Kew House School Newsletter Summer 2022

Summer Term Issue | July 2022
Geography Iceland Tour…03 Year 12 Trip to Oxford University…07 Drama Success…08 Sporting News…10
Summer Music Festival and The 39 Steps
Words by Mr Gardner, Director of Music and Ms Vincent, Teacher of Drama
Kew House School is part of the
The summer started in style with Kew House School’s inaugural Summer Music Festival. The
Friday festival-goers were treated to a live stage of music ranging from Grieg to Good Vibrations.
With so many stand-out performers from the Guitar Ensemble opening with a Beatles song to the Senior Choir closing with the
Beach Boys, KHS musicians put on two hours of professional performances leaving the crowd shouting for more, to which we duly
acquiesced, the Year 11 band even prepared an encore! The final act of the summer term saw an impressive array of KHS drama
talent on show. Pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 walked the boards for the summer drama production, The 39 Steps. Over 50 pupils
were involved as both cast and crew, working as a team to produce a fantastic show for the KHS community. Pupils, parents, and
staff were equally proud and elated by their performance. Mr Lowe commented on how impressive it is to see pupils performing
with such confidence and comic timing.

Welcome to our
Summer Term
newsletter.
Geography Iceland Tour 2022
The return of real Public Examinations this term has been
a final signal to us all that Kew House School has returned
to normal after the tumultuous years of Covid mitigation
and lockdowns. A return it may be, but back to how things
were, well not quite. All of the postponed trips from the
previous 18 months have been added into the year, with
the summer term seeing a peak of calendar entries. From
various Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, through to the
geography excursion to Iceland, the pupils have relished
the chance to get active, get together and experience their
world.
As a young school, celebrating its tenth anniversary, we
are proud that we can innovate and challenge ourselves
as an instiution, as much as we nurtutre and challenge our
pupils. This termly newsletter demonstrates the range of
pupil activities with a focus on the creative, sporting and
academic successes since Easter. We are all justly proud
of both the achievements and the manner with which the
pupils have worked individually and collectively to reach
those outcomes.
Words by Ms Lawrence, Head of Geography
After a long three year wait, the geography department finally
saw the return of the Year 10 KHS Iceland Tour. And what a
tour it was; our largest yet with 59 pupils, our first experience of
the never-ending summer daylight, and the first opportunity for
many to do a school trip abroad.
What a delight to see our pupils revelling in the diverse, aweinspiring
landscapes in the company of their friends and teachers:
from learning about the country’s volcanism in the Lava Centre,
to visiting Iceland’s youngest eruption, from viewing Iceland’s
most epic waterfalls, to bathing in its geothermal pools. And the
experiences didn’t stop there; they saw a black sand beach,
explored a plate boundary, visited a glacier at the mercy of
climate change, viewed an exploding geyser and explored the
beautiful sights of Reykjavik. A memorable trip for all involved.
“Photos don’t even do it justice, what an incredible place”
Ambrose
“The best trip I’ve ever been on!”
Priya
This term has seen Kew House School’s first ISI inspection
of teaching quality. This significant stage in our journey
has involved a great deal of planning on the part of all
staff members within the community. The final report
paints a vivid picture of a school that is striving for and
achieving excellence. As outcomes go for the school and
its community; “excellent” sums things up rather nicely.
Academic year 2021/22 closes for us all on a high.
Will Williams, Headmaster
Scan the QR code for the video highlights!
“Interesting, educational and
beautiful.”
Zara
“Simply tranquil. Would
recommend to all geographers!”
Sammy
Year 9 Blood Brothers Workshop
Words by Eva C and Olivia D, Year 9
Innovation, imagination, and creativity - this workshop gave us a chance
to explore these elements in the complex world of Blood Brothers. Mike,
who has played Sammy for 11 years in the West End guided us through
the various skills performers require, such as how to portray emotions in
an authentic way. Later on, Mike shared tips and tricks from an inside
perspective of a Scouse accent. Despite our feeble attempts trying the
accent, it’s safe to say we still had lots of fun. The games, activities and
laughter enhanced and deepened our understanding of the play. We are
sure any future years will enjoy this workshop just as much as we did.
2

Sixth Form Art Exhibition
Words by Ms Hodgson, Head of Art
Year 7 Science Fair
Words by Shio Y, Year 7
The art department was joined by students, parents and staff to celebrate
the outstanding accomplishments of our Sixth Form art cohort. Both Year
13 and Year 12 art work was exhibited in the ILC for all to admire. This
year, we have students taking their education further with studies in fine
art, photography, fashion journalism and art history. We couldn’t be more
proud of them and wish them all the best of luck!
Last Friday, we had the Year 7 Science Fair, where we presented the projects
we have been working on this half term to parents, teachers, and students. In
the weeks before we developed and researched scientific questions, before
conducting experiments in small groups to answer them. The projects I saw from
my classmates during the fair were fascinating.
My group’s project was about how tablets dissolved in liquids with different pHs,
recording the time it took for a tablet to completely dissolve and relating that to our
measurement of pH. We really enjoyed creating our display board and presenting
our project on the day!
Scan the QR code
“Looking through the different projects and sketchbooks, I can’t
imagine the amount of time and hours dedicated by these
artists. Honor’s “loss of function” performance, and Maisie’s wax
paintings really captured my eye and imagination. As a GCSE art
student, I aspire to these A Level students, and I hope that one
day I’ll have developed my work enough to stand side by side
against impressive outcomes such as these.” Oliver, Year 9
Young Writers Competition
Words by Ms Close, Head of English
Congratulations to several of our Year
12 English Literature A Level students
who have been published in the
Young Writers poetry anthology, titled
‘Empowered’!
Well done to Joe, Priya, Carlota, Fleuve,
Lara, Annie and Isobel.
Year 13 pupil in final of Big Bang
Competition
Words by Ms Hall, Head of Design and Technology
The Big Bang Competition is a national science
and engineering competition for secondary school
students to compete for the title of Young Engineer
(or Scientist) of the Year, as well as an array of other
prizes.
One of our Sixth Formers, Josie M, has made it to the
final with her project on wearable tech. Her light-up
running jacket was also shortlisted for the Intellectual
Property Award for Outstanding Innovation. She
has been given the opportunity to showcase her
project to the 20,000 visitors at the Big Bang Fair in
Birmingham this month.
“The Big Bang competition runs every year and any pupils that are
interested in STEM should check it out.” Josie M, Year 13
4 5

Year 12 trip to Oxford University
Words by Alice T, Year 12
We started the day early, meeting at the Oxford Tube bus stop in
Shepherd’s Bush. We then spent a little over an hour making our
way to the university. Upon arrival, we were given a short amount
of time to look around at different colleges and libraries before
our tours started. Our first tour was in one of the more modern
colleges, St. Catherine’s (“St. Catz”). We were initially taken to
a lecture theatre where we received a talk on Oxford admissions
and later, a personal statements workshop.
A Grand Day out at the Palace... Year 7 visit Hampton Court Palace
Words by Mr Cook, Teacher of History
One could have forgiven the disconcerted look on the faces of the entire Year 7 cohort as they descended on the base court of
Hampton Court Palace, they had not come for a UB40 concert. What they had come for was for someone, ever so slightly older
than Ali Campbell, they had come for Henry, William, Mary, and George, as part of their historical studies.
Year 7 have enjoyed an in-depth case study of Hampton Court Palace and how monarchs over time have demonstrated their power
there. During our trip to Hampton Court, Year 7 toured the vast palace and made note of the beautiful, practical, and extravagant
renovations, items and objects that showed the wealth and power of the most famous of English monarchs, Henry VIII.
Furthermore, Year 7 groups explored the Stuart and Georgian renovations and drew comparisons with other royal residences
such as Kensington Palace and the Palace of Versailles. Lunch was had in the former Tiltyard where Henry had enjoyed many
jousting tournaments. After lunch, Year 7 explored Henry VIII’s kitchens and were informed helpfully by the palace staff of the
sheer amount of food that Henry consumed daily, some 40 dishes and 5000 calories! Although none of us consumed quite as
much as this, the day was certainly fit for a king and all had a right royal time.
Year 8 Enterprise Fair
Words by Ms Tolley, Teacher of Art
The end of June brought about the annual Kew
House Year 8 Enterprise Fair. Over the course
of the summer term, pupils in art, food science
and nutrition, and design and technology were
busy creating an array of products - from posters
and cards drawing inspiration from pupils’ large
scale mural paintings, to bubble tea and tea light
holders. Pupils then showcased these products
and their excellent entrepreneurial skills at the
fair, selling to staff, pupils and parents alike.
The event was a great success, which raised
hundreds of pounds for charity.
Scan the QR code to see a
video of the event!
St. Catz library
My favourite part of this was reading all the annotations made
by students in the margins of the library books. After the tour
we went to the lunch hall to have something to eat. It was buffet
style catering and we unanimously agreed that we really enjoyed
the food. After lunch, we made our way to New College, which
is ironically one of the oldest in Oxford. Seeing the two different
sides to the university gave us an idea of what kind of college we
may want to apply to.
The obligatory Radcliffe Camera photo
The workshop taught us how to tailor our statements to
fit an Oxbridge/Russell group specification and how they
differ from other universities. We then began the official
tour, walking around the college while receiving a talk on
the architecture and history of the college. Our guide also
spoke to us about the numerous facilities and general life
as an undergraduate as well as those on postgraduate
courses. We then had a tour of the library where we were
given the chance to look around quietly.
“New” college
On our tour of New College, we visited some of the filming
sites for Harry Potter, which most of us geeked out over,
although a large portion of our time was spent teaching us
the importance of not stepping on the grass. We finished
the tour in the beautiful gardens and a race up the mound,
which offered us a pretty view of the university. After taking
a group photo we were given some more time to explore
the colleges. My friend and I decided to tailgate our way into
the parts of Hertford College that were closed to the public,
despite there being numerous warnings to students about
tailgaters.
Having a Harry Potter moment
This gave us a more insightful look into the day-to-day life of the
students and how the college functions away from the public eye.
Before meeting up with the rest of the group we went postcard
shopping for a souvenir of our trip. I think my favourite part of this
experience was realising that our college application shouldn’t be
solely based on academics, but also on what we want our home
to be like for the next three to six years.
6 7

More news from the Drama Department...
National Youth Theatre Audition Success
Words by Mrs Mannion, Head of Drama
Congratulations to Amelie G and Morgan T who successfully auditioned for
a place in this year’s National Youth Theatre company. Summer W in Year
11 also received a place on the waiting list – very well done. The process
is hugely competitive and highly selective, so we are so proud of all our
drama students who auditioned and took part in the workshop. To have three
students in the company from one school is very rare indeed. Break a leg for
your future performances!
Lamda Examination Results 2022
Congratulations to the following students for
achieving such excellent results. Many thanks to our
Lamda teacher, Anita, for all her work to enable the students to excel.
Grade 8 (Gold Medal) A/S Level equivalent qualification
Distinction: Ash P (90), Morgan T (89), Ava N P (85)
Merit: Joshua S (76)
Grade 6 (Bronze Medal) GCSE equivalent qualification
Distinction: Ava B (83)
Merit: Bert S (77), Naama N (76), Olivia D (76), Henry A (74), Annie H (72)
Grade 5 Distinction: Kira B (80), Merit: Monty A (73)
Grade 4 Merit: Rosa C (75)
Grade 3 Distinction: Daniel C DM (92), Livia C (82), Thomas B (84)
Grade 2 Merit: Daniel W (75)
Entry Level Distinction: Lara A (86)
Food Science and Nutrition
Words by Ms Earle, Head of Food Science and Nutrition
The department has had another busy term continuing clubs and
visits as part of the enrichment programme.
Year 12 students enjoyed an afternoon watching chef
demonstrations and taste-testing dishes from some of London’s
best restaurants at Taste of London in Regents Park.
Year 9 Author Talk with Simon Green
Words by Lauryn M, Year 9
On the 29th of June, Year 9 were given an engaging presentation
from author Simon James Green. He discussed his first attempt
at writing a book, the editing and publishing process, and the
inspiration behind the first book he published, “Noah Can’t Even”.
At the end we were given the chance to ask questions and received
many insightful answers. This talk was beneficial because it helped
us understand what it’s like to be a writer and how we could pursue
a career in this field if this is something we were interested in.
Simon’s talk also explored diversity in literature, with LGBTQ+
leads and love stories. We were allowed to buy a copy of any of his
books and had the opportunity to get them signed! Simon stayed for
lunch with the KHS LGBTQ+ club, where he answered even more
of their questions.
Year 9 took up the challenge to compete in a
Platinum Jubilee Bake Off! They also visited
Mercado Metropolitano, London’s first sustainable
community market, to participate in a filled pasta
making workshop.
Year 10 completed independent projects preparing, making, and
serving high-skill dishes with the theme of ‘celebrations’. Once
more, Year 8 designed and made products that were sold at the
Enterprise Fair.
Economics and Business A Level Grade Booster Workshop May 2022
Words by Mr Lafaury, Head of Economics and Business
At the beginning of May, the Year 13 Economics and Business students attended a grade booster revision workshop in London,
designed to prepare them for their upcoming A Level exams. Both the Economics and Business workshops consisted of sessions
designed to help students improve their quantitative skills, how they manipulate data, their use of technical terms to support their
analysis, and to develop their essay writing technique, something that will be very useful in their future academic careers.
Business students had a close look at the sport industry through case studies on Gymshark and JD Sports to prepare for Paper 3
which this year was focused on sports businesses. Economics students spent time improving their awareness and understanding
of the UK economy by looking at macroeconomic policy decisions including recent changes in fiscal and monetary policies.
Valuable time was also used to compare trends and developments in the world economy over the past 15 years. A big well done
to all students for their hard work in their exams!
8 9

SPORT NEWS
Athletics Summer Review
Words by Ms Berger-North, Teacher of PE
It has been another fantastic summer athletics season with over 30 athletes taking
part and six competitions. For the first time in Kew House history, not only have we
had athletes qualify for the ISA National Athletics and Triathlon Championships,
we now have four National medallists: a tremendous achievement. The athletics
club has really gone from strength to strength this year and the athletes must
be commended for their continued hard work, dedication and determination to
succeed. Aside from national medallists, we have had a record number of Kew
House athletes representing at Middlesex county schools, London West Champs
and London Youth Games, as well as numerous personal best performances.
Middlesex Schools’ Athletics Championships
A record number of Kew House pupils qualified to represent Hounslow Borough at the Middlesex Schools’ Athletics Championships.
17 athletes took part over two separate days of age group competitions. The Year 9 and 10 competition saw the Kew House
borough representatives take on some tough competition from the seven other Middlesex boroughs. Rory F had a commanding
win in the U17 1500m, narrowly missing his PB, whilst Louis M demonstrated his consistency with another strong run and equal
PB in the U15 1500m. In the U15 800m, Alice B showed fantastic determination from the gun to finish 3rd in her heat and qualify
for the final in a huge PB time. Isabella S demonstrated equal strength in the U17 800m against some tough competition. Nicole E
continued her great form in the U17 high jump to equal her PB and win the bronze medal, whilst in the sprints, Charlie D displayed
excellent sprint technique to qualify for the U15 200m final against some tough opposition.
There were more successes in the Year 7 and 8 competition with Jake D winning his 100m heat convincingly and following this
with a bronze-medal winning run in the final. Elsewhere in the sprints, Laila H and Ali A demonstrated some great bend running
and technique in the 200m, whilst Olivia LL and Arlo L displayed speed, endurance and strength in the 300m. The middle-distance
athletes met challenging opposition with determination in the 800m and 1500m events. Jemima S and Zachary M demonstrated
good pacing and resilience within tough fields, whilst Josh C, Isabella C and Lara M fought off some fast-finishing opposition with
equally strong final laps. In the field events, Roxy A had a personal best equalling performance in the high jump and Jake D had
another consistent performance in the shot putt. Well done to all of our county schools’ qualifiers!
ISA London West Athletics Championships and National Finals
We had a great day at the ISA London West Athletics Competition in Windsor with 21 athletes across Years 7 to 10 taking part
in numerous track and field events. It was a glorious, sunshine-filled day with the whole team performing brilliantly. Nine athletes
received medals and many more achieved personal best performances.
Congratulations to Laila H, Oliver B, Isabella S, Jude J-M and Louis M who were selected to represent London West at the ISA
National Athletics Championships in Manchester. It was a fantastic day and the first time we have had qualifiers at this event. Oliver
B was the first to compete in the shot putt. He demonstrated
excellent technique, achieving a PB putt of 9.75m to win
the competition and be crowned National champion. Louis
M was up next in the 1500m. He had a strong race from
start to finish, showing real determination to work his way
through the field. Louis had a brilliant final 600m to claim the
bronze medal. Laila H was last to compete, waiting all day
for her opportunity to race. Laila had an incredibly strong run
in a close 200m race to finish in 4th place. The day ended
on a high, with Laila running an amazing relay leg to help
the London West team take 2nd place in the 4x100m relay.
A massive well done goes out to Oliver, Louis and Laila for
their incredible efforts and performances. Congratulations
also to Jude J-M and Isabella S who were selected for the
competition but were unable to attend.
Kew House School Boat Club
Words by Mr Graham, Teacher of PE
And just like that, Kew House School Boat Club’s 2022 rowing season
comes to a fantastic conclusion. After ten months of training, rowing
and competing, KHSBC raced four crews down the historic 2,112m
course at Henley Royal Regatta (HRR). After a four year build up
since our club first affiliated, two junior men’s and two junior women’s
crews represented KHSBC in the following HRR Qualifier events:
The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup (School Boy Coxed Eights)
The Temple Challenge Cup (University/Second School Boy Eights)
The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup (Junior Women’s Coxless
Quads)
KHSBC are also immensely proud of our coaching team who competed at HRR 2022 including Henry, Holly & Josh. Congratulations
to Rufus for winning the Thames Challenge Cup. KHSBC celebrated the 2022 season and finished the season with a spectacular
BBQ at HRR and the Summer House Regatta. Well done to Yew House for beating Ash, Elm and Oak to win the 2022 House Cup!
ISA National Triathlon
Congratulations to Year 11 pupil, Isla S who
competed in the Senior Para Aquathlon at the
ISA National Triathlon Championships in May.
Following her success at the ISA Swimming
Finals, Isla has gone from strength to strength
this year and continues to progress at a national
level. Supported by a Team GB Paralympic coach,
Isla triumphed once more. Following a 200m
swim and a 1.8km run, Isla won the overall title
to be crowned National champion, an absolutely
fantastic achievement. Well done Isla!
Boys’ and Girls’ Games
Words by Mr Kinsella, Teacher of PE
This term our pupils have performed admirably in their cricket fixtures and have produced
some brilliant results. Notable performances include victories against Isleworth and
Syon under 15s and Harrodian under 13s. Every pupil who selected cricket has had the
opportunity to represent the school; I can confidently say they have done this with pride and
displayed the attitude we expect as a community. We had some standout performances
this season with a fine batting performance from Benny R against Grey Court, hitting 88.
Benny is one to watch out for as he slowly begins the transition into senior cricket. In
addition to this, a special mention must go to Jake O who hit an impressive 67 runs against
Teddington School, showing sublime technique and calmness under a fast-bowling attack.
Girls’ football has continued to grow from strength to strength, enjoying solid wins over
Radnor House and Ibstock Place. We have had a consistent number of girls turn up to football club every Tuesday morning and
this has allowed key development which can be seen in fixtures. A special mention to Alice B who scored four goals in one match
this term. Next season we have entered our under 13s and 14s into the ISFA national cup - exciting times for our girls’ football
teams.
10 11

A co-educational, independent senior school for 11-18 year olds
Follow our story...
www.kewhouseschool.com/media
@KewHouseSchool
Kew House School, 6 Capital Interchange Way, London, TW8 0EX
W: www.kewhouseschool.com T: 020 8742 2038 E: admissions@kewhouseschool.com