Headmaster's Report

Headmaster's Report t is almost incredible to believe new school information manage- that this is my fourth year back ment system, all introduced this Iat King’s. In September 2011, I September, say much about the started my first Prize-Giving Speech school’s confidence and ambition, with a quotation from Aristotle: ‘We but they also speak volumes about are what we repeatedly do. Excellence the tremendous commitment and then is not an act, but a habit.’ Little hard work of my colleagues. did I realise that three short years later The last couple of years have seen the school would be launching King’s some major improvements in our Learning Habits, an initiative designed infrastructure. We have completed to promote and develop the key learn- the netball and junior cricket facili- ing skills of collaboration, reasoning, ties at Fence Avenue, refreshed and questioning, reflection and resilience. rearranged our Infant and Junior These Learning Habits will consciously accommodation and upgraded our underpin all we do at King’s and build dining halls on both sites. In the further on the excellent strides we summer term we opened the new have been making to develop lively facilities on Westminster Road and it and enquiring minds and to nurture has been one of the delights of the ambitious and well-rounded individu- new school year to see boys and girls als. from across the Foundation using Growing and developing as a the area to the full, made possible school is much the same as grow- by our new timetable arrangements. ing and developing as a person. You Over the summer, the ‘temporary’ have to be prepared to take on new ATCO building on Coare Street was challenges, to experiment and to take removed, allowing us to re-house the risks. Change is an essential ingredi- Medical Centre, Learning Support, ent of life. The new timetable and Careers Office and Girls’ changing school day, new curriculums in the rooms as well as to improve the look The King’s School in Macclesfield Junior and Senior Divisions and our of the school. Contents Headmaster’s Report 1 A welcome and overview of the year Hail & Farewell 4 Staff who have joined or left King’s this academic year Creative Work 10 Highlights from this year’s creative work Performing Arts 21 A selection of King’s music and drama events Academic Highlights 28 Spotlight on four of our academic departments Events & Activities 36 A selection of our many events and activities from the year Challenge & Enrichment 48 An overview of our Challenge & Enrichment programme Community Activities 52 Highlights of King's contributions to the wider community Sports 56 A comprehensive review of the year’s sporting successes Awards & Prizes 88 Celebrating this year’s award and prize winners 1 Headmaster's Report The new academic year is a time for lor Janet Jackson succeeds Councillor A* and 54% at A*/A, last year’s Up- welcoming new colleagues and for re- Lloyd Roberts as Mayor of Maccles- per Sixth not only set new records, cording our thanks to those who have field and it is a particular pleasure to but obliterated those of their pre- left us. Last year saw the retirement of welcome her as the embodiment of decessors. All twelve pupils holding a number of long-serving colleagues the very special relationship between conditional offers from Oxford and including Paul Halewood and Diane the school and its home town. Cambridge secured their places and Barker, both long-standing contribu- I was delighted when earlier this crucially all of our students who tors to the school’s sporting and pasto- year Stephen Wright and Chris King chose to go to university this year ral life. Peter Illingworth retired after a agreed to join the Governing Body. have been able to do so with two- remarkable thirty-four years’ service to Stephen’s qualifications as both a thirds heading for Russell Group the school during which time he un- retired Head of Merchant Taylors’ institutions. Meanwhile, records were dertook a formidable array of positions School in Northwood and a Former also broken at GCSE: almost a third of including Head of Year, Senior Subject Pupil speak for themselves, but we all entries achieved an A* and two- Teacher for Physics, Assistant Time- are especially grateful to him for thirds an A*/A. The pupils far exceed- tabler and Chief Star Gazer as Master agreeing to Chair the Education ed their MidYis and Yellis baseline i/c Astronomy. Amongst other leavers, Committee and to foster our links predictions, meaning that the School Simon Mercer departed to pursue his with the Merchant Taylors’ Company. can be proud of the job it has done musical freelance career and Mark Chris King is Headmaster of Leicester in adding value. We should also note Robinson was promoted to the newly Grammar School, which relocated to James Shering’s special achievement created position of Head of Humani- its fabulous new site at Great Glen in in being one of only eight candidates ties at Ruthin School. You will find full 2008. Chris’s success in mastermind- in an entry of over 21,000 to achieve tributes to these and other colleagues ing this multi-million pound project full marks in the AQA L2 certificate in in the following pages. achieved due recognition this year Further Mathematics. I should also at this point formally when he was elected as the next The cultural life of the school welcome a number of new faces to Chairman of the Headmasters’ and flourishes not in spite of our pupils’ the Governing Body. Ian Bradley joins Headmistresses’ Conference. King’s is academic success, but because of us as the nominee of the University especially fortunate in having such an the interdependence between what of Manchester where he is Head of experienced and dedicated Govern- happens inside and outside the class- Academic Services in the Engineering ing Body and in welcoming these new room. Pupils and staff with dramatic, Faculty. Dr Louise Brown has been members I should thank all our Gov- musical, artistic and technical talents nominated by Cheshire East Local Au- ernors for their service to the school. work together to produce quite out- thority where she serves as a Maccles- It is with considerable satisfaction standing results. The cast of produc- field ward councillor and Vice Chair that I am able to record the fantastic tions as exceptional as this year’s of the Audit and Governance Com- results achieved by our students in Pirates of Penzance, Wind in the mittee. Steve Webb joins us from the this summer’s public examinations. Willows, Hansel and Gretel, Aschen- business world and brings a wealth of With almost a quarter of all A levels at puttel (the German department’s financial and IT experience as well as retelling of the Cinderella story) and twelve years as a Governor of Christ’s Hospital School in Horsham. Council- 2 Headmaster's Report Alice in Wonderland gain much more to receive the ‘Excellence in Social year commended as splendid a team than another statistic; they gain the Inclusion Award’ at a ceremony in the of young rugby players as our U11 appreciation of delighted audiences House of Commons. Fittingly, Harry side who managed the triple of an and the experience of working and himself collected the award on our unbeaten season, victory in the AJIS performing together. Musical high- behalf. Sevens and triumph in the AJIS 12-a- lights this year have included the Part of Harry’s fundraising involves side competition. The Girls’ Sports fabulous ‘Raise the Roof’ Concert in his work as a talented young artist Dinner in July was a wonderful February with proceeds to St Mi- and it was with enormous pride that opportunity for us to appreciate the chael’s Parish Church Roof Appeal, our fabulous art department was girls, staff and coaches for a fabulous ‘King’s Swings’ in May with proceeds invited by Jobling Gowler Solicitors year as they prepare for their Sports in aid of the East Cheshire Hospice, on Park Lane to exhibit our students’ Tour to Barbados. and the extraordinarily powerful work as part of their annual art exhi- But the highlight of my year ‘King’s Sings’ in the summer term bition. The Private View was an affair remains the extraordinary King’s with proceeds to Live at Home, a lo- worthy of the National Gallery and Has Talent in March. Inspired by the cal charity and the Dalit Partnership, Harry’s painting took pride of place Friends of King’s and organised by a which raises funds to enable Dalit as the subject of a blind auction with remarkable group of Sixth Formers, girls to have a secondary education. proceeds to the Seashell Trust. The it remains the best single evening’s The school as a whole has raised work of our artists always impresses entertainment of my career. It was £32,000, all in support of good causes me and not least because it testifies to an evening of celebration, of compe- largely selected by the pupils them- a level of ability far removed from my tition and pure, unbridled fun. It was selves. As I have said before, what we own. That ability is fostered by some an evening that brought together an do for others says much about who extraordinarily committed colleagues audience from across the school’s we are and I, for one, am delighted to who rejoice in the achievements of divisions to witness a range of gifted work with colleagues who constantly their pupils such as Alex Barlow who acts from stand-up comedy and remind us of our obligations to the won an international glass art compe- magic to music and extreme acrobat- less fortunate.

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