Sew Long, Farewell Maggie

Huge congratulations to Maggie on achieving A*AB in her A Levels as well as A* in her Extended Project Qualification. Maggie is now off to study fashion design at the prestigious Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. She joined King’s in Year 7, where her art teacher quickly recognised her talent and encouraged her to push her boundaries and aim for Central Saint Martins—a goal for which Maggie is profoundly grateful. She recalls being shy when she first started, but King’s provided her with opportunities, including a scholarship and the role of prefect, which gave her the confidence to explore different experiences. “I am really glad that in the Sixth Form I was encouraged to step out of my comfort zone and try activities that the younger me wouldn’t have considered.”

Maggie has lived and breathed Art and DT during her time at King’s. “I either lived in the Art department or the DT department—sometimes until 8 pm! I could be burning canvases or doing veneers on wood.” One of her favourite memories is spending the Easter holidays in the DT department making furniture as part of a workshop, though this might also have something to do with the snacks provided by the DT teacher! Maggie advises, “Don’t take things for granted, as there are so many opportunities that King’s has to offer, and the time goes by really quickly, so you need to make the most of it.”

A*A*A for Fraser

Congratulations to Fraser, who is headed to King’s College London to study Computer Science after achieving a fabulous A*A*A. Fraser has been at King’s since Nursery and particularly valued “the small class sizes and individual attention – it was easy to ask questions and go to teachers after class for extra support”.

As the captain of the badminton team, Fraser enjoyed making rallying speeches to his team, which helped build his confidence in public speaking. He is now looking forward to the next chapter of his life and feels King’s has prepared him well, especially through the talks about university, CV workshops and interview practice.

From School Bag to Stethoscope

Congratulations to Head Boy Chris who will be studying Medicine at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Having joined King’s in Reception, Chris has been a Chorister, Choral Scholar and member of all the bands before becoming Prefect and ultimately Head Boy – despite confessing he was quite shy! He credits his success to King’s. “I enjoyed how at home I feel at King’s. I’m comfortable here, and sInce Senior School I’ve grown a lot in my ability to speak to people, whether that be strangers or adults. This has particularly helped me when applying for medicine.”

Chris remembers one of his highlights was returning to school after the COVID lockdowns and taking part in the Colour Run with all his friends. His advice for anyone joining the King’s school community: “Don’t be afraid to get stuck in, as there is so much to do. The more you put yourself out there and the more you’re willing to try new things, the better your experience will be”.

Head Girl Diving into the Future with AAB

Head Girl Liz is set to head to York to study Social and Public Policy, Ethics and Justice after
taking a gap year in Australia, where she will be learning to dive. Liz discovered her love for the water after spending time wild swimming with her dad in Scotland. Reflecting on her nine years at King’s, Liz fondly recalls how much she enjoyed “getting involved and the amount of things you can do here: the music, the drama and the people here really make King’s the special place that it is”.

Liz took part in as many co-curricular activities as possible, including drama, both front and backstage. As a music scholar, she participated in all the orchestras, the jazz band and the wind band. She also found time to play hockey for the first team. While Liz will miss the people most, she knows that she has made friends for life. She has valued her time here, saying King’s has “taught me resilience, perseverance, patience. The opportunities it has given me have set me up for life, and I am grateful”.

Cardiff Calls for Alfie

Alfie’s journey at King’s has been truly inspiring, as he successfully balanced representing Great Britain as a triathlete with his A Level studies. His commitment to both sport and academics is admirable, managing to perform well in his exams while training at an elite level.

Over his five years at King’s, Alfie embraced the many co-curricular opportunities, from the CCF to Business Enterprise Day, which he credits with helping him build a strong CV. Recent highlights include the moving Leavers’ cathedral service and celebrating A-Level results with friends in the Satis House gardens. Alfie advises current and future pupils, “Throw yourself into everything at King’s; there’s so much to do. And if you need help, just ask—the teachers are always there for you.”

As Alfie heads to Cardiff University to study Environmental Geoscience, we wish him every success in his studies and in his next race. His achievements as an international athlete and dedicated pupil have made us all proud.

Postgraduate Ambitions for Bonnie

Bonnie was thrilled to receive an offer to study Psychology with Child Development at York St John University, with plans to pursue a doctorate in Counselling and Psychology at the postgraduate level. After joining Sixth Form as a Chadlington Scholar, Bonnie has greatly valued “the atmosphere and environment and just everything that goes on at King’s”.

During her time at King’s, Bonnie participated in the drama production Moon Landing, served on the Charities Committee, and played hockey and netball. A highlight of her experience was House Music, and she fondly recalls the memorable day when pupils went into Rochester dressed as Ali G. Reflecting on her time here, Bonnie advises new pupils to “just enjoy the King’s experience while it lasts. You don’t realise how quickly these two years go, so you shouldn’t take it for granted. These two years have completely changed my life and everything around me. If I could do it again, I would.”

Bonnie will miss the people and teachers, but feels that King’s has prepared her well for the next stage of her life. “King’s has helped me grow my confidence a lot. It has improved my public speaking skills by giving me experience at events. Most importantly, it has made me an adult.”

Success for Summer with AAB

Summer proved today that hard work does pay off as she looks forward to reading Politics and International Relations at the London School of Economics. Joining King’s for Sixth Form, Summer threw herself into her studies alongside her passions, piano and debating. She advises, “You can still study hard and have a good time by making sure there is a balance of everything”.

In particular, Summar has valued the close-knit teaching environment at King’s. “I really like my teachers; they’re really friendly, and I enjoy how the classes are small, leading to a one to one learning experience”. When collecting her results today, Summer was delighted to celebrate her success with her friends. “I know how hard I have to work, and I know if I put in the effort – something I didn’t fully realise until today – it does get you where you need to be eventually’.

A Bright Future in Brighton

Nik is celebrating after being offered a place at his first choice, the University of Sussex, to study Economics. Reflecting on his time at King’s, Nik shared, “I’m incredibly grateful to the inspiring teachers at King’s who sparked my love for Economics and helped me achieve the A grade I needed to pursue my passion at university.”

Moving to King’s from a grammar school for Sixth Form, Nik has thoroughly enjoyed the extracurricular opportunities, particularly the CCF, hockey, cross country, and the fun of all the House events and competitions. Highlights include being part of the school band, supporting the drama productions and Open Mic Nights, as well as the whole Duke of Edinburgh experience.

His advice for new pupils: “Get involved in everything you can. Make the most of it, especially in your first year.” Though he will miss being with his friends every day, Nik feels well-prepared for the future. “King’s prepares you through interview practice and helps you figure out what you want to do next.”

Celebrations for Chloe

Chloe was celebrating after achieving ABB, which allows her to pursue her love of English Literature at Southampton University. Having been at King’s since Reception, Chloe was House Captain for Parker and has always enjoyed the competitiveness and good-natured rivalry of the House events, whether it was sports day, House music, or conkers.

Chloe has thrown herself into everything the school has to offer. “I have enjoyed the extracurricular activities – they have been really fun. I’ve been in the choir, always involved in the school play, and participated in a lot of sports. I was always on the sports teams, playing hockey, netball, and cricket. I would advise newcomers to just get stuck in. Some of my closest friends are those made while doing extracurricular activities.”

Chloe is sad to say goodbye to the teaching staff. “I love the teachers here – they are always really friendly. King’s has made me a well-rounded person. It’s about how to use your manners and interact with others. It has always been more than just academic learning.”

Passport to Success

Nathan will be heading to Aberdeen to read History and International Politics, but first he will be taking a gap year, spending six months in Australia and six months in Canada. Nathan joined in Year 5 and speaks fondly of his time here. “King’s is about the people you meet and the friends you make along the way. The close relationships you build with the teachers are also special—they’re always there to help with anything you need.”

“I got involved in everything music – all the choirs, orchestras, jazz bands, wind bands and brass groups. I did a lot of acting in my earlier years at King’s, and then transitioned to working behind the scenes, as deputy stage manager for three shows and crewed several others as assistant stage manager.” His highlights at King’s include proudly completing his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award and the annual Carol Service in the Cathedral.

His advice to others is simple: “Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The teachers really want to see you do your best, and they’re very approachable. They can help you with anything you need.”

Nathan feels the school has fully supported him with his next steps. “King’s has provided excellent career advice, so I understand exactly what I need to do after leaving. On days like this, I feel confident and well-prepared to secure my place at university. It was reassuring to know that if things hadn’t gone as planned, the staff were ready to guide me through the next steps, we all felt supported”.