King Edward's School, Birmingham

History

The Foundation was created on 2 January 1552 by Royal Charter of King Edward VI together with £20 per annum returned by The Crown for educational purposes. Five years earlier in 1547 the Act of Suppression, part of the wider Dissolution of the Monasteries, provided for the confiscation of all assets of religious guilds except an amount of land with an annual income of £21 (two thirds of the original lands) if the guild supported a school. The Guild of the Holy Cross in Birmingham had no school, but persuaded the Earl of Northumberland (also the lord of the manor of Birmingham) to release the land for the creation of a school. The charter of the free Grammer Schole of King Edward VI was issued on 2 January 1552, and the school came into being in the former guild building on New Street. By the 1680s there were neer 200 boys in the school and a Petty School (a feeder school) had been established by the foundation.

The affairs of the school in the early part of the 18th century were dominated by a quarrel between a governor and the headmaster, but this notwithstanding, a new Georgian inspired building was built on the New Street site between 1731 and 1734. In the latter part of the 18th Century four separate elementary schools and a girls' school were set up by the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI. The school remained relatively stagnant after this until Francis Jeune was appointed Headmaster in 1835. He erected a new building on the same site, in the Gothic Style of architecture. This was designed by Charles Barry, who employed Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin for aspects of the interior design, generally held to be Big School and, less certainly, the decorative battlements. (Barry, again employing Pugin, subsequently designed the present Palace of Westminster). From within this new landmark building came several changes in the curriculum and ethos of the school. Sports became an important feature, through games afternoons, and the dominance of Classics was lessened by the introduction of mathematics and science.

By 1936 the old building on New Street had become a fire risk, and plans were made by the Governors and the then Headmaster, Edwin Thirlwall England, to move to a new site at Edgbaston Park Road/Bristol Road, in Edgbaston, along with the girls' school. Ironically, the temporary buildings erected on the new site in 1936 burnt down. The school was forced to move, if only for a short time, to the University of Birmingham's Great Hall and surrounding buildings until new temporary buildings could be erected. The move was complicated by the outbreak of the Second World War, and the subsequent evacuation of the pupils to Repton School for a short period. By 1940 enough of the new buildings designed by Holland W. Hobbiss had been built for the school to begin lessons. In 1945 the schools became direct grant grammar schools, which meant that the Governors had to relinquish some control over the running of the school. The schools were finally completed around 1948, although the 1950s saw a period of expansion under the Chief Master Ronald G. Lunt, appointed 1952, including the construction of a swimming pool and the building of a Chapel from a specially salvaged portion of the upper corridor of the New Street building. In 1976 the two schools became, once again, independent schools, due to the termination of the Direct Grant scheme by the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The school remains independent and is still on the Edgbaston site.

In 2010 the school replaced A levels with the International Baccalaureate diploma.

The Chapel

The chapel, a Grade II* listed building, was originally part of the upper corridor of the 1838 New Street school (built by Charles Barry). It was moved brick by brick to Edgbaston (1938–1940) by Holland W Hobbis, and renovated and rebuilt in the 1950s.

On Wednesday 4 May 2016, King Edward's School officially opened the second phase of its First World War exhibition in the Chapel, originally opened in 2014, to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.

"Sapientia"

Another glory of the School, the great desk of the Chief Master, with 'Sapientia' inscribed over it" survives from Barry's New Street school, and is still in daily use in Big School. This too is generally thought to be the work of Pugin.

Appearances

The school buildings have been used in several film and television productions. They were used in the 1986 film Clockwise, starring John Cleese, supposedly as the University of East Anglia. The school featured briefly in the 2006 Ray Winstone Channel 4 TV film All in the Game. The school has also been used in several episodes of the BBC medical drama Doctors. The school grounds were used in 2000 to film a feature on the Mazda MX-5 sports car for Clarkson's Car Years, presented by Jeremy Clarkson, against a background of boys in the Shells playing rugby on a rainy day.

School structure

Unlike state secondary schools and in common with many independent schools, King Edward's does not use modern year group names habitually, e.g. Year 11, Year 12, etc.

The table below attempts to clarify the names of forms used for the different years:

The House System

King Edward's has a house system, instigated in 1902 by the then Headmaster, Robert Cary Gilson. Originally, there were four houses, using the colours Blue, Green, Red and Yellow, but the houses were known simply by the name of the Housemaster at any one time ("Mr Soandso's House"), involving a change of name whenever the Housemaster changed. In 1951 the number of Houses was enlarged to eight, and it was decided that they should have permanent names. Six were called after former Headmasters, and two after assistant masters (Rawdon Levett and C. H. Heath). The colours of each house are shown on this table, though that for Levett was formerly brown.

The Houses compete against one another every year to win the Cock House Trophy. There are many events that boys take part in and get points for. These points are totalled up at the end of the year, and the House with the most points is declared the Cock House Champion. Each house has a distinctive set of 'colours', which are awarded to students for merit and commitment in representing the house in house matches. Each house also has its own 'house tie', the tie's pattern comprising stripes of the house colour on a black background. Some houses award it for subjective merit, while others use a points system to award the tie. Only boys in the Fourths and above may wear a house tie. The most successful house on record is Gifford, with 11 Cock House Trophy wins in 32 years, their most recent win being in 2009. The longest ever run of victories is 6 years in a row, achieved by Heath House 1998–2004. As of 2016 the Cock House Trophy is held by Cary Gilson. In reporting sport events the house names are often shortened to one or two letters, as indicated above.

Sport

There are three main sports at KES; rugby and hockey in the winter and cricket in the summer. Hockey is available as an option from first year (Shells) onwards. In the first and second years (Shells and Removes), there are up to six fully coached rugby teams, but from the third year there are only three. Other boys practise hockey, basketball, fencing, swimming and other sports. On rare occasions, where boys are especially talented in several fields, they play those sports they excel in, as well as their chosen sport.

The rugby match against KES's main rival, Bromsgrove School, is the highlight of the rugby season, has been played annually since 1875, and is the oldest annual schools fixture in England. KES is also a keen rival of Solihull School and Warwick School, both fixtures dating back a hundred or more years. The school runs a rugby tour to a major rugby-playing country every two years, the tour being open only to the 1st and 2nd teams of that year.

Water polo is the most successful sport at King Edward's. The team has won the English Schools Under-19 Water Polo competition in 2002 and 2008, the latter win being accompanied by the Warwickshire Cup, making the most successful season in recent times. Numerous players have been called to the City of Birmingham Youth Squad and English Schools Water Polo teams.

The House system encourages participation in sport outside the weekly sports sessions. With autumn and winter competitions in rugby, hockey, tennis etc., pupils have the opportunity to participate in team competitions. In the summer, House activities such as the school's athletics competition, cross country races and House swimming allow further sporting pursuits. The School makes use of its extensive sporting facilities, which include a swimming pool, AstroTurf pitches (shared with KEHS), tennis courts, numerous rugby and cricket pitches (including additional training areas), an athletics track, a sports hall, squash courts and Eton Fives courts. The school also competes in national competitions of a more intellectual nature including chess, general challenges and debating.

Although Association football is not played as a sport in the school, the AstroTurf pitches, school parade ground and chapel wall are used by boys at lunchtime for "Parade Ground Football" .

Music and drama

There is a separate building on site housing the Music Department, with facilities including a recital/rehearsal auditorium and a computer laboratory equipped with keyboard input. In addition, the school supports two full orchestras (in association with King Edward's High School for Girls) the more advanced of which has performed such works as Dvořák's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World". There are also two wind/brass ensembles in association with KEHS, and the senior members of both schools can join the Choral Society, a choir of 80-100 people which has sung such works as Carl Orff's Carmina Burana and Karl Jenkins's The Armed Man. KES also has its own Choir, which sings at the Founder's Day prizegiving, the Christmas Carol service held in St. Philip's Cathedral in the centre of Birmingham, and at the Christmas and Summer concerts. The school holds four concerts every year: three at the school site and one in the summer at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham. The Drama Society at KES/KEHS performs a junior play, senior play or musical, and syndicate play (organised solely by pupils) and participates in the Shakespeare Schools Festival (for pupils in the Fourths and Fifths).

In 2012 the school built a new Performing Arts Centre, of which the main space is the Ruddock Hall which accommodates an orchestra of 90, audience of over 400 and a drama studio of flexible design that accommodates an audience of 120. The centre also houses a studio designed specifically for dance which benefits from panoramic open views across Winterbourne Gardens. Commissioned by Sir Paul Ruddock, a former pupil of the school, the facility was officially opened by the Rt Hon Michael Gove on 13 April 2012. The concert hall of The Ruddock Performing Arts Centre hosts the school's Senior and Junior Productions, Dance Production and three concerts throughout the year.

Visits and expeditions

In the Shells boys take part in a three-day camping trip in Staffordshire, cooking their own evening meals. In the Removes each form has a five-day youth hostel visit in the Lake District or Snowdonia. This is alongside individual department field trips, such as annual Geography, History and Biology field trips along with exchanges with foreign students.

There are also a few hill-walking, caving and climbing trips for boys in the lower years.

The annual expeditions programme includes cycle tours, visits to Jordan, Ardèche adventure weeks in France, ski and snow-shoeing trips, and visits to Normandy and the Bay of Naples. The school has operated annual cycle tours since 1995. Past tours have included Sustrans routes such as the Coast to Coast and Hull to Felixstowe. The school has toured on three occasions from Land's End to John O'Groats. Cycle tours abroad include the Kingfisher Trail in Ireland, a tour in Normandy, the Golden Circle in the Netherlands, and most recently from Dunkerque in France to IJmuiden in the Netherlands.

CCF and Duke of Edinburgh's Award

King Edward's School has had a Combined Cadet Force (CCF) since 1906 (originally Officers Training Corps, then Junior Training Corps, 1940–48); it is a voluntary organisation. The CCF comprises: the Royal Navy section, the Army section, and did until July 2014 include the Royal Air Force section. The CCF conduct their training on Friday afternoons, and expeditions take place throughout the year. The RN section is currently affiliated to HMS Daring, along with several other organisations in the Midlands. The RAF Section was affiliated with No. 8 Air Experience Flight which is based at RAF Cosford.

The contingent is part of 143 West Midlands Brigade, and the contingent are represented at the Brigade competitions by members of all three sections. In 2006 the contingent won all the matches at the CCF Skill at Arms competition, the Military Skills competition and various first aid titles. The CCF is closely linked with The Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme within the school. In 2006 KES CCF celebrated its centenary Review; the Inspecting Officer was the then Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Adrian Johns.

The CCF train on Friday afternoon's, on the school site for the majority of the year, although each section may go elsewhere occasionally for specific activities, and weekend activities and expeditions take place at various military bases around the country. The school has a 25m indoor Firing Range on which cadets from all sections fire the .22 No.8 rifle. To shoot the larger, semi-automatic L98 rifle, cadets must fire on ranges on real military bases. Royal Navy cadets frequently spend Friday Afternoon's sailing or kayaking at the local Edgbaston Reservoir.

In June 2014, it was announced that the RAF section would be disbanded due to a lack of staff as well as for various other reasons. The final Annual General Inspection of the CCF with the RAF section present was held on 4 July 2014, and was attended by Air Marshal Barry North as the Inspecting Officer, as well as a number of other officers from each section.

Previously, the school operated the Duke of Edinburgh's Award at Bronze, Silver and Gold Level; since September 2012, only the Gold award is offered and only for senior students. Instead the school holds their own awards scheme - the KES Expeditions Award.

Clubs and Societies

There is a range of around 40 groups, clubs and societies at the school, including: The Agora Society (philosophy), The Parliamentary Society (politics), The Graphic Universe (sci-fi appreciation), Living History Re-Enactment, Junior and Senior Debating Societies,Literary Society, Dramatic Society, Amnesty International Society, Classic Film Society, Model United Nations, Programming Club, Scientific Society, Book Club and Archery. The mentoring society, with the aim of helping students in their studies, runs weekly under the supervision of the Learning Support co-ordinator. Boys can also compete in the Schools Challenge competition, with King Edward's having won the National Competition in 2011. King Edward's has flourishing debating teams which participate in competitive tournaments at venues like the Oxford, Cambridge and Durham Unions. It was the first (and so far only) school to retain the Cambridge Union Schools' Debating title (2000 and 2001).

Historical re-enactment

One of the school's more unusual clubs is the Living History Group. It is made up of some thirty to forty boys and girls from the KES (King Edward's School Birmingham) and KEHS (King Edward's High School for Girls), led by several members of staff and run by Jonathan Davies. There are only two school-based re-enactment of its kind in the world, the other being in Canada. The group focuses on presenting life around the years 1392 and 1552, the former being the date of the foundation of the Gild of the Holy Cross and the latter being the date of the school's foundation. It presents aspects of civilian life as well as military skills. Archery is a core skill in the group but swordsmanship and drill are also practised. As a civilian group they represent an English wool or spice merchant's household. The Group has also designed a portable counterweight powered trebuchet called 'Elizabeth', one of only two in the country, and now has a smaller one called 'Aimee'. The group is well known throughout England's 'Re-enactor Network', and participates in many well established public events a year as well as numerous educational events in other schools, normally local to or in Birmingham. In addition, the group have travelled to Denmark to participate in the activities at the Danish Middle Ages Centre several times and have concluded the visits there with the final trip being in the summer of 2016.

School songs

There are two school songs:

King Edward's School Song

Written by Alfred Hayes, O.E. (1857–1936); composed by A. Somervell and first sung by Jerome O'Neill in 1937.

A rousing song, sung mainly at the end of term. The boys usually place particular emphasis on the final words of the first line of the chorus by often shouting "SOME TO FAME!".

King Edward's School Song

Where the iron heart of England throbs beneath its sombre robe,
Stands a school whose sons have made her great and famous round the globe,
These have plucked the bays of battle, those have won the scholar's crown;
Old Edwardians, young Edwardians, forward for the School's renown.

Chorus
Forward where the knocks are hardest, some to failure, some to fame;
Never mind the cheers or hooting, keep your head and play the game.

Here's no place for fop or idler; they who made our city great
Feared no hardship, shirked no labour, smiled at death and conquered fate;
They who gave our School its laurels laid on us a sacred trust;
Forward therefore, live your hardest, die of service, not of rust.

Here no classic grove secludes us, here abides no cloistered calm;
Not the titled, nor the stranger, wrestles here to gain the palm;
Round our smoke-encrusted precincts labour's turbid river runs;
Builders of this burly city temper here their strenuous sons.

Forward where the scrimmage thickens; never stop to rub your shin;
Cowards count the kicks and ha'pence, only care to save their skin.
Oftentimes defeat is splendid, victory may still be shame;
Luck is good, the prize is pleasant but the glory's in the game.

The Quatercentenary Song

Written in Latin by Roger Dunt (1900–63), Senior Classics Master; composed by Dr. Willis Grant (1907–81), Music Master

Sung at Founder's Day, the annual commemoration in October of King Edward's birthday, and at the school's Speech Day. It is also sung at various other award ceremonies. An extra verse was written for the visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II on 3 November 1955 (replacing a visit planned for the Quatercentenary Year 1952 by his late majesty, King George VI).

King Edward’s in modern literature

In the mid-20th century the school produced two authors who used their time at school as the basis for autobiographical work.

David Rudkin's TV film Penda's Fen alludes frequently to aspects of school life in the early 1950s. This includes dwelling on the Chief Master’s rostrum "Sapientia" (see above) and the direct use of some personal surnames of staff and pupils from that period. Scenes involving the Combined Cadet Force, a central theme in the film, recreate the atmosphere of the school at that time. Rudkin (OE c1947-1954) has published ambivalent views of his time at the school.

Jonathan Coe’s novel The Rotters' Club was begun while he was at KES, and he said that the background detail of the school (renamed King William's) and the Birmingham suburbs came from his own life.

Notable Old Edwardians

See: People educated at King Edward's School, Birmingham

Academics

Harry Boot, physicist, co-developer of the cavity magnetron.

Richard Ewen Borcherds, mathematician; winner of the 1998 Fields Medal for the proof of the Monstrous moonshine conjecture.

George Caird, New Testament scholar; Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford; Dean Ireland's Professor of the Exigesis of Holy Scripture at Oxford University.

Henry Cary, translator of Dante.

John Hawthorne, philosopher, Waynflete Professor of Metaphysical Philosophy at Oxford University.

Alfred Hazel, Principal of Jesus College, Oxford.

Frank Horton FRS Professor of Physics at Royal Holloway College and Vice-Chancellor of the University of London 1939-45

Alfred Edward Housman, classicist and poet. Author of A Shropshire Lad and holder of Kennedy Professorship of Latin at Cambridge University.

J. S. Mitchell, Radiotherapist and Regius Professor of Physic, University of Cambridge 1957-1975

Alfred Radcliffe-Brown, social anthropologist.

Julian Roberts, librarian and bibliographer.

Thomas A. Shippey, medievalist scholar on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, Professor of English at the University of Leeds.

J. R. R. Tolkien, Merton Professor of English Language and Literature; author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Sir John Vane, 1982 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine.

Maurice Wilkins, 1962 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine.

Sir Francis Galton, Victorian polymath

Business

Barney Goodman, Founder of Mothercare

James Quincey, President and COO of the Coca-Cola Company

Andy Street, Managing Director of John Lewis Partnership (2007-2016)

Peter Williams, Founder and Managing Director of International Clothing Brand Jack Wills

Ecclesiastics

Ernest William Barnes, mathematician; Fellow of the Royal Society, Bishop of Birmingham, 1924–1952

Edward White Benson, theologian; Archbishop of Canterbury, 1882–1896

Ivor Colin Docker, 2nd Bishop of Horsham, 1975–1991

Joseph Barber Lightfoot, theologian; Bishop of Durham, 1879–1889

Brooke Foss Westcott, theologian; Bishop of Durham, 1890–1901

The Armed Forces and the Intelligence Services

Field Marshal William Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, Commander of the successful Burma Campaign against the Japanese in World War II and later Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS)

Lieutenant Colonel John Augustus Conolly, won the Victoria Cross at Sevastopol in the Crimean War. He is the only winner of the VC from the school

Admiral John Henry Godfrey, Ian Fleming's supposed inspiration for "M"

Denis Hills, soldier, adventurer

Sir Colin Figures, Head of MI6

Hugh Alexander, Codebreaker at Bletchley Park during World War II, and later head of the cryptanalysis division at GCHQ. He was also a two time British chess champion

The Arts

Rich Batsford, musician

Sir Edward Burne-Jones, Pre-Raphaelite painter

Lee Child, novelist, author of the popular "Jack Reacher" series

Jonathan Coe, novelist, (one novel, The Rotters' Club, was based on his time at KES)

Laurence James, author, science fiction novelist of the Deathlands series.

Kevin Elyot, playwright, screenwriter and actor.

Gavin Lyall, author of espionage thrillers

H. V. Morton, journalist and travel writer

James David Rudkin, playwright

Kenneth Tynan, theatre critic and writer

Entertainment

Max Carlish, documentarist; BAFTA Winner

Robin Duval, film censor

Dave Haslam, Hacienda DJ during the 'Madchester' years

Mr Hudson, musician

David Munrow, musician

Stanley Myers, composer, most famous for The Deer Hunter theme, and other film scores.

Bill Oddie, OBE, television birdwatcher, former Goodie

Richard Wattis, actor

Godfrey Winn, journalist known as a columnist, and also a writer and actor.

Conor Woodman, author and broadcaster.

Politics

Peter Bennett, 1st Baron Bennett of Edgbaston (Conservative) for Birmingham, Edgbaston 1940-1953

Sir Alfred Bird MP (Conservative) for Wolverhampton West, custard manufacturer

William John Gunnell MP (Labour) for Morley & Leeds South; Morley & Rothwell 1992-2001; conscientious objector

Sir Alan Haselhurst MP (Conservative) for Middleton & Prestwich 1970-74 and Saffron Walden from 1977; Deputy Speaker

John Hemming MP (Liberal Democrat) for Birmingham Yardley from 2005-2015

Sir Alfred Hickman, 1st Baronet MP (Conservative) for Wolverhampton West, from 1885-1886 & 1892-1906

Enoch Powell MP (Conservative) and Ulster Unionist Party for Wolverhampton South West 1950-74 & South Down 1974-87

David Willetts, Baron Willetts MP (Conservative) for Havant from 1992-2015, former Paymaster General and Minister of State for Universities and Science

Aidan Burley MP (Conservative) for Cannock Chase from 2010-2015

Sir Neville Bosworth, Conservative leader of Birmingham City Council 1976-80 and 1982–84,

Stephen Mosley MP (Conservative) for the City of Chester from 2010-2015

Sport

Vikram Banerjee, First Class Cricket, (Cambridge University, Gloucestershire)

Miles Benjamin, Professional rugby player for Leicester Tigers

John Claughton, First Class Cricket, (Oxford University (Captain)), Warwickshire CCC)

Paolo Odogwu, professional rugby player for Sale Sharks.

Bradley Garmston, West Bromwich Albion footballer

Anurag Singh, First Class Cricket, Cambridge University Captain (1997 and 1998), Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Nottinghamshire

Alan Smith, England Test cricketer (England, Warwickshire and Oxford University), first CEO of the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB) now known as the ECB.

Mark Wagh, First Class Cricket — Oxford University Captain (1997), Warwickshire

Ossie Wheatley, First Class Cricket (Cambridge University, Warwickshire and Glamorgan), Former Test Selecter and Chairman of the TCCB.

Niels de Vos, Chief Executive, UK Athletics

Other

Charles Freer Andrews, disciple of, and advocate for, Mohandas Gandhi

Sir Stanley Brown CBE, Chairman of the CEGB and President of the Institution of Electrical Engineers

Herbert Tudor Buckland, Arts and Crafts architect, b.1869, d.1951

J. A. Chatwin, architect of many churches and buildings in Birmingham

Jack Cotton, property developer, whose company demolished the original school building in New Street

Robert Furneaux Jordan, architect and detective novelist

Tim Franks, journalist

Nick Kaufman, lawyer

Edmund "Evoe" George Valpy Knox, Editor of Punch

Alan Nunn May, physicist and traitor who supplied atom secrets to the Soviet Union

Percival Perry, 1st Baron Perry, first chairman of Ford of Britain

Ian Plenderleith, Deputy Governor of the South African Federal Reserve; member of Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee.

Sir Peter Singer, High Court judge

Mark Steyn, internationally syndicated columnist

Tony Miles, first British-born chess Grandmaster.

Tony Hall, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, Director-General of the BBC & formerly Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House

Sir Alexander Mackenzie, KCSI, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal; Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces; Chief Commissioner of British Crown Colony of Burma; and Home Secretary to the Government of British India

Major Eric George Sherbrooke Walker MC, hotelier and founder of the Outspan Hotel and Treetops Hotel in Kenya where he hosted Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip shortly before receiving news of the death of King George VI and Elizabeth's accession to the throne

Chief Masters

The Head teacher was referred to as "Head Master" up until 1952, when R. G. Lunt was appointed with this title. From 1953, he and subsequent holders of the position were referred to as "Chief Master".

Head or Chief Masters have been