Three pupils were honoured to receive a Velvet Cap at Senior Speech Day on Saturday 4 July. The Velvet Cap is the highest honour in co-curricular activities, awarded to pupils who have represented their country at the highest level. Caps were awarded to Toby, Alex and Saha.
Toby S (U6) is a member of the National Youth Wind Orchestra. Toby was a chorister at his previous school for four years and performed successfully in numerous choral festivals before joining King’s. He began playing the French Horn in Year 6 and recently achieved a Distinction in Grade 8. He played with the Kent Youth Wind Orchestra last summer and reached the final of the Medway Rotary Young Musician of the Year competition twice. He is looking forward to attending a course with the National Youth Wind Orchestra in August.
Alex M (L5) was a chorister and delivered solo performances at several prestigious events, including the Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Service (2022) and King Charles III’s Coronation Service (2023) in Rochester Cathedral.
He spent two consecutive years as a member of the National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain (2022 and 2023), where highlights included a memorable concert at Goldsmiths, University of London, alongside celebrated cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. As a regular participant at Kent Music Summer School in Benenden, Alex has developed a broad musical skill set across wind band, jazz, and songwriting since 2021. Currently performing with the Kent Youth Wind Orchestra (2023–2025), Alex has appeared in joint Christmas concerts with the acclaimed Eynsford Concert Band. In March 2025, he successfully auditioned for the National Youth Wind Orchestra and will spend a week with their main orchestra in August at Stamford School in Lincolnshire.
Saha K (U5) started playing tennis when he was three. He was four-time national champion at U12 and U14 level in Sri Lanka, as well as two-time national champion with his twin brother Tyee in the doubles. In the UK he has joined the county team and reached the finals in several tournaments, including the County Cup held in Surbiton. After rigorous trials Saha was selected to play for Sri Lanka in the 2025 Junior Davis Cup in Malaysia where he reached the semi-finals beating top players on the way before eventually losing to the International Tennis Federation U18 world number 200. He is currently ranked Number 1 in Sri Lanka at U16 level.
We are incredibly proud of all that our three Velvet Cap winners have achieved and look forward to following their progress in the future.
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