The King Alfred School

Last week, we were delighted to welcome Dinah Heller (OA 1947) and her granddaughter Charlotte to KAS.
A lifelong early years educator, Dinah spent the morning exploring the School with Karen, Head of Lower School, meeting pupils and visiting classrooms.

Dinah celebrated her 96th birthday last week, and we were happy to celebrate the occasion by presenting her with a handmade wooden serving board engraved with her name and the KAS logo. Crafted from the hardwood benches of old science labs, it’s a small piece of the School's history to take home with her all the way to New York.
Dinah also got to meet Cammy in Year 6. Earlier this year, the pair exchanged letters through our Festive Post programme, and it was wonderful to see their correspondence come full circle by meeting in person.

The last stop on the tour ended at Ivy Wood to the A Level DT Exhibition, where both Dinah and Charlotte were impressed by the technical skill and sophistication in the students’ designs.

Dinah noticed many changes since her time at KAS in the 1930s but noted that KAS remain a unique and special place. “Children are truly fortunate to have this very special educational experience.”

Pastoral care isn’t an add-on – it’s central to who we are as a school.

That’s why we’re delighted that our most recent inspection recognised how our culture of care, understanding and connection supports all students’ physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

This includes:
✨ The nurturing of strong, trusted relationships between staff and students
✨ A dedicated school counsellor available to all
✨ A focus on developing resilience, confidence and a strong sense of belonging
✨ A wide range of co-curricular options – from blacksmithing and bouldering to sewing and swing band – so that everyone can find their passion
✨ An emphasis on student voice – such as our student-led conferences and School Six, our student committee

Our aim is always the same: to ensure every young person feels known, valued and supported 💛

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐅ê𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐲

This lovely poster is from the school’s Summer Garden Fête in 1937, complete with food, dancing and music. Some things never change.
Nearly 90 years later, we’re still finding reasons to gather, celebrate and make memories together… just with slightly better sound systems. 🎶😉

Please join for the OA Lunch reunion at KAStonbury from 12:30pm to 1:30pm and stay on to enjoy the entertainment. RSVP at [email protected].

KAStonbury 2026 tickets are on sale now! Old Alfredians tickets are FREE! Get you tickets here: https://kingalfredschool.nuwebgroup.com/events/162237

Come for the music, the laughter and the community spirit that’s been part of KAS for generations.

See you there! 💚

Year 7 students spent a fun few hours engineering balloon-powered race cars this week – before taking on their classmates in an F1-style Grand Prix to see how far their cars could go.

Competition to top the constructor’s championship was fierce, so well done to our podium finishers – Bess 🥇, Gene 🥈 and Maddie 🥉

A special shout-out goes to all students for keeping the competition good-humoured and showing fantastic support for one another 🥰

Just another example of how we make learning fun here at KAS 🙌

Jacky Bennett (OA 1954) welcomed us into her home last term after having received her Festive Post. She welcomed us with warmth, lovely coffee, and plenty of stories. Born in 1937, Jacky attended KAS from 1947 to 1949, and her memories of those school days are still vivid as ever.

One story Jackie remembered involves playing a spirited cricket match inside the Main Hall...an idea surely unsupervised by teachers for those brief moments. In the excitement of the game, Jacky (as batman) managed to smash a six right into a ceiling light. Thankfully, the original and beautiful ultraviolet glass windowpane dedicated to Dr. Ethelberta Claremont (OA 1910), which is still on display in the Main Hall today, was spared!

Look out for our Autumn newsletter next school year for the full story on Jacky. Although Jacky isn't featured in this photo of pupils playing cricket on the Field at Manor Wood, clearly it was one her favourite pastimes.

What games did you love at KAS? Comment here.

Can you k̶i̶c̶k read it? Yes, you can! ⚽📚

Our wonderful Upper School Librarian, Jenny, has created this fantastic Reading List. It features two books for each of the 48 group stage countries – all of which are available from our Upper School Library.

Designed to encourage more and broader reading, it's a flexible and low-pressure challenge that students (or anyone!) can make their own.

Suggestions shared by Jenny include:

* Tracking progress together with friends, teachers or parents
* Writing mini reviews of completed books
* Initiating discussions, such as during Form Hour
* Reading favourite extracts aloud

Students can borrow books from our library year-round. Simply show your chosen book to the librarian and say: "It's coming home... with me!" 😜

Which titles will you be reading this summer?

StoneX Stadium was buzzing with energy at this year’s Upper School Sports Day 🏃

Students from Years 6–10 ran, threw and jumped their hearts out for their teams – the Reds, Blues and Yellows 💛❤️💙

While competition for the coveted trophy was fierce, the support shown across teams was even stronger, with everyone cheering one other on 👏

But there could only be one winner… and this year, it was Team Blue! 🏆