We all remember The Hill Magazine. In recent times KHS have started producing their version of it.
After a full year of construction delighted pupils are now receiving Mathematics and Science classes in a brand new, state-of-the-art building. Opening celebrations involving parents, VIPs, alumni and friends of the school left everyone wide-eyed and smiling. It was a true pleasure to welcome back Hillians from throughout the years who came together to share in this momentous occasion in Kingham Hill history.
After a year of construction and many more of planning, the first major step for Kingham Hill's 2020 Vision has been completed with the opening of The Veritas Building.
Our architect, Mark Foley, has worked hard to develop a scheme that preserves the coherence of the School's architectural and aesthetic appeal. The exterior of this building has been sensitively finished with a combination of Cotswold stone and timber, enabling it to blend seamlessly with its surroundings. The design of the building echoes the features of other properties on the site, uniting the different architectural styles to create a cohesive scheme across the estate.
Kingham Hill School has been awarded a tree pack which The Woodland Trust has sent out commemorate the beginning of WW1.
We will receive a pack of 420 tree saplings about 20cm high. The plan is to plant these as a hedgerow along the School's new boundary (the field between Plymouth and the Headmaster's house) Once the hedge grows this boundary can be opened as a lane for walking/running/mountain biking etc.
Each boarding house will be planting trees this Remembrance Sunday as a living memorial to the Old Boys who died in the War. We would like to extend this invitation for Hillians to attend and plant a tree in remembrance. This will be taking place at 2pm on Sunday 9 November based at the Headmaster's house. Please do come along with wellies and a spade!
RESULTS
JUNIOR MATCH years 7 & 8:
U12/13's Latimer V Greenwich
WINNING TEAM: Greenwich
A very strongly fought game ending with no goals being scored either side at full time causing it to go to penalties. Greenwich won on sudden death penalties.
INTER MATCH year 9:
U14's Latimer 3 V Greenwich 9
WINNING TEAM: Greenwhich
This was a tight competition....
Plymouth vs Clyde
The match started off fairly evenly but soon Clyde, through Luke Maslen, started to up their game. With his side steps and game management Clyde began to take the lead scoring try after try. Ed Thompson was hard to hold back, scoring several tries. Plymouth clung on with determination, continuing to threaten with their captain, Thomas Barbour, leading from the front. But unfortunately they couldn't convert their possession and threats into points.
We were very pleased to invite back some of our new Hillians on Friday night at the Young Hillians’ and Sixth Form Barbeque. It was a lovely warm evening at the cricket pavilion with old and new KHS pupils socialising with excellently barbequed food. Libby, Rachel, Bryony, Richard, Millie and Kiefer all made an appearance and it was great to find out about what they have been up to this summer and their plans for this year. Universities, jobs, gap year travels and lots of exciting prospects seem to be on the horizon for them! We look forward to seeing them again and many more Hillian’s across the generations at the Annual Autumn Reunion and Rohilla Day on the 28th of September.
We were very pleased to invite back some of our new Hillians on Friday night at the Young Hillians’ and Sixth Form Barbeque. It was a lovely warm evening at the cricket pavilion with old and new KHS pupils socialising with excellently barbequed food. Libby, Rachel, Bryony, Richard, Millie and Kiefer all made an appearance and it was great to find out about what they have been up to this summer and their plans for this year. Universities, jobs, gap year travels and lots of exciting prospects seem to be on the horizon for them! We look forward to seeing them again and many more Hillian’s across the generations at the Annual Autumn Reunion and Rohilla Day on the 28th of September.
John Gibbons (KHS 2000-2007), in his promotional role with BMW, is tasked with the enviable job of promoting the new BMW i8 by driving it around Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire and photographing it in a variety of locations that fans of the new supercar are challenged to identify! We were delighted to welcome John to KHS earlier this week and to catch up with what he has been doing since his time on the Hill.
It is always good to keep in touch with Hillians. John was part of the US Pentathlon Team until very recently and is remembered for keeping his fencing coach, Mr Mulholland, very much on his toes!
Kingham Hill School recently celebrated a milestone in its history with the laying of the cornerstone for its new Mathematics and Science building. Professor Joss Bland-Hawthorn (Plymouth, Greenwich 1970-1977), Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Sydney and former Kingham Hill School pupil, was guest of honour and laid the cornerstone of the £4 million building.
There have been some visible changes to the building site in March. Last Monday the concrete base was poured: 45 cement lorries worth of concrete poured, with a lorry arriving on site every 12 minutes. A large crane arrived on site yesterday and has begun to unload the timber frame of the building. The frame will begin to go up over the Easter holidays and the site will look very different when the pupils return for the Trinity term.
On Saturday 22 March, we were delighted to host the annual sixth form quiz night, welcoming old boys and current pupils for a great evening’s entertainment. With Mexican themed food, and cakes and treats supplied by the Eden Farm team, everyone was well feed by the time the quiz got underway.
Building contractors, Beard, are making good progress on the new Mathematics and Science building despite difficult weather conditions over the winter months. The build remains on schedule and will be open later this year. Please see the latest Beard newsletter, available here, for further information.
On Saturday 8 March 2014, we are delighted to be hosting a touring production of Three Witnesses at Kingham Hill School. We have a limited number of tickets available to members of the public priced at £5. To book please email or telephone Mrs Harriet Dearden 01608 731880.
Our second careers spotlight dinner this year will take place on Friday 31 January at 7:00pm at KHS. The focus of this dinner is healthcare, so if you work in this industry and would like to share your experiences with current KHS pupils, please do get in touch by contacting Harriet Dearden in the Development Office.
Headmaster, Nick Seward, will be visiting the USA at the beginning of December, and as part of his trip would be very interested to meet any KHS former pupils who live in the States. He will be in the Washington DC area as well as Boston, Massachusetts during the course of his stay, before flying north to Woodstock, Ontario in Canada for the Havelock Farm reunion. If you would like to attend the alumni gathering, which will take place near Washington DC, or arrange a individual meeting, please do get in touch with Harriet Atkinson.
Bradford House recently enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of autumnal activities as part of a new Boarding Cup competition. As the Housemaster of Bradford, Graham Lane, explains: "As we are based in the beautiful surroundings of the Cotswolds, which we often take for granted, the weekend of 5 October held a number of activities for us to engage and appreciate the nature around us. The boys took part in a number of activities, many to produce goods to enjoy later; such as apple picking and pressing to make juice; and to brighten up the community, planting bulbs and tidying the house garden. It was a greatly enjoyable day and a real house spirit was felt throughout!"
It was a glorious autumn afternoon, making it a real joy to work outdoors and enjoy the fresh air. Part of the competition also involved the Houses decorating the Chapel for the Harvest service the following day. Using local produce, foliage and a few other props, the Chapel looked stunning.
The next rounds of the Boarding Cup for Juniors and Seniors take place on 9 November.
A Quantum Physicist and a Vicar walk into a bar, not the beginning of a bad joke, rather the start of the marvelous one-act play, The God Particle. On Thursday evening, eager theologians and Octagon members, as well as some visitors completely filled the Hall.
The 1st XV rugby team got the new rugby season off to a great start with a 7-5 victory over local rivals Sibford. Man of the match, Louis Palmer, scored the try which was converted by Jake Phillips.
The 1st XV rugby season starts on Wednesday 11 September with the first fixture at home to Sibford. Kick off is at 2:30pm - if you are free and in the area, please come along to cheer on the team! Bacon rolls will be served. For more details or to RSVP please contact Harriet Atkinson.
A-Level results day 2013 offers yet another opportunity to celebrate ever-improving academic outcomes!
Of course there are always the high-flyers – Alex Sandru - A*, A*, A; Anna Trogstad - A*, A, A; Oskar Mahony - A, A, A. And there are so many others that have achieved very well indeed, doing themselves proud and helping to push up Kingham's pass rate to a record 61% A*-B.
Join us on the Hill for afternoon tea enjoyed whilst watching cricket and hockey matches this Saturday 6 July. Tea will be served by the cricket pavilion from 3:30pm with play starting at 3:45pm. This will be followed by drinks at the Mill House Hotel in Kingham from 6:30pm.
As the main school Reception will be closed, please look out for the KHA signing-in book which will be located on a table near to where tea is served. We would be grateful if you could sign the book on arrival.
Spring has well and truly arrived on the Hill as this new arrival is keenly displaying! As part of our Animal Club activities we run a weekly dog agility course. As a very rural school we have many staff members with dogs so on Monday afternoon staff lend us their dogs and then pupils and dogs alike proceed to attempt to complete the course. Some are more successful than others (!) but one enterprising little lamb decided to join in with impressive results! Here is a classic example of the old saying – 'you never know what you can do until you try'.
Dog agility is one of the most popular activities which we run here and makes up part of our ever expanding extra-curricular afternoon programme.
Following the success of the Hermitage Ensemble concert this May, Kingham Hill School is delighted to launch a new series of concerts called Music on the Hill. The next concert in the series is a vocal and piano recital with talented baritone Edwin Kaye and pianist Chris Collis, which takes place on Saturday 29th June at 7:30pm in the Chapel.
Tuesday 23rd of April is designated World Book Day by UNESCO, also being Shakespeare and Cervantes’ Birthdays. Kingham Hill celebrated with a WBD Chapel, dress up and two author events.
On Sunday 5 May 2013 at 7:30 pm, Kingham Hill School will welcome the Hermitage Ensemble from St Petersburg for a magnificent evening of Russian music. This is the second visit by the choir, whose first performance at Kingham Hill in 2012 attracted music lovers from across the region.
A major survey is currently being undertaken to help ensure that the contact details we have for you are correct. If you have not yet received one in the post, it may mean that the address we have for you is out of date.
The survey also gives you the opportunity to let us know how we can best serve you, the types of events that would be of interest and how we can communicate most effectively.
Throughout the Lent term we have been raising money to fund a clean water project in the Tigray area of Ethiopia. The emphasis has been for as many members of the community to do whatever they can – “every little helps”, as somebody says!
On Monday 11th March, eight pupils from Kingham Hill joined His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to mark Commonwealth Day in Westminster Abbey.Kingham Hill pupil Danika Quick had been especially chosen to present a posy to Her Majesty The Queen.
On the occasion of the bi-ennial inspection of the Combined Cadet Force, the Headmaster, accompanying the reviewing officer Air Vice Marshall M Brecht CBE (KHS 1975-83, Plymouth & Clyde) invite all former KHS pupils and staff to attend the guard of honour followed by lunch, a review of training stands and post-inspection tea on Tuesday 12th March 2013.
In December, Kingham Hill teamed up with Magdalen College School, Oxford to go skiing in Obertauern, Austria.
On Friday 30th November our Year 12 and 13 Government and Politics classes took part in West Oxfordshire District Council’s Politics in Action Day.
A magical concert of Russian Orthodox choral music and Russian folk songs by St Petersburg's finest vocal ensemble.
7:00pm for 7:30pm Monday, 7 May 2012
Kingham Hill rugby has undergone massive development over the last three years. We are hugely thankful to our sponsors, Red Kite Funds, for giving us the resources to obtain high quality training equipment and team wear and assistance with our rugby tour. The hard work that has been put in to develop this sport by the staff and players meant that we had earned the right to tour, and France was selected as a suitable destination due to the quality of their rugby, their hospitality and the location of the Rugby World Cup 2011.
A warm invitation is extended to all Old Boys and Girls living in France (or anywhere in the vicinity!) to come and support the KHS Rugby team as it carves its way through France!
You are welcome to support us at any of the matches or drop by - we hope you can make it!
On Thursday the 30th of September, the Saltmine theatre company, a touring professional company who travel England performing, visited Kingham hill school. The play they performed was “Faustus” by Christopher Marlow.
The story is about a man, Faustus, who is so obsessed by the desire for money and power that he sells his soul to the devil. His wish is granted, but at a terrible cost, as he is unable to repent and results in being dragged to hell.
As you are aware, rugby at Kingham Hill is our major sport and our success and development over the last two years has been huge. We have had 18 boys selected for Oxfordshire County trials this year and with the Rugby World Cup 2011 only a few months away rugby will soon be the main sporting focus in the world.
We are pleased to announce that there will be 1st XV and 2nd XV fixtures throughout the season next year and we have an exciting fixtures list planned. Please 'click read' more to find out all about these exciting events.
Dear all
A very brief message from me at the end of a frantically busy term – but certainly the best of my time here. The great highlight was a hugely positive ISI inspection report. We were graded ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ in every category of school life, which is a great achievement – although of course our aim for a few years time is to do even better! Please do go to our website for further details of a glowing validation of all that goes on here.
Written by chikki
Tuesday, 12 September 2017
Six of the best - what was it like?Written by Aaron Reid
Tuesday, 05 January 2016
Born out of necessity in 1940Written by Caroline Ashby
Thursday, 29 October 2015
Chapter 1 - Children in NeedWritten by David Calver
Monday, 05 October 2015
Frank BallWritten by School Days
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Some reflections on the period 1990 to 2000