Wirral Life September 2018 | Page 17

KINGSMEAD WELCOMES ITS FIRST SIXTH FORMERS Kingsmead School in Hoylake has this month welcomed its first Sixth Formers in the school’s 114 year history. The new Sixth Form completes the school’s expansion; Kingsmead is offering a range of subjects at A level and B Tech, with International Baccalaureate following soon; 1:1 tuition will be the norm. “Over years Kingsmead has consistently delivered excellent GCSE results from our all-ability intake, and this year was no exception,” says Headmaster Mark Gibbons. “Value-added at Kingsmead is high. We give every pupil a lot of individual attention which results in them far exceeding their Year 7 predictions. I am delighted that we are now able to deliver this excellence right through to 18.” Kingsmead today is almost unrecognisable from its beginnings. Originally a boys’ prep and boarding school, preparing pupils to the age of 13 for admission to independent schools such as Shrewsbury School, over the years girls were admitted, provision for very young children added, and then the school expanded to offer education to GCSE level. This latest expansion has also seen boarding reintroduced in response to local and international demand; it is available for pupils aged from 9-18 and is an especial boon for parents whose work lives make juggling family and business demands difficult during the week. Parents can use Kingsmead’s boarding facilities in a decidedly 21st century way: they can arrange occasional overnight stays for their children to meet particular needs, or opt for weekly boarding with their children returning home each weekend, their studies supervised all week and up to date, leaving the weekends for family time. Termly boarding is available for pupils from further afield. In the past Kingsmead’s boarding houses have been a favoured option for the children of the professions, the church and the military, as well as the offspring of the footballers who join Liverpool’s top flight teams, and whose time away from home is high. In an increasingly pressured world, boarding being available in Merseyside again is a very welcome option for many. Kingsmead has a Gifted and Talented team as well as an accredited Learning Development Unit to support any pupils with dyslexia and dyscalculia. The school is set in eight acres of grounds and pupils have their own theatre, cinema, specialist music and drama studio and indoor heated swimming pool. The next Open Morning is on Saturday September 22 from 10am-12noon. Mr Gibbons will give details of scholarships and bursaries available for the current academic year as part of his Address at 10.15am. Families can follow pupil-led tours the campus and all are welcome. For more information, contact the School on: 0151 632 3156. wirrallife.com 17