Japan Exchange 2025

Japanese Exchange with Okazaki High School Friday 22nd January to Tuesday 2nd February

Dr Bird, Mrs Ryan, Mr Russell and 12 students recently visited Japan for the 10th Japanese Exchange. The visit included 3 days enjoying the bright lights of Tokyo, 3 days in Kyoto and Nara, the ancient capitals of Japan famous for the bowing deer, beautiful Shinto Shrines and Buddhist Temples and finishing with 4 days in our partner school, Okazaki High School. Students stayed with their host families and attended lessons, after school club activities and even helped out with cleaning the school. The visit was the second after the pause due to the COVID pandemic and continued to strengthen the ties between our two schools. The students represented the school exceptionally well and presented on a huge range of topics from Henry VII and British Tea to British World Heritage sites and crocheting. The exchange part of the visit concluded with a formal celebration meal with speeches by Dr Bird, the Okazaki Principle and Chairman of the Alumni. It is always a privilege to see how strong friendships develop so quickly between by staff and students from opposite sides of the World. The next Japanese Exchange begins on March 20h when 12 students and 2 teachers from Okazaki High School visit Five Ways.

 

 

 

We Will Rock You!

A huge congratulations to everyone involved in the We Will Rock You performances! From the cast to the crew, your hard work and talent shone on stage. An incredible production and a fantastic experience for all! 👏🎶

15 Oxbridge Offers

We have secured 15 Oxbridge offers this year for a variety of courses. Congratulations to our hard-working students and staff. This is a fantastic achievement especially when seen in conjunction with all the offers from universities such as UCL, Birmingham, Imperial, Bristol, Durham, Nottingham and so on. Well done!

Stage2 Youth Theatre is Back for the Spring Term!

We’re excited to announce the return of Stage2 Youth Theatre for the Spring Term! Running every Sunday from 12th January to 6th April (no session on 16th February due to half term), sessions will take place at Queensbridge School and are open to anyone aged 7-21.

This term offers a variety of exciting options, including:
🎭 Ensemble Work and Pic ‘n’ Mix Workshops
🌟 Spring Show: Tales from Ovid – taking place at the Crescent Theatre Studio in April. Everyone is welcome to take part in the show—no audition required!

For more details or to book, visit: www.stage2.org. If you have any questions, feel free to email: info@stage2.org.

Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to get involved in the world of theatre—whether it’s your first time or you’re a seasoned performer, there’s something for everyone! 🎬✨

Stage2 Press Release Spring 2025

School Community Raises Nearly £1,700 for Children in Need

A huge thank you to our amazing school community for raising almost £1,700 for Children in Need on Friday! 🐻💛 Your incredible generosity will make a real difference. #ChildrenInNeed

Autumn Concert 2024

 

The Autumn Concert 2024: A Tale of Two Doubles

Over 100 pupils wowed the many guests with their musical talents at our Autumn Concert on Wednesday 20th November. Here you can see two standout performance where cellists Rory and Madalen gave a spirited performance of Vivaldi’s Concerto for two cellos in G minor, RV531 and pianists Bususu and Mimi rounded off the evening with an incredible rendition of Mozart’s Concerto for two pianos in E-flat major, KV365. As ever, we are grateful to our many wonderful pupils and staff for working so hard to make this happen.

Oxford Classics Competition

We are incredibly proud to announce that two of our students have won a prestigious national competition for Classics, organized by Oxford University! 🎓

Angelina, from Upper 6th, and Katherine, in Year 11 , both impressed the judges with their exceptional entries. Their brilliant work showcases their talent, creativity, and dedication to the subject. You can view both entries and find more details about the competition through the link below.

 

👉 Oxford Classics Competition

Congratulations to both Angelina and Katherine on their outstanding achievements! 🎉👏

 

PTI Subject Mark

King Edward VI Five Ways School awarded The PTI Subject Mark for outstanding teaching in English & Mathematics.

 

King Edward VI Five Ways School have been awarded The PTI Department Development Programme Subject Mark for outstanding teaching in in English & Mathematics.

 

The PTI launched the Department Development Programme in 2007 to recognise and reward  school departments that develop inspirational ideas and activities which enhance the teaching of  Art, D&T, English, Geography, History, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, PE and  Science, regardless of their pupils’ backgrounds or abilities.

 

The PTI’s Department Development Programme is open to all state secondary schools in  England. To become members, school departments must demonstrate their commitment to  increasing teachers’ subject knowledge, and to furthering their students’ understanding of and  enthusiasm for the subject, regardless of their background or ability.

 

To achieve The PTI Subject Mark, departments have to demonstrate that they have increased the  challenge within their subject curriculum, developed their staff’s specialist subject knowledge,  developed subject-based links outside school and enthused their pupils through subject-based  activities beyond the curriculum.

 

Dr S N Bird, Headmaster at King Edward Five Ways School, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded The PTI Mark for our English & Mathematics department’s innovative work”

 

To find out more about the Department Development Programme, visit www.ptieducation.org.

 

 

GCSE Exam Success

GCSE students at King Edward VI Five Ways School have performed exceptionally well and the 2024 results see an improvement on those of 2023. Thus, our upward trajectory continues which is extremely positive and pleasing following our wonderful A Level results last week.

28% of grades were at Level 9.

55% of grades were at Level 9 or 8.

76% of grades were at Level 9, 8 or 7.

99% of grades were at Level 9 to 4.

One student achieved 11 grade 9s.

Three students achieved straight 9 grades.

Forty students gained 5 or more grade 9s which means more than half of all their grades were at Level 9.

As it stands today (and subject to any reviews of marking) our Attainment 8 score is 77. This is an improvement on 2023 and equals our performance in 2019.

As it stands today (and subject to any reviews of marking) our Progress 8 score is 0.60. This is an improvement on 2023 and equals our performance in 2019.

Our English and Maths passes at Level 9 to 7 is 65% which is an improvement on 2023.

Our English and Maths passes at Level 9 to 4 is 100% which is also an improvement on 2023 and 2019.

This is a wonderful testament to the hard work of our students, their teachers and to the support of parents and our wider community. We can all be justifiably proud of our students’ achievements as they move onto the next phase of their educational journeys.

This past year has been very positive given what our students have been through since 2020 and all the associated upheaval, unrest and uncertainty. Five Ways students have worked hard to get their results but also have enjoyed and contributed positively to school life. They have risen to the challenge of these public exams and thoroughly deserve the results they have achieved. They have shown themselves to be a force for good over the past five years and we look forward to welcoming back the vast majority into the Sixth Form in September. Congratulations!

 

Dr Bird

 

A Level Success

King Edward VI Five Ways School enjoys A Level Success with Improved Results!

A Level students at King Edward VI Five Ways School have performed exceptionally well and the 2024 results see an improvement on those of 2023 and 2019. As it stands today and prior to any reviews of marking, 84% of students have secured their first choice University place.

The following is a snapshot of where our students are heading off to:

Imperial College, London Mathematics

King’s College, London Medicine

University of Birmingham English Literature, History of Art, Medicine, Dentistry

University of Bristol Geography, Economics

University of St Andrews, Mathematics

Durham University Chemistry, Economics

UCL Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Architecture

University of Warwick Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering

University of Sheffield, Biomedical Science

University of Manchester, History

University of Nottingham Physiotherapy, Psychology

University of York, Politics

University of Exeter Accounting and Finance, Medicine

University of Liverpool, Law

Emory University, Atlanta, USA Computer Science and Economics

In addition to the above we have three students embarking upon Apprenticeships with companies such as Deloittes.

The accomplishments of this year’s A-Level students at Five Ways are truly remarkable, especially considering that they had to face many interruptions over the past few years. This year saw the  return to normal exam conditions and A-level grading and the subsequent impact of CAGs, TAGs or assisted grading. We are proud that the 2024 percentages for A*- A, A*- B, and A*- C are higher than in 2019 and we applaud the unwavering commitment of these students, their teachers and their outstanding achievements. 57% of grades were at A*-A, 84% at A*-B and 94% at A*-C. Thus, Five Ways has enjoyed and celebrates some outstanding A Level results again this year and our students will be taking the next steps in their academic careers in some of the most competitive and prestigious universities in the country.

Eight students are heading to Oxford and Cambridge University to read History, PPE, Computer Science, Biochemistry, Law and Mathematics.

Eleven students secured 4 A* grades.

Thirty students secured all A* grades.

Forty-Five students secured all A* and A grades.

The pass rate was 99.8%.

The total number of entries was 617.

The average points per entry was 46 which exceeded our predictions.

The average A Level grade was A-.

This is a wonderful testament to the hard work of our students, their teachers and to the support of our wider community. We can all be justifiably proud of our students’ achievements as they move onto the next phase of their careers.

This past year has been very positive given what our students have been through since 2020 and all the associated upheaval, unrest and uncertainty. Five Ways students have worked hard to get their results but also have enjoyed and contributed positively to school life. They have risen to the challenge of these public exams and thoroughly deserve the results they have achieved. They can now go out into the world and be a force for good. Congratulations!

Dr Bird

15/8/24