THE KING'S SCHOOL, HARPENDEN
An Independent Christian School
WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING
IT'S CHRISTMAS - TIME TO CELEBRATE
2023
The last week of the Autumn Term brought all our Christmas celebrations together:
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The Nativity play, performed by our youngest pupils in KS1 and Foundation Class, was enjoyed by the whole school, parents and at our Senior Citizens' Christmas Party.
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The Primary School put on their Christmas jumpers for a day and made Christmas crafts and presents, finishing with class parties.
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Year 6 went carol singing at Spire Hospital.
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Local senior citizens enjoyed a party of games, food and watching the Nativity, hosted by Mrs Hart and our Year 10 class.
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The celebrations finished with our School Carol Service, where pupils, staff and parents worshiped together, thanking God for the the birth of our Saviour, Jesus.
TRIP TO ROMAN
ST ALBANS 2023
Year 4 became historians for the day, immersing themselves in the Roman city of Verulamium, now St. Albans. They met a Roman Soldier in St Albans Cathedral, visited a Hypocaust, explored the Verulamium Museum and a Roman Theatre! This was an excellent way to make our history topic on the Romans come to life. A trip to remember!
PRODUCE FOR LOCAL FOODBANK 2023
This year the whole school donated food items to support the local foodbank - ‘The King’s Pantry’. John Swain (pictured), from Bethany Church, came to collect the food and shared in assembly about the work they are doing, in partnership with Salvation Army, to support those in need in the local area.
FIREWORKS EVENING 2023
On November 4th, The King's School PTC hosted an unforgettable fireworks display! The event dazzled us with its incredible sights and sounds while we indulged in tasty hot dogs. The atmosphere was alive with joy as children, adults, and families came together, making it a night filled with laughter and cherished moments!
GCSE POTTERY CLASSES 2023
The Year 10s GCSE Art group have been to pottery at The Oval and have all learned how to throw a pot on the wheel as well as many other skills. It is a wonderful opportunity for them to create in an environment where they not only learn more about how to create beautiful things but also about our Creator. "… and yet you oh Lord are our Creator, you are the Potter and we are the clay." Isaiah 64:8
ISA ART COMPETITION 2023
We took some of the students work to represent the school at the London North ISA Independent School Association Art Exhibition & Competition. Two pieces came first in their class and went on to the Nationals - by Iara DeJong & by Joel Lythe.
YEAR 6 EVACUEE DAY 2023
Year 6 had an exciting and sobering day in September. We dressed up in plain (1940s) clothing, brought a small case or pillowcase for a few items, and made identification labels and boxes for gas masks to help us imagine how it felt for children from British towns and cities to be evacuated to the countryside during the World War II. We listened to and created the famous broadcasts through the wireless, and we experienced what an air raid may have been like and sheltered in the boiler room in the basement of the school.
FRENCH SPEAKING EXCHANGE
In October our Swiss partners arrived in Harpenden and they visited Cambridge, Brighton and London. In November Year 10 visited Switzerland for the exchange with ‘La Bergerie’ school. We walked by the lake and explored a castle – it was interesting and very historic. We also visited a chocolate factory, and the chocolate was delicious! The Swiss families are great, and we took lots of photos of the region.
ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS INTERNATIONAL STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE, HUNGARY 2023
In September, ten students from Yrs 10 & 11 attended the ACSI Student Leadership Conference in Hungary, an experience which enriched their relationship with God, as well as their leadership skills. Schools from 12 different countries were represented, providing an international flavour and opportunity to communicate with students with multiple languages and cultures. The conference offered a diverse range of activities, including worship sessions, talks, discussion groups and workshops. Worship sessions were powerful, bringing a new sense of freedom to the students. The discussion groups were student-led, giving a more relaxed and comfortable forum for open discussion. Workshops were varied, interactive and informative; led by staff members from participating schools. Through all these activities, our students gained valuable insights and strategies for effective leadership.
FUN FOR ALL AT OUR ANNUAL FUN DAY 2023
What a lovely way to enjoy our beautiful grounds and meet with friends. There was a delicious cream tea with homemade scones, along with savoury snacks, cake competitions, Business Studies marketing endeavours, sponge throwing to victims in stocks, table tennis, tug-of-war, face painting, bouncy castle, teddy zip-wiring… and so much more.
Sincere and special thanks to the PTC for organising a lovely afternoon, and particular heartfelt thanks to Mrs Natalie Edwards who has led the PTC for the last 3 years and is stepping down now that her Year 11 daughter has left the school.
YEAR 11 LEAVERS' DINNER 2023
On the evening of Thursday 22nd June the school and Year 10 hosted a meal and gathering for our Year 11’s to say goodbye and wish them well for the future. The warm summer evening with a delicious 3 course meal, a beautifully decorated marquee and a 360° video photo experience, it was a really special evening. Although it is always sad to see another year group leave the school, we have been very blessed to be part of their school journey. We wish them every blessing for the future.
FUN & GAMES FOR KS2 AT
WILLEN PARK & NINJA WARRIOR
2023
What a delightful day it was as students from Years 3 to 6 embarked on their end-of-year trip filled with fun and excitement. From climbing on the play equipment to engaging in friendly football at Willen Park, the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves, taking pleasure in conversation and expending their youthful energy. A picnic lunch brought everyone together before embarking on the Ninja Warrior challenge. With determination and courage, they pushed themselves to their personal limits and gave their best efforts to conquer the course. The day highlighted their strength and resilience, and the spirit of camaraderie was evident as they supported and encouraged one another.
ARTS FESTIVALS & CONCERTS
2023
Our Primary and Secondary Arts Concerts marked the culmination of two weeks of Arts Festivals. Throughout the festivals, students had the opportunity to share their music, art, dance and other talents. During the weeks they performed to fellow students and teacher judges, who carefully selected the participants for the concerts. The concerts themselves were a source of pride for parents, teachers and students alike. It was heart-warming to witness the exceptional talents on display, shining a spotlight on the remarkable abilities within our school community. These concerts provide a special opportunity to appreciate talents that we don't often get to see, highlighting the richness of creativity in our school.
FOUNDATION & KS1 VISIT THE ZOO!
2023
Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 had a fantastic trip to Whipsnade Zoo. It was a lot of walking but it was worth it to see some amazing animals like a tiger, penguins, hippos, bears and elephants. We learned some interesting facts on the way around and we discovered that Mr Reeves is only just taller than a baby giraffe!
BIG CHURCH FESTIVAL 2023
Mrs Fetuga, Trustee, Ms Townsend, Deputy Head, and Mrs Hylton, PA to Headteacher, went to the Big Church Festival to spread the good news about The King’s School and Christian Education. We took a cup stacking game which was very popular with children and teenagers. We had an hourly league table offering a prize to the speediest stacker each hour. This in turn gave us opportunity to share about The King’s School with their parents.
CELEBRATION OF THE CORONATION OF
KING CHARLES III 2023
The Primary School marked the coronation of King Charles III with a fun day of activities and crafts to celebrate the day. The children decorated biscuits, created Coronation Carriages, made soldiers out of Hama Beads and did silhouette art. They listened to some of the music used in the Coronation and learned about the traditions and the Crown Jewels used in the service. The school’s coronation celebration coincided with our Year 11s last school day. Their special Leavers’ Day had an extra twist as all pupils and staff dressed up in red, white and blue to celebrate the King’s coronation. Following the traditional Leavers’ assembly and them beating the staff team in a (close) volleyball match, there was a surprise for all the pupils as two ice cream vans drove onto our site, with their music playing. The Primary pupils were on the field playing at the time and the screams of delight were audible across the school! Everyone was treated to an ice cream and a commemorative bookmark.
YEAR 9 OUTDOOR PURSUITS TRIP 2023
22 Year 9 pupils and 3 staff ventured along the M4 for our annual outdoor pursuits trip. During our 4 days of challenging activities, we enjoyed periods of beautiful sunshine as well as enduring heavy downpours. Activities included rock climbing, mountain walking, abseiling, gorge walking and canoeing. It was the last of these that brought the most spectacular weather, with thunder and lightning causing us to shelter on the side of the River Wye whilst we waited for the worst of the storm to pass. There was so much rain that afternoon that it hit the news due to flash floods in the streets! The gorge walking is generally the pupils’ favourite, with many & varied challenges, including crawling under a waterfall, as shown in the picture. We also had lots of fun at Woodcroft Christian Centre, where we were staying, with pool and badminton the most popular. We cooked our own meals and enjoyed bible studies together in the evening.
YEARS 5 & 6 RESIDENTIAL TRIP TO WOODROW HIGH HOUSE 2023
What a full and varied time our Year 5s and 6s had during their residential activities week at Woodrow High House, Amersham. There were activities to challenge, inspire, conquer exhilarate and exhaust us all! We took to the skies on the high ropes, which scared lots of
us, but proved that when we work together and encourage each other we can succeed and overcome. Bushcraft and building shelters taught us the value of all the resources that the world offers; and the night walks and orienteering made us use and rely on our natural senses. Archery, making catapults, ‘Wacky-Races’, games, camp fires, balancing on crates 11 high, rope bridges - we were at different times pushed beyond our comfort our comfort zones and encouraged in teamwork, listening and following instructions. Throughout the week we looked at The Lord’s Prayer and prayed for God’s kingdom to come here on earth. We learned to distinguish between wants and needs, and to desire spiritual fruits and gifts, not just material ones.
PRIMARY INTERNATIONAL WEEK 2023
During the week we travelled the globe to learn about life in other countries, including Brazil, Hawaii, Spain, Italy, Jamaica and Japan. On Friday we shared together in a wonderful assembly with each class presenting facts they had learned throughout the week. We shared together in worship with fellow Christians in Kenya and then we danced our way out of assembly with the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda. Friday evening saw the school community coming together to enjoy bring 'n share culinary dishes from around the world and our global knowledge was tested in quizzes led by what they pupils had learned.
Secondary Cultural Day
The Secondary School introduced their own Culture Day on the Friday. They all had the opportunity to either dress in their own national dress or a country of their choice. Pupils were asked to donate £2 in support of the Red Cross Syria & Turkey Earthquake Appeal. The Inclusion and Diversity Student Voice Group also led assembly, informing us about different cultures and festivals around the world. This was followed by food tasting from the continents of Africa, America, Europe and Asia. The day was a huge success with some amazing national dress.
40th ANNIVERSARY 2022
The King's School is 40 years old! We have been so blessed by God's faithfulness over the years and we celebrated together on a sunny Saturday afternoon with cream tea and cakes. It was wonderful to meet up with past pupils, parents and staff as we reminisced, shared stories and praised God for His goodness. We heard from the Trustees the future vision of the school, what may be in store in the years ahead and where God is leading us. Mr Steve Beegoo, CEO of Christian Schools' Trust, was the guest speaker who delivered an inspiring talk.
ANYONE FOR TEA? 2022
On the Friday before Whitsun half-term we celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and her dedication of service to our country. With china tea cups and cakes galore, patriotic bunting and everyone dressed in red, white and blue on the gorgeous, sunny afternoon. The pupils got into mixed aged groups to enjoy some 1950s playground games, including Bull Dog, Skipping and Hoopla. They then joined their well-fed parents in listening to a concert of items from the recent Secondary Arts Festival, punctuated by some items from the Primary school, which included a poem about the Queen, an energetic dance and a recital of ‘The Gruffalo’ by Year 1! Finishing with us all joining in song to sing the national anthem.
HARPENDEN SOCIETY WRITING COMPETITION 2022
A number of Harpenden Secondary schools took part in a writing competition run by The Harpenden Society. Each age group was judged by writing professionals, who made encouraging comments about the standard of the pieces and language devices used. Two of our pupils came in 2nd and 3rd. Well done both on your achievements.
'THE LEGEND OF TROY' SCHOOL PRODUCTION 2022
Tuesday 29th & Wednesday 30th March saw the performance of ‘The Legend of Troy’ by our Years 6-11 pupils. This musical theatre production was written by our very own Mr Burrett, who not only scripted the play but also composed all the music, and wrote the lyrics for the beautiful songs too!
The performers were brilliant, the backstage crew and artists were amazing, and we all thoroughly enjoyed the story played out by our talented pupils.
WORLD BOOK DAY 2022
World Book Day started at The King’s School with the talented Mr André SaxMan Brown (one of our parents) serenading the pupils with his wonderful saxophone playing as they arrived dressed in their favourite book characters. The day was punctured periodically with DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) which the Secondary School also participated in. The Primary School then had a whole week of activities, all endorsing the joy of books, stories and reading, with staff members visiting each class to read them a story or excerpt from a book, and parents coming in to read with their children. Each class decorated their classroom door to represent a particular book. The Book of the Week was “When a Tiger Came to Tea”, with the children enjoying tea parties and activities surrounding the story. Mr André SaxMan Brown again played his sax as the children arrived on the last day of Book Week, which was then followed by a special assembly.
MR CLIVE CASE RETIRES AS PRINCIPAL 2020
After nearly 21 and a half years as Principal of The King's School and Highfield Preschool, Mr Clive Case stepped down from this position and passed the baton of leadership onto Mr Andy Reeves, our new Headteacher. COVID-19 social distancing restrictions prevented us from having the planned gatherings to thank and honour Mr Case for his service to the school. However, the staff were able to gather together for a picnic on his last day - all seated 2 metres apart! We have not lost him completely as he still teaches RS, Geography and PSHE in the Secondary School, and his wife, Mrs Sandra Case, continues as Manager of Highfield Preschool. The last Whole School Assembly as Principal had to be done on Zoom! Videos and photos charting Mr Case's time as Principal were shown, with songs and tributes from pupils & staff, and a photobook gift was given which included messages from pupils and parents. Thank you Mr Case for the godly and humble way you have led and built the school.
