T
he year seems to have flown by
again and here we are nowmaking
preparations for our traditional
end of year functions. It is a time of year
I particularly enjoy, as it gives me the
opportunity, both to meet up with parents
at a number of celebratory occasions, and
to reflect on the numerous successes boys
and staff have enjoyed over the year.
In the last edition of Kingsway, I commented
on how fortunate we are at King’s to have
such a supportive and involved community
and this year has seen that support in
abundance. The boys have enjoyed a real
focus on food and cooking this year, both in
the classroom and, of course, for our very
own Mini MasterChef competition! It has
been a real pleasure for me to witness first
hand how the boys have been inspired and
motivated to try their hand in the kitchen,
whether they are in the Prep School making
pizza, or senior boys trying their hand at
more complex dishes over a frying pan
during the Mini MasterChef competition.
The Mini MasterChef competition was
a huge success for all the boys who took
part in it and I would particularly like
to acknowledge Vanessa Baxter who
spearheaded the programme, and who gave
many hours and days of her time to ensure
it all ran smoothly. Many other parent
volunteers also got on board and helped
with the preparation, set up and logistics;
and their help was invaluable. It reinforces
just how many extra opportunities we are
able to offer our boys at King’s because
of the generosity and enthusiasm of our
community volunteers, and for this I am
extremely grateful. Our thanks must
also go to Old Boy, Simon Gault and the
other judges, Sean Armstrong and Paula
Saengthian-Ngam for kindly giving up their
time to come into school for the Grand Final.
After such a focus on cooking throughout
the year, it seems only fitting that we should
end the year with the launch on November
15th of the King’s School Cookbook.
This wonderful publication is the result
of months of tireless work of two King’s
School parents, Eugénie Masfen-Yan and
Deidre Little, who have brought together
an impressive collection of recipes that may
be enjoyed in everyday family life. I would
also like to thank the wider community for
getting behind the book and submitting
their favourite recipes. I have had the
privilege of enjoying a ‘sneak preview’ and
can vouch for the fact that it is a beautiful
cookbook and a perfect gift for Christmas!
Another community event we all enjoyed
this year was our “Countdown to Centenary”
“I remain, as always, passionate about King’s School,
what it has stood for, and what it continues to be able to
offer boys and young men of tomorrow.”
event on August 30th where
parents and staff came together
to enjoy a social occasion in the
Sportsdome. Many commented
on what a fabulous venue the
Sportsdome turned out to be and
I would like to acknowledge the
Friends’ Committee who generously
funded the new carpet, enabling us now to
use this venue for a variety of different uses
for the boys. The Foundation, Old Boys’
and Friends’ Committees all came together
to help host this event and it was pleasing
to see nearly 400 guests enjoy the evening
as we now begin the countdown to our
centenary in 2022.
During the evening I gave a brief description
of how I saw the next decade unfolding at
King’s and was delighted to announce that
the Board have supported my pledge to
remain as Headmaster up to the centennial
year. I remain, as always, passionate about
King’s School, what it has stood for, and
what it continues to be able to offer boys
and young men of tomorrow. I am delighted
to be embarking on the next phase of its
development into the 21st century.
As a champion of boys’ education, I was
also honoured and humbled to have been
invited to sit on the Board of Trustees of the
International Boys’ Schools Coalition – a
three year appointment. The Coalition is
a not-for-profit coalition of independent,
parochial and public schools from around
the world dedicated to the education
and development of boys world-wide. Its
President, Headmaster of Eton College, Tony
Little, chairs the Board of Trustees invited
from boys’ schools all around the world.
In July, I travelled to Virginia to attend their
international conference. The conference
was an opportunity to get heads together,
share the latest research coming out of boys’
learning, and a chance to link in with leading
educators who are committed to boys’
education from a variety of backgrounds.
It was particularly interesting to hear the
views of David Banks, President and CEO
of the Eagle Academy Foundation and learn
of the work that is being done at the Eagle
Academy for Young Men in the Bronx. The
Board is very interested in what we are doing
in New Zealand, particularly our work in
the primary sector, and we are developing a
strong relationship with other leading boys’
primary schools in other parts of the world.
One of the discussion points at the
conference, that I am particularly passionate
about, was on making boys feel safe, from
an academic perspective. Boys love the
competitive instinct and can reach whatever
standards you expect of them. Our boys at
King’s are challenged academically to go far
and not feel inhibited. It is my belief, that if
you don’t have expectations and set goals,
then boys will easily gravitate to the middle
ground. But if you cater for their needs,
provide a nurturing environment, recognise
and reward success, then you are well on the
way to creating fine young men. Ultimately,
we are responsible for creating responsible
citizens of the future, and so we must create
an environment for them to build self-
esteem and do well. This will continue to be
my focus going forward.
As the weather warms up, you may have
spotted the very impressive new outdoor
playground equipment on display on the Top
Lawn, which has now been officially given a
big “thumbs up” by the enthusiastic boys of
the Prep School. This is yet another example
of the community getting behind a Friends’
project and making a positive difference to
the boys at our school. On behalf of all the
energetic five and six year olds, who are
enjoying the new equipment every day, I
thank everyone who has contributed to this
new playground.
I feel very privileged to be part of not
only the special place that is King’s
School, but also of such a vibrant and
committed community.
Tony Sissons
HEADMASTER
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