Alice Penfold

In 1994 I was part of the first intake of First Year girls at King Edward’s and  I really enjoyed my time here as a pupil.  The atmosphere at school was friendly and fun and we had a close year group.  I loved sport, particularly the athletics in the summer and team fixtures and I completed my Gold Duke of Edinburgh award and got involved in lots of theatre productions. 

KES gave me the confidence to be myself. I had a really happy time at school with a set of fantastic friends, great teachers and was able to achieve my best academically. The class sizes and opportunities made me feel valued as a student and this has shaped who I am now.

Today I find myself back at KES teaching Geography and have done so since 2006. I started when I was 23, quickly getting involved in running Summer Camp, being Head of Capon, coaching netball and then becoming Head of Geography at 28. I then went part-time after I had my first daughter and am now Head of Sustainability.  This is a new challenge and I am really enjoying working alongside the amazing students in the Sustainability Action Group who are so driven to make changes and raise awareness about the important environmental problems we are facing.

KES is an ever-changing school, meeting the needs of each generation of students. The rise in the use of technology, an increasing awareness of the importance of wellbeing and the expanding inclusion of students of all levels in sports teams, are just some of the many ways in which it has changed. However, at the heart is the ability of our young people to express themselves freely and be involved in hobbies and activities that interest them. The encouragement of the staff here and variety of ways students can contribute to school life is still the same. Achieving great grades is important but so are all of the other aspects of our lives and this is encouraged at KES.