King Edward's School, Birmingham

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King Edward's School, Birmingham
Motto Domine Salvum Fac Regem
(God save the King)
Established 1552
Type Public School
Chief Master John Allen Claughton
Founder King Edward VI
Location Edgbaston, Birmingham
West Midlands
Flag of England England
Staff 70 (approx.)
Students 800 (approx.)
Gender Boys
Ages 11 to 18
Houses 8
School colours          
Former pupils Old Edwardians
Affiliation Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Website www.kes.bham.sch.uk
Coordinates: 52°27′03″N 1°55′25″W / 52.4507, -1.9237

King Edward's School (KES) (grid reference SP052836) is an independent secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI in 1552. It is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham and is widely regarded as one of the most academically successful schools in the country according to various league tables. It was ranked 10th for A-Level results[1] and 40th for GCSE results[2] out of all schools in England in 2004.

It is a boys' school, although it occupies the same site as, and is twinned with, King Edward VI High School for Girls (KEHS), also one of the most academically successful schools in the UK. Whilst lessons and sports are taught separately, dramatic arts and music are often shared.

Contents

[edit] History

The School on New Street 1731-1834
The School on New Street 1731-1834

The Foundation was created on 2 January 1552 by Royal Charter of King Edward VI together with £20 per annum returned by The Crown for educational purposes. Five years earlier in 1547 the Act of Suppression, part of the wider Dissolution of the Monasteries, provided for the confiscation of all assets of religious guilds except an amount of land with an annual income of £21 (two thirds of the original lands) if the guild supported a school. The Guild of the Holy Cross in Birmingham had no school, but persuaded the Earl of Northumberland (also the lord of the manor of Birmingham) to release the land for the creation of a school. The charter of the free Grammer Schole of King Edward VI was issued on 2 January 1552, and the school came into being in the former guild building on New Street. By the 1680s there were neer 200 boys in the school and a Petty School (a feeder school) had been established by the foundation. [3]

The affairs of the school in the early part of the 18th Century were dominated by a quarrel between a governor and the headmaster, but this not withstanding, a new Georgian inspired building was built on the New Street site between 1731 and 1734. In the latter part of the 18th Century four separate elementary schools and a girls' school were set up by the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI. The school remained relatively stagnant after this until a new headmaster was appointed in 1834. He erected a new building, still on the same site, in the Gothic Style of architecture which was designed by Charles Barry (who subsequently designed the Palace of Westminster). From within this new landmark building came several changes to the structure of the school. Sports became an important feature in the school through games afternoons and the dominance of Classics was removed by the introduction of Mathematics and science lessons.[4]

Charles Barry's New Street School
Charles Barry's New Street School

By 1941 though, the old building on New Street had become a fire risk and plans were made by the then headmaster E.T. England to move to a new site in Edgbaston along with the girls school Yet, ironically the temporary buildings erected on the new site in 1936 burnt down. The school was forced to move, if only for a short period, to the University of Birmingham's Great Hall and surrounding buildings for a short period until new temporary buildings could be erected. The move was complicated by the outbreak of the Second World War and the subsequent evacuation of the pupils to Repton School for a short period. By 1940 though, enough of the new buildings designed by Holland W. Hobbiss had been built for the school to begin lessons. In 1945 the schools became Direct Grant schools which meant that the Governors had to relinquish some control over the running of the school.[5] The schools were finally completed around 1948 although the 1950s saw a period of expansion under the headmaster R.G. Lunt including the construction of a swimming pool and the construction of a Chapel from the remains of the Upper Corridor of the New Street building.[6] In 1976 the two schools became, once again, independent schools due to the termination of the Direct Grant scheme by the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson.[7] The school remains independent and is still situated on the Edgbaston site as of 2007.[8]

[edit] School buildings

[edit] The Chapel

The chapel
The chapel

The chapel, a Grade II* listed building, was originally the upper corridor of the 1838 Barry New Street school. It was moved to Edgbaston, rebuilt and renovated (1938-1940) by Holland W Hobbis (originally built by Charles Barry).

The Chapel is used for services every Wednesday morning (where Mass occurs)led by the school chaplain Reverend D. Raynor.

[edit] Appearances

The school buildings have been used in several film and television productions. They were used in the 1986 movie Clockwise starring John Cleese, supposedly as the University Of East Anglia. The school featured briefly in the 2006 Ray Winstone Channel 4 TV movie All in the Game. The school has also been used in several episodes of the BBC medical drama Doctors. The school grounds were also used to film a feature on the best British sports car on Top Gear, against a background of young school members playing rugby on a rainy day

[edit] School structure

Unlike most secondary schools, King Edward's does not use the modern year group names, e.g. Year 11, Year 12, etc.

The table below attempts to clarify the names used for the different classes:

Class Name Year
Shells 7
Removes (Rems) 8
Upper Middles (UMs) 9
Fourths (IVs) 10 First year of GCSE study
Fifths (Vths) 11 Second year of GCSE study
Divisions (Divs) 12 First year of A-level study
Sixths 13 Final year of A-level study

[edit] The house system

House Colour Headmaster
Cary Gilson Light Blue Robert Cary Gilson
Evans Green Charles Evans
Gifford Purple Edward Hamilton Gifford
Heath Yellow C.H. Heath
Jeune Red Francis Jeune
Levett White Rawdon Levett
Prince Lee Pink James Prince Lee
Vardy Dark Blue Albert Vardy

King Edward's has a house system, instigated in 1902 by the Chief Master, Robert Cary Gilson. Initially there were four houses: Red, Blue, Green and Yellow. In 1951 the number of Houses was extended to eight and it was decided that they should have permanent names. Six were named after former Chief Masters and two after assistant masters (Rawdon Levett and C. H. Heath). The Houses compete against one another every year to win the Cock House Trophy.

There are many events that boys take part in and get points for. These points are totalled up at the end of the year, and the House with the most points is declared the Cock House Champion. Each house has a distinctive set of 'colours' which are awarded to students for merit and commitment in representing the house in house matches. Each house also possesses its own 'house tie'. This tie's pattern consists of stripes of the house colour on a black background. Some houses award it for subjective merit, while others use a points system to award the tie. Only boys in the Fourths and above may wear a house tie. The most successful house on record, is Gifford, with 10 Cock house trophy wins in 31 years, their most recent being in 2007. Furthermore, the longest ever run of victories is 6 years in a row, achieved by Heath house 1998–2004.

[edit] Extracurricular activities

[edit] Sport

There are two main sports at KES; Rugby in the winter and Cricket in the summer. (Hockey is available as an option from third year onwards.) In the first and second years (Shells and Removes), there are up to six fully coached rugby teams, but from third year onwards there are only three. Other boys play Hockey, Basketball, Fencing and Swimming. In rare occasions, where boys are especially talented in several fields, they play those sports they excel in, as well as their chosen sport.

The annual rugby match against KES's main rivals Bromsgrove School is the highlight of the rugby season and is the longest running annual rugby fixture in the world.[citation needed] In 2002 the school won the English schools U19 water polo competition. The school runs a rugby tour to a major rugby-playing nation every two years. This tour is only open to the 1st and 2nd teams of that year.

The House system encourages participation in sport outside the weekly sports lessons. With autumn and winter competitions in rugby, hockey, tennis etc, pupils have the opportunity to participate in team competitions. In the summer, House activities such as the school's athletics competition, cross country races and House Swimming allow further sporting pursuit. The School makes use of its extensive sporting facilities which include a swimming pool, astroturf pitches (shared with KEHS), tennis courts, numerous rugby and cricket pitches (including additional training areas), an athletics track and Eton Fives courts. There are numerous sports in which pupils are able to participate, including: rugby, cricket, athletics, tennis, basketball, hockey, water polo and Eton Fives. The school also competes in national competitions of a more intellectual nature including chess, general challenge and debating.

Although football is not played as a sport in the school, the astroturf pitches, school parade ground and chapel wall are used by boys at lunchtime for a kickabout.

[edit] Music and Drama

KES/KEHS Christmas Concert
KES/KEHS Christmas Concert

There is a separate building on site housing the Music Department with facilities including a recital/rehearsal auditorium and a computer lab equipped with keyboard input. In addition, the school supports two full orchestras (in association with King Edward's High School for Girls), conducted by Peter Bridle, MBE; the more advanced of which has performed such advanced works as Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World". There are also two wind/brass ensembles also in association with KEHS, and the senior members of both schools can join the Choral Society, a choir of 80-100 people which has sung such works as Carl Orff's Carmina Burana and Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. KES also has its own Choir, which sings at the Founder's Day prizegiving, the Christmas Carol service held in St. Philip's Cathedral in the centre of Birmingham, and at the Christmas and Summer concerts. The school holds four concerts every year; two at the Adrian Boult Hall and one at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham. The Drama Society at KES has performed a musical every year since the 1980s. 2006 saw a production of Little Shop of Horrors by the senior part of the school, and Vanity Fair by the junior part of the school.

[edit] Visits and expeditions

Cycle Touring in Normandy
Cycle Touring in Normandy

In the Shells boys take part in a three-day camping trip in Staffordshire, cooking their own evening meals. In the Removes each form has a five-day youth hostel visit in the Lake District or Snowdonia. This is alongside individual department field trips such as annual Geography and Biology field trips along with exchanges with foreign students.

The annual expeditions programme includes cycle tours, visits to Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe Ardèche adventure weeks in France, ski and snow-shoe trips, and visits to Normandy and the Bay of Naples. The school has operated annual cycle tours since 1995. Past tours have included Sustrans routes such as the Coast to Coast, Hull to Felixstowe and Kingfisher Trail in Ireland. The school has twice toured from Land's End to John O'Groats and a third tour will take place in 2008.

[edit] CCF and Duke of Edinburgh's Award

King Edward's School has had a Combined Cadet Force (CCF) since 1906 and it is currently a voluntary organisation. The CCF consists of three sections; The RAF, The Royal Navy section and the Army section. The CCF conduct their training on Friday afternoons and expeditions take place throughout the year. The Royal Naval section is currently affiliated with HMS Daring along with several other organisations in the Midlands.[9]

The contingent is part of 143 West Midlands Brigade and the contingent are represented at the Brigade competitions by members of all three sections. In 2006 the contingent won all the matches at the CCF Skill at Arms competition, the Military Skills competition and various first aid titles. The CCF is closely linked with the The Duke of Edinburgh's Award within the school. In 2006 KES CCF celebrated its centenary Review. The Inspecting Officer for the centenary review was the then Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Adrian Johns.

The school operates the Duke of Edinburgh's Award at Bronze, Silver and Gold level. Expedition training away from school at Bronze level takes place during seven weekends so that as many boys as possible may participate. The Gold expedition in 2008 will visit the French Pyrenees.

[edit] Clubs and Societes

There is a range of around 40 school groups, clubs and societies at the school. Including; Greek Reading, Graphic Universe, Warhammer, Living History Re-Enactment, Junior and Senior Debating Society, Dramatic Society, Classic Film Society, Book Club and Archery. There are also several school choirs. Mentoring societies, with the aim of helping students in their studies, run weekly in respective subjects with a special group devoted to helping first years.

[edit] Fees

As an independent selective school, tuition fees are payable for students, unlike the other King Edward VI grammar schools in Birmingham. Fees for pupils during the 2007/2008 academic year are £8,550 per annum. Scholarships and Bursaries are awarded.

[edit] School songs

There are two school songs:

  • King Edward's School Song
    • Written by Alfred Hayes, O.E. (1857-1936), composed by A. Somervell.
    • A rousing, if somewhat clichéd, song, sung mainly at the end of term, usually with high-spirited boys placing particular emphasis on the line "some to failure, SOME TO FAME!".
    • A fourth verse was dropped from the song when the School moved from its City location to Edgbaston.
  • The Quatercentenary Song
    • Written in Latin by Roger Dunt (1900-63), composed by Dr. Willis Grant (1907-81).
    • Sung at Founder's Day, the annual commemoration in October of King Edward's birthday, and at the school's Speech Day. It is also sung at various other award ceremonies. An extra verse was written for the visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II on November 3, 1955.

[edit] Notable Old Edwardians

[edit] Academics

[edit] Entertainment

[edit] Politics

[edit] Sport

  • Vikram Banerjee, First Class Cricket, (Cambridge University, Gloucestershire)
  • Anurag Singh, First Class Cricket, Cambridge University Captain (1997 and 1998), Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire
  • Alan Smith, England Test Cricket player (England, Warwickshire and Oxford University), first CEO of the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB) now known as the ECB.
  • Mark Wagh, First Class Cricket - Oxford University Captain (1997), Warwickshire
  • Ossie Wheatley, First Class Cricket (Cambridge University, Warwickshire and Glamorgan), Former Test Selecter and Chairman of the TCCB.
  • Miles Benjamin, Professional rugby player for Worcester Wariorrs.

[edit] Other

[edit] Notable masters

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ A-Level results league table. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-07-09.
  2. ^ GCSE results league table. BBC. Retrieved on 2007-07-09.
  3. ^ Trott, pictoral history of school, A brief history (chapter 1)
  4. ^ No Place for Fop or Idler p.79-91
  5. ^ No Place... Chap 8, p.92-103
  6. ^ No Place... p.109-114
  7. ^ No Place... p.121
  8. ^ KES website. King Edwards School. Retrieved on 2007-07-10.
  9. ^ HMS DARING - Affiliations. Royal Navy. Retrieved on 2007-11-20.

[edit] References

  • Trott, Tony (2007). Images of England: King Edward's School Birmingham. Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7524-2448-4. 
  • Waterhouse, Rachel (1983). King Edward High School Birmingham 1883-1983. 
  • Trott, Anthony (1992). No Place for Fop or Idler; The story of King Edward's School, Birmingham. James and James (publishing) Ltd. ISBN 0907383319. 

[edit] External links