Category: Upper School – King Alfred School
Space exploration ethics, AI, and restoring the balance
This Spring Term, students in Upper School have enjoyed deeper learning experiences on topics including the ethics of space exploration, whether AI should be embraced or feared, and the precarious nature of systems. The topics were considered as part of Explorations, interdisciplinary enquiry projects that our students complete in Years 6, 7 and 8 –…
Children’s Mental Health Week at KAS
To mark Children’s Mental Health Week (3-9 February), our pastoral care team devised a special events programme, sharing helpful advice on maintaining good mental health, highlighting emotional coping strategies, and encouraging students to support one another. Well-being activites Year 7 and 8 students were able to select from a menu of activities designed to promote…
Year 12s lead mental health sessions for Year 7
Community, contribution and collaboration are key values at The King Alfred School. One way we help students to develop these skills is through interaction with other year groups, and our Peer Education Programme (PEP) is a great example of this. PEP is a transformative programme from the Mental Health Foundation, designed to equip young people…
Benedict Cumberbatch shares Hamlet insights with A level students
Upper School library was the only place “to be” for KAS Sixth Formers recently, where they had the opportunity to quiz actor Benedict Cumberbatch on his portrayal of one of Shakespeare’s most iconic roles – Hamlet. The Olivier Award winner took questions from A level English students ranging from which production of the play he…
Year 9’s wearable sculpture workshop
Year 9 were tasked with creating wearable sculptures earlier this term in Art. The students drew inspiration from modernist paintings, particularly abstract art, for their designs – resulting in some strikingly creative designs on display in their final show. The pieces were created using materials readily available in the Art department, such as wires, wood,…
“Magical” Upper School show wins praise
KAS students brought the house down at Finchley’s Arts Depot in later November with this year’s Upper School show, The Ballad of Raggedy Alice. Performed over two nights, the original musical was penned by our very own Head of Drama, Rob Messick, with a score by our former Head of Music, Roy Raby. The show…
Exhibiting Excellence: Year 7 Explorations On Display
This term, for their STEM Exploration, Year 7 students have been working towards answering the question, ‘How can we survive and thrive on a deserted island?’ As Term drew to a close they hosted an exhibition which didn’t just show their outcomes, but everything they’ve learnt along the way. What’s in an Exploration? This Exploration provided…
Reflecting & Remembering: Y9 Battlefields Trip
“The trip definitely changed my understanding of the war.” Supporting students learning through trips, experiences or visiting speakers is a key part of the learning experience at KAS. Every November Year 9 students spend two days visiting WW1 sites in Belgium as part of their History studies. Leon, Head of History and Politics has led…
All That Jazz: Student Band Lights Up The Main Hall
Despite the darkness of an autumn night, there was a warm glow from the Main Hall for the inaugural KAS Jazz Club. Tables were crowded with members of the KAS community ready to enjoy an evening of entertainment as our 15 piece student Jazz Band took to the stage alongside professional jazz musicians. As a…
More unforgettable memories in the Namibian desert
A group of 16 Year 11 students and two KAS teachers journeyed to Namibia in June – a trip described as “one of the best experiences of my life” by one intrepid attendee. KAS students been making the trip to Dorob National Park in north-west Namibia for some 20 years, working with the charity Elephant-Human…
