King's School Rochester Weekly News
Friday 26th June 2026
Palaces, Parks and Parliament
Our EAL (English as an Additional Language) pupils embarked on a fantastic cultural and historical day trip to the heart of London. The adventure began with a fascinating visit to the Royal Mews, followed by a relaxing picnic in the sun in St James’s Park. The group then took a scenic walking tour through Horse Guards Parade, down Whitehall, and on to see the iconic sights of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. The perfect finale to our action-packed day was an inspiring guided tour of Westminster Abbey, where pupils immersed themselves in centuries of British history.
C’est Magnifique!
Our annual trip to Picardy, France with Year 6 took place last week. The weather was fantastic, France was beautiful and Year 6 were all superb, throwing themselves gamely into all the challenges of a week away from home.
We played pétanque, went for walking tours of the nearby town of Montdidier, petted goats and learned how snails are farmed (and taste!). In the grounds of the château where we were staying, we had the Château Olympics, and did the blind trail and low ropes challenges. We also visited the gorgeous city of Amiens and its impressive cathedral and lovely French cafés.
A trip to try making croissants at a real French bakery was also amazing. Not to be forgotten was the day we spent at Parc Astérix, where the brave and the bold tackled Europe's fastest roller coaster among an incredible array of rides and thrills. The Year 6 pupils impressed with their enthusiasm and courage, speaking French every day. A huge thank you to Mrs Hannaford, Mrs Marshall, Mrs Wright and Mr Parker-Bruce for making it all possible.
Senior School Summer Concert
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The Senior School Summer Concert, taking place in the beautiful Rochester Cathedral, was a superb celebration of another successful year of ensemble and individual music-making at King’s. Miss Roux’s Senior Orchestra launched the programme with Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4, a perennial favourite of summer proms concerts all over the country and an appropriately buoyant and proud start to the evening. Then followed two excellent solo performances from Ludo (U6W) and Shiv (U6W), both pupils finishing their final year and soon to be moving on from King’s. Ludo’s rendition of Elton John’s “Your Song” was heartfelt and stylish, accompanied by an original arrangement by Miss Roux for string quintet. Shiv’s solo was entitled “The Void” - his own composition - and featured Shiv impressively singing and accompanying himself at the piano in this very moving piece. Directed by Mrs Boden, King’s Brass filled the Cathedral with its warm sound, presenting three varied items. Bryer (U6S) performed "They Just Keep Moving the Line", the electrifying showstopper from the musical drama series Smash. The first half of the programme was then brought to a close with two movements of Bach’s stunning Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, with Charlie (U5C) and his teacher Julian Milone playing the two solo parts. The accomplished performance matched the composition in beauty - a real treat.
The items of the second half extended the same outstanding quality, starting with Selena (U6S) and Miss Roux singing the gorgeous farewell duet “For Good”, from the show Wicked. Senior Wind Band, directed by Mr Sinclair-Strong, played three items, a lovely, light-hearted collection from twentieth-century stage and screen. Our final soloist of the evening was John (U6P), whose characterisation of “I love Betsy” from Honeymoon in Vegas was captivating and highlighted his versatility as a talented singer across different styles. John then invited Selena back to the stage to sing “Suddenly Seymour” from The Little Shop of Horrors in a special, unprogrammed encore. The Senior Choir sang brilliantly in four movements of choral classic “Gloria” by Vivaldi, with a first-rate accompanying orchestra of strings and the Cathedral organ. The singers were then joined by other members of the cast of the Senior production Les Misérables to close proceedings with a reunion performance of “One Day More”.
In addition to Ludo, Shiv, Bryer, Charlie, Selena and John, this concert was also the last time Chester and Imogen will perform in a King’s event as pupils of the school. The Music Department would like to thank our leavers for their contributions over the years. We also wish to congratulate all the performers for their part in making this concert so special, one which will leave behind lasting memories.