her partner volunteer are
returning to the capital, Kampala, to spend 5 days with the 14 other Project Trust
volunteers who are in Uganda. They have a "de-brief" of their first 5 weeks, where
they learn more about cuture, politics, health care and so on. It is a brilliant gap
year experience and Caroline recommends Project Trust to aspiring gap year students. Much safer than back-packing, too!

Battle of the Bands
This was a very successful evening and an excellent showcase of talent. A considerable sum of money (close to £2000) was raised for the "Be Positive" cancer appeal at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Week beginning Monday 2 October

Great North Runner
Alex Berry (U6C-R) finished the BUPA Great North Run (half-marathon) in a time of 1 hour 35 minutes. This was an excellent achievement considering he started as number 35000. He would like to thanks all of those who sponsored him.

Tetrathlon champion in the making
Fred Deas (4EW), who is a member of Waen-y-Llyn Pny Club, was the youngest boy to complete alll phases of the Pony Club Tetrathlon Championships held at Hartpury College, Gloucestershire.

The tetrathlon comprised of riding, running, shooting and swimming. Competitors in these championships are the winning teams and indivduals from the qualifying area competitions held throughout the UK.

Fred was in the "open" section and had a clear round on the cross-country. This was held over a full championship course and was all the more remarkable as he had only ridden the horse once before. His own horse was lame. Clear rounds were few and far between, being achieved by only 30% of competitors. Even members of the British squad and last year's champion did not manage one.

Week beginning Monday 25 September

The King's School awards nine scholarships
The King’s School has awarded nine academic scholarships for outstanding performance in the entrance examination at 11+. The pupils receive a monetary award and the honour of being known as a “King’s Scholar” throughout their time in the school.

The “King’s Scholars” for the academic year 2006/7 are:

• Nathan Addison (King’s School Junior School)
• Rachael Alcock (Overleigh St Mary’s CE Primary School)
• Holly Boyd (The Firs School)
• Benhur Johnson (Guilden Sutton CE Primary School)
• Jeremy Telford (King’s School Junior School)
• Sean Telford (King’s School Junior School)
• Andrew Thomas (King’s School Junior School)
• Aaron Williams (King’s School Junior School)
• Luke Alexander Williams (Farndon Primary School)

This year’s “King’s Scholars”, recognised for outstanding academic performance in the entrance exam

Week beginning Monday 18 September

Appointment of the new headmaster announced
The Governors are very pleased to announce that they have appointed Mr Christopher David Ramsey MA to succeed Mr Tim Turvey as Headmaster. Details

International Chess honours
Davin Menon (RmML) was selected to play for the Welsh U12 team in the Tri-Nations chess competition. He won both of his games, helping the team to win this year's tournament. Scotland came 2nd and Ireland 3rd.

Week beginning Monday 11 September

Economics and Business Studies VLE launch
143 students studying courses in the economics and business department are the first to experience the school’s new Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for Fourths to Upper Sixth (Years 10 to 13). Read more

Week beginning Monday 11 September

Exam results
Both A level and GCSE results were excellent overall, with many distinguished individual successes. Visit the exam results pages (under "daily life/academic" in the site navigation system).

Successes in the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music exams
Christopher Clarke (U6NH) gained a distinction in grade 8 of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music exams in April 2003 and has since been studying with a teacher at the Royal Northern College of Music. He has recently achieved the Diploma of the Board. The Diploma exam consisted of a 35-minute recital including a movement of a violin concerto, followed by a viva voce discussing his programme, and the performance of an unseen piece of music to a panel of two examiners. He took the exam in two parts: the first at the Royal Northern College in Manchester and the second at the Queen's University Belfast.

The Diploma entitles him to use the letters DipABRSM after his name.

Another 22 pupils recently passed the Board's exams at grades 1 to 6. Of these passes 3 were distinctions and 5 were merits.

Charity fund-raising
The school charities group were able to present the sum of £527 to the CATH (Chester Aid to the Homeless) Central Support Fund as the fruit of various fund-raising events. The money from this fund is used to benefit clients in many ways, such as providing education, sporting activities and resettlement.

Gliding Scholarship
David Wynne (5AH) attended a week-long Gliding Scholarship course. He was the first of the group to fly solo and is now entitled to wear his Silver Wings. He has been invited to undergo advanced gliding training. This is only offered to a few students - those who have shown during the Gliding Scholarship course that they have a particular aptitude for flying.

Week beginning Thursday 7 September

International rowing honours
Nick Fearnhead and Will Orchard rowed in the Great Britain Youth VIII at the World Youth Rowing Championships in Amsterdam.  They came 4th in the final beaten by New Zealand, Italy and Germany.

Peter Walker rowed for the British Team in the European Youth Rowing Championships in Groningen, winning a Silver and Bronze medal in the Pairs.

Ming Chi Chung coxed the England VIII to a Gold medal in the Home Countries Championship at Strathclyde.

Alex Berry rowed in the Welsh VIII at the same event, finishing in 4th place.

Pilots of the future?
Amanda Scott had a 60 min flight in RAF Hawk Fast jet.  She reached 500mph and pulled 5G on one turn.  She goes to Cambridge to read engineering on an RAF Scholarship.

James Hopkinson so impressed the instructors on the Flight Simulator atRAF Valley, that he was invited back for a further session.  The simulator,built by British Aerospace is used to train all the fast jet pilots in the RAF.

If for any reason you can't find what you are looking for have a look in our alphabetical list, or contact us on the following email: info@kingschester.co.uk