King Edward VI School, Southampton
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| Motto | Dieu et mon droict (God and my right) |
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| Established | 1553 |
| Type | Independent School |
| Headmaster | A. J. Thould |
| Founder | King Edward VI |
| Students | 1000 (approx.) |
| Location | Southampton, Hampshire, England  |
| Website | www.kingedwards.org.uk |
King Edward VI School, often referred to as King Edward's or simply KES, is a selective independent day School located in Southampton, United Kingdom and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. It was founded in 1553, after the death of William Capon (in 1550), who left money in his will for a grammar school for the poor. King Edward VI signed the necessary Royal Charter in 1553 and the School opened in 1554. It is a registered charity, although this status has been challenged in the past.
Pupils usually start at the School at age 11 (First Year) or age 16 (Lower Sixth Form), although a few places are available at age 13 (Third Year). Pupils are required to attend an interview and sit and pass an admissions examination.
King Edward's current has approximately 1000 pupils spread across 6 houses, all of whom are day-pupils.
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[edit] School History
The School has been sited at four locations within the city of Southampton:
- 1554 - 1696: Winkle Street. The School originally opened in Winkle Street, an unfashionable part of the town, inside the city wall near the East Gate.
- 1696 - 1896: Bugle Street. In 1696 the School transferred to larger premises not far away in Bugle Street. Isaac Watts briefly attended the School. Head Master James Fewings increased the number of pupils from the 1880s.
- 1896 - 1938: Havelock Road, Marlands. The next move to the prestigious building at Havelock Road (in the Marlands area of Southampton) in 1896 resulted in pupil numbers increasing to over one hundred. A school cadet corps existed during the First World War.
- 1938 - 1939: Wilton Road, Hill Lane. Purpose-built School buildings were constructed at Hill Lane, and were occupied in the summer of 1938.
- 1939 - 1945: Evacuation to Poole Grammar School. The whole School was evacuated to Poole and the Kellett Road building was occupied by the British Army during the Second World War. Poole Veterans 1935-1945 (edited by John Guilmant) is a collection of letters and memoirs published by the Southampton Old Edwardians Association, 2000.
- 1945 to date: Hill Lane. The Duchess of Kent opened the Commemoration Room in 1954. It was built to house the memorials to those Old Edwardians who died during both World Wars. The original building has been extensively enlarged and refurbished in recent years including: the E.P. Abraham Laboratories, the George Gould Library and Music Suite, the I.C.T. Suite, the Dobson Theatre (named after Colin Dobson, Headmaster from 1971-1990), Drama Studios, Art Studios, Sports Hall, Squash Courts and all-weather pitches. The School has recently acquired excellent facilities at the Wellington Sports Ground. The Earl of Wessex visited the School in 2003 as part of the 450th anniversary celebrations.
- A New History of King Edward VI School for 2004. The Governors commissioned the Head of History at the School, Mr. G.T. Darby to write a new history to commemorate the 450th anniversary of its founding. It was published in 2004.
[edit] School Crest
The crest is described on School website as follows:
The School was founded in 1553. William Capon, Rector of St Mary's in Southampton and Master of Jesus College, Cambridge, left money for it in his will. King Edward VI gave it his approval and his name. The School has been able to use King Edward's coat of arms ever since Colin Dobson confirmed them with the Royal College of Arms when the School became independent in 1979 and the Governors have since tried to develop a consistent policy on how they should be displayed.
[edit] The Lion
The display of two gold lions on a red shield is frequently attributed to the early Norman kings but it is certain that the shield of three lions appeared on the second great seal of Richard I (1157-99). They are referred to as "passant guardant". This expression means a walking lion looking out of the shield.
[edit] The Dragon
The first king to use supporters that is the animals on either side of the shield, was King Edward Vi's grandfather, Henry VII. He used a dragon and a greyhound. The dragon is traditionally associated with the Cadwalader family, the last native ruler of Britain from whom Henry claimed descent. Henry VIII replaced the greyhound with the lion and put it on the senior side, i.e. the left side when you look at the arms. Edward VI, his son, didn't change anything (so that is why there is a lion and a dragon on the School coat of arms). Henry VIII was also the first monarch to regularly use a crown with arches, and Edward VI and succeeding sovereigns to the present day continue the practice.
[edit] The Shield
The principal part of the Coat of Arms is the shield which in the case of King Edward's arms is divided into quarters. The quarters are divided equally between the Fleur-de-Lis of France and the Lions of England. It was Edward III in 1337 claiming the throne of France as well as that of England who first used and put together the principal French and English forms in heraldry. Fleur-de-Lis ("Flower of Louis") was born on a royal seal by Louis Viii of France (1137-80). Originally there were many more Fleur-de-Lis on each shield, this was known as "France Ancient" but in or around 1376 Charles V of France reduced the number of fleurs-de-lis to three (France modern).
Following the reduction made in the French seal, Henry IV of England in 1405 reduced the number in the English arms. The Fleur-de-Lis continued in the Royal Arms of Great Britain until 1801. It could be said, several centuries too long for by 1801 English kings had long given up any claim to the French throne.
When we look at the shield the Fleur-de-Lis is always displayed top left. This is the senior or dexter side as France in medieval hierarchy was considered senior to England. The junior side is called sinister. It is, of course, top right if you are wearing the arms or carry a shield (Doctors will easily understand this).
[edit] The Motto
Below the coat of arms is the motto "Dieu et mon droict" (God and my right). This motto had been used well before Edward Vi's time. Henry VI (1421-61), a hundred years before Edward, was the first to use the motto consistently. Sometimes droit is spelt droict. This is not a mistake but in Edward's time the archaic Spelling of droit was sometimes used. We use this spelling, for instance, on our mini buses.
[edit] The Order of the Garter
The remaining major element of the coat of arms is the Order of the Garter. The Order of the Garter is the oldest surviving order of chivalry in the world. It was founded by King Edward III in or about 1348. Kings from Edward III frequently encircled their shield with the Garter but it was not until Henry VIII and then Edward VI that this became consistent and the insignia reading "Honi soit qui mal y pense" (Evil to him who evil thinks) was used. This is seen on Queen Elizabeth H's coat of arms today.
The Coat of Arms has undergone many changes over the centuries but it is remarkable how similar the School's Coat of Arms are to the present Sovereigns. The Fleur-de-Lis has disappeared and the English lions have moved to the senior position and the fourth quarter, the arms of Scotland and Ireland in the second and third quarters. Wales, which is a Principality, is not included.
[edit] Going into Battle
When going into battle the King would wear a surcoat over his armour. Woven into the surcoat was the coat of arms of the sovereign*. Sometimes to confuse the enemy a number of the King's bodyguards would also wear an identical surcoat. There was one very great exception to this and that took place on 25 October 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt. Agincourt is situated just off the main Calais to Paris road and is similar in appearance to what it was nearly six centuries ago.
King Henry V was the only person present at the battle to wear the royal surcoat quartered with Fleur-de-Lis and English lions and he stood and fought over the body of his cousin, the dying Duke of York, surrounded by French knights. He was able to fend them off. His damaged helmet can still be seen today in Westminster Abbey. The flag of the school is identical to the surcoat Henry wore at that most famous of battles, Agincourt.
[edit] Traditions and day-to-day life
[edit] Uniform
The School has strict uniform regulations for pupils in the 1st to 5th Years, with business dress being the requirement for Sixth Form pupils. Boys in years 1 to 5 are required to wear a white shirt, a blue tie with one white stripe for lower school (years 1 to 3) and two stripes for upper school (years 4 and 5) and charcoal grey trousers. Girls are required to wear white rever collar blouses and blue skirts. All pupils in years 1 to 5 are required to wear blue school blazers at all times except when summer dress is in use in the second half on the summer term. During summer dress boys may remove their blazers, undo the top button on their shirts and remove their ties and girls may remove their blazers.
[edit] School houses
The School is divided up into 6 houses, Capon (yellow), Lake (dark blue), Lawrence (red), Reynolds (green), Sylvester (light blue), and Watts (white), all bearing the name of ex pupils and founders: William Capon, Thomas Lake, Thomas Lawrence, Edward Reynolds, Joshua Sylvester and Isaac Watts. Each year the houses compete for points in order to win the Allen Grant Trophy.
[edit] School motto
The School motto is Dieu et mon droict (French for God and my right, referring to the monarch's divine right to govern) and is generally used as the motto of the British monarch. Originally it was spelled Dieut et mon droict, the Early Modern French spelling, but later the 't' in "Dieut" was dropped in accordance with present French orthography. However, the 'c' in droict was not dropped.
[edit] Standing for teachers
It is school custom for pupils to stand whenever a teacher enters the room, although this regulation is relaxed for those in the Sixth Form.
[edit] Assemblies
A number of assemblies are held each week. On Mondays, an address is given by the Headmaster, with a themed assembly occuring on Tuesdays and Thursdays, presented by another member of the staff or a pupil. Monday assemblies are concluded with information regarding results of recent sports fixtures. All assemblies finish with the statement School lead on being proclaimed by the Head of School Head Boy or Head Girl to the rest of the pupils. The statement signifies that dismissal of pupils may begin, with teachers allowed to leave following the Headmaster's departure.
[edit] Sport
King Edward's encourages pupils to become heavily involved with sports activities. The time of the year dictates which sport is currently being played competitively - be it rugby union, hockey, cricket or tennis for boys, and hockey, netball or tennis for girls. As well as a main field, the school has an area of artificial turf large enough to accommodate 9 tennis courts. Being a city school, King Edward's also owns 25 acres of sports grounds on the edge of Southampton, and are accessed using the school's minibuses.
[edit] Transport to and from the school
The School provides fairly extensive transport for its pupils who come to the school from many parts of the county. Currently the school transports, on a daily basis, over 700 students who travel on one of the large number of school coaches.
[edit] School events and opportunities
The School contributes to the local (and international) community. There is a thriving Charities Commission as well as two charities teams: the Romania team (a group who work in an orphanage in Romania during the summer) and the Summer Camp team (who organise activities for disadvantaged children in the local area). The School also runs a World Challenge expedition every two years for pupils who have either completed their GCSEs or AS levels. These trips have been to India in 2003, to Brazil and Costa Rica in 2005, to Bolivia in 2007 and will go to Morocco in 2008. The pupils spend a week of their month long trip working on a charity project and raise money for it before they go.
Below are some of the opportunities pupils at King Edwards are offered (the majority offered at Fifth Form and above):
[edit] Summer Camp
The Summer Camp team organise a number of events throughout the year, a charity jumble sale, a disco and a barbecue, all to raise money for the Summer Camp that they host at the end of the year. The camp is for less privileged children around Southampton who are taken to the beach, an activity centre and Splashdown swimming pool in Poole. Pupils apply to take part during their Lower Sixth year, and host the camp at the end of both their Lower and Upper Sixth.
[edit] Romania
The Romania team consists of pupils from the age of 15 and above. They hold events such as a Barn dance and plant sale to raise money which goes towards a Romanian orphanage in the summer. Pupils from the Fifth Form and Lower Sixth are both allowed to apply to join the Romania team. Pupils go to Romania at the end of their Fifth form and Upper Sixth during the summer holidays.
[edit] World Challenge
The World Challenge Expedition is a commitment which lasts two years, culminating in a very challenging expedition lasting for a month. Challengers spend two years raising money to pay for their expedition and preparing themselves, primarily focusing on their fitness. In 2003 two teams went to India, visiting among other places the Himalayas, Delhi and Agra. In 2005, four teams went to Brazil and Costa Rica separately. Teams visited, among other areas, Rio de Janeiro, Campo Grande, Serra dos Órgãos National Park, Itatiaia National Park, Resende, Petropolis, Teresópolis, Resende the the Pantanal and Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, the Iguaçu Falls in Brazil and Argentina, San José in Costa Rica and Honduras. In 2007 3 teams went to Bolivia, and the trip was a great success. However, as of 2008, the program is planned to be downsized to attract a wider audience, with expedition lasting between 10 and 14 days, costing around a third of the price at £1000. The future expeditions planned will be to Morocco and there is a possibility of a trip to Costa Rica in 2009.
[edit] Ski Trip
Each year pupils from a range of year groups and several teachers travel to a French ski resort. The location varies from year to year.
[edit] New York Art Trip
The New York trip is for the Sixth Form only and takes place once every two years during the October half-term break. Sixth Form pupils and several teachers travel to New York City, where they stay at the Beacon Hotel. Pupils are able to visit various locations in the city noteworthy for their association with art, including museums such as The Guggenheim in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, The Museum of Modern Art in Midtown, the Brooklyn Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue, as well as to visit other locations in New York. These locations include shopping venues like Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Pier 17, [[The American Museum of Natural History, The Staten Island Ferry, The Empire State Building, Wall Street, the World Trade Center site, Chinatown, Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square (where some pupils see Broadway theatre) and Central Park. All of the pupils and staff also have a meal at The Jekyll & Hyde Club, a themed restaurant in Manhattan.
[edit] Classics Trips
Every other year the Classics Department organises a trip to either Greece or Italy. The most recent trip to Italy occurred in 2005 and involved 4 teachers and roughly 40 students with eight days spent between Rome and Napoli. The most recent trip to Greece occurred in 2007 and involved 5 teachers and roughly 40 students with eight days split between Athens, Delphi, Herculaneum and Tonto.
[edit] School publications
[edit] KonnEctionS Newsletter
This is a bi-annual publication of the school's main events.
[edit] Sotoniensis
This is an annual publication of the school's main social, charitable and arts events. It is compiled by Sixth Form students.
[edit] The Edwardian
The Edwardian is a bi-annual publication for alumni of King Edward's (known as Old Edwardians, or OEs). It is full of information regarding OEs.
[edit] School curriculum
The curriculum at King Edward's prepares pupils for the national GCSE and A-Level examinations. Pupils not taking national exams sit annual internal exams.
Periods at King Edward's are allocated between Ancient Greek, Art, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Classical Civilisation, Design and Technology, Economics, English Literature, English Language, Extended Studies, French, Geography, German, History, ICT, Junior Science, Latin, Mathematics (and also Additional Mathematics or Further Mathematics), Music, Philosophy, Physical Education, Physics, Religious Education, Spanish, Sports Science and Theatre Studies. Sixth Form students also have several free periods in which they allowed to study privately or relax in the concourse area.
[edit] Recent developments
Under the current headmaster's stewardship, the School has undertaken a number of projects designed to improve the facilities for both academic and non-academic subjects. Significant funding for the science projects has come from the Sir Edward Abraham Foundation.
[edit] Improvements
- A complete overhaul of the Science and Design-and-Technology blocks - very recently work has begun on the renovations of the biology classrooms.
- Constant expansion of the School's ICT capacity and security.
- A new area for the Sixth Form to spend free periods and breaks in to augment the current concourse. Construction has recently finished, the classrooms and new parts of the Sixth Form Centre are now in use.
- The purchase of off-site property, including the Wellington Sports Grounds and a centre in Dartmoor, where the School carries out most of its Duke of Edinburgh Award activities.
[edit] Notable Old Edwardians
- Sir Edward Abraham, biochemist
- William Capon, rector and master of Jesus College, Cambridge
- * Alec Campbell (footballer)
- Arthur Lake, Bishop of Bath and Wells
- Thomas Lake, statesman
- Thomas Lawrence (painter)
- Eric Meadus, painter
- Basil Mitchell (academic), formerly Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of the Christian Religion, University of Oxford
- Hugh Mitchell, actor
- Joshua Sylvester, poet
- Isaac Watts, minister and hymnist
- Hugh Whitemore, playwright/screenwriter
