Mr Pavis' Video Newsletter: Friday 6th March

This week at Kingsley we’ve been celebrating World Book Day in style — and as you may have noticed, I fully embraced the occasion! It’s been a brilliant celebration of literacy across both Prep and Senior School, with students dressing up as their favourite literary characters and reminding us all of the joy and importance of reading.

Modern Foreign Languages also took centre stage this week, with seven students representing Kingsley at the North Devon Schools MFL Speaking Competition. Congratulations to Aurelia, who came first in her category, and to Lucera, who secured second place. Well done as well to Olivia and Ruby at Key Stage 3, and Bonnie, Angelina, and Johanna at Key Stage 4. It takes real courage to stand up and speak confidently in another language in front of an audience, and we are incredibly proud of you all.

Our Year 11 and Year 13 students have begun their final round of mock examinations, continuing to show resilience and determination as they prepare for the summer exams. There’s another week of mocks to go, followed by final course completion before Easter and then the main exam season. Keep going — your hard work will pay off.

In sport, it has been another phenomenal week. Our Under 14 Boys Rugby Sevens team travelled to London for the ISA National Finals and came away as national champions — an extraordinary achievement and a proud moment for the school. It is not every day that a school wins a national title, and we couldn’t be more delighted for the boys.

We also had 15 runners representing the South West at the RSA National Cross Country Finals in Birmingham. A special mention to Henry (Year 7) who finished 9th nationally — an outstanding performance in a highly competitive field. The following day at the Bremco Cross Country League, Henry placed 7th, Eva came 6th, and Henry H finished 4th — fantastic results all round.

Our gymnasts competed at the South West Tumbling Championships, with Ellie finishing 6th in the U13 category and Harriet placing 8th in the U11 event. In football, the U15s faced a tough fixture against Shebbear, while our U14 Boys 15-a-side Rugby team narrowly lost 19–18 in the Devon County Schools Cup semifinal to a strong Exeter side — an incredibly close contest that showcased the team’s quality and determination. Meanwhile, our U18 Rugby 10s team competed at the prestigious Millfield 10s tournament, winning one and losing two matches against some of the country’s strongest schools.

Looking ahead to the weekend, we have gymnasts travelling to Stoke for the Milano National Schools Finals, judoka competing at the British Schools Judo National Championships in Sheffield, and Kingsley hosting the U14 Boys Kingsley Cup Rugby Tournament on Sunday. This follows last weekend’s hugely successful U14 Girls tournament, which welcomed 22 teams from across the region.

Ten Tors training continues with an overnight camp, our Swell Chasers are heading to the coast, the Longfield boys are off on a fishing trip, and two students are testing their problem-solving skills in an Exeter escape room. As ever, there’s something for everyone.

Another busy, inspiring week at Kingsley — full of achievement, creativity, and community spirit. Have a wonderful weekend.