The standard of this year’s House Drama was undoubtedly the highest it has been during my time at the School - and great fun too!

That is a fantastic total! Thank you to FoKES and those parents who donated (and bought) items.

A superb team effort to process 227 UCAS applications by today’s deadline. Thank you to my colleagues for their meticulous approach to this huge undertaking.

Thank you to all those who attended tonight’s Faux Pas AGM - it was good to see so many new faces. We heard how £6000 has been spent supporting the arts in School, and bade a fond farewell to Chair, Frankie Karki, and Secretary, Claire Manning, who leave with our sincere thanks.

Many congratulations! I am pleased that this year’s offers once again span the full range of subjects, endorsing our commitment to a broad education that enables students to follow their passion.

Thank you to Year 11 parents who braved the weather to attend the GCSE Preparation Evening last night. I hope you found it useful.

The rest is silence.

Merry Christmas!

Fantastic to welcome back the Class of 2015 for their 10-year Reunion. Thank you to Faux Pas for providing the bar.

A very special evening of Nine Lessons & Carols. Thank you @kes-music.bsky.social

Photographs from this morning’s ceremony at Sano Nichidai, our Japanese partner school:

It was wonderful to be able to take part, albeit digitally, in the ceremony at Sano Nichidai for the presentation of this year’s Shakespeare Award. It was presented to Yua Goto who hopes to swim for Japan in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Here is a recording: www.youtube.com/live/Rg5uxak...

Photographs from this morning’s ceremony at Sano Nichidai, our Japanese partner school:

It was wonderful to be able to take part, albeit digitally, in the ceremony at Sano Nichidai for the presentation of this year’s Shakespeare Award. It was presented to Yua Goto who hopes to swim for Japan in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Here is a recording: www.youtube.com/live/Rg5uxak...

Breathtaking start to the day.

They certainly were!

Beautiful sunrise over Chapel Lane.

Well done everyone! An unexpected birthday present 🎉

Here is link to the full graduation speech by Roger Federer which I played in assemblies this week on the theme of ‘perseverance’. home.dartmouth.edu/news/2024/06...

Congratulations to our wonderful students and extra-ordinarily dedicated staff who make K.E.S. such a special place. Accolades are never the point, but I hope that all members of our community will feel a sense of pride in this recognition of what we do and what we aspire to achieve.

We are delighted to announce that in this weekend’s Sunday Times, K.E.S. will be named State School of the Year for the West Midlands, and as our students topped the rankings for A Level and GCSEs, we can also celebrate being named regional winners of the School of the Year for Academic Excellence.

So did we! Thank you for taking us there and huge congratulations to you all for such a brilliant performance.

On a bitterly cold night (I couldn’t feel my hands in my gloves), our netballers put on a brilliant display to finish runners-up in the county-championship for the second consecutive year. They once again progress to the regional finals in the New Year. Very proud.

Challenging conditions for the home games with Pate’s GS saw one win and loss for the Under 15s and 2nd XV, and a hard-fought victory for the 1st XV.

Glorious morning to conclude the week.

I enjoyed the best seat in the house refereeing the Under 12s vs Aylesbury GS today. Two well-matched teams with only one score separating them.

That was outstanding!

Huge thanks to SportKES, who reported at their AGM last night that a fantastic £22,887 was raised last year. They were also informed about the progress of the next big project they have funded, which will begin imminently. Watch this space…

Today we remember the 84 members of this School who died in the two great wars of the 20th Century.

A record 122 applications for Oxford and Cambridge colleges, medicine, dentistry and veterinary science have been processed by the early entry deadline. Thank you to all of my colleagues who have been involved in this significant undertaking.

Three wins and a hard-fought draw for the 1st XV at Manor Road this morning. As usual, fixtures played in the right spirit with Bishop Vesey’s.

A battling performance in difficult conditions by our young 1st XV today.

Thank you to FoKES and Mr Temple for an entertaining evening. A great turn-out too!

Congratulations and good luck to OE Sam Erskine (KES 2016-2023) on being appointed as Exeter University 1st XV Captain.

Thank you to our Guest of Honour Old Edwardian and Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse for a superb Speech Day address.

Thank you to SportKES for organising the hugely entertaining ‘Evening with Martin Bayfield’. What a great way to fund raise!

An enjoyable triangular fixture with KES Birmingham and Bablake for the U13 and U14 teams this morning. Good to see Mr Nobes’ magic bringing the pitches back to life too!

Thank you to all of the Old Edwardian rowers who returned for tonight’s Benefactors Regatta.

And unbelievably close race to complete the regatta was won by a canvas (a very small amount) by the @kesoea.bsky.social to level the score 4-4, resulting in a draw and therefore sealing an overall OEs victory, 4-3, after an unprecedented 4 draws across the series.

Beautiful morning in Stratford-upon-Avon

After two excellent staff training days and today’s induction days for Years 7 & 12, we’re ready to go!

Achieving over 90% of grades at 9 to 7 is quite an accomplishment and it is particularly pleasing for this year group who were so impacted by Covid, having to transition from primary school to Year 7 during the various restrictions. Congratulations!

Se casser une jambe @edwardsboys.bsky.social

‘Seijaku’, from Japanese, describes tranquillity in the midst of chaos; a stillness and calm. Have a good break everyone.

Thank you to the stalwarts of FoKES and those who answered the call for new committee members. Last night’s AGM confirmed a £31k donation to pay for the new computers in Area 51. Thank you!

Puddings and Performance was a fulfilling evening in more ways than one.

The sun shone on bustling Open Morning. Thank you all of our staff, student volunteers and the members of FoKES who kept our visitors fed and watered.

What a final hurrah for our musician Leavers! A concert of the highest quality of which everyone can be incredibly proud.