King's Hedges Educational Federation Excellence, achieved through care, creativity and challenge. MENU 'Where are we now' Kings Hedges really was an amazing place for me growing up. With such personal relationships with teachers and staff you really felt as part of a community. Subjects that really resonated with me were Maths, Music and who could forget the brilliant 1960’s History lessons from the power women that is Mrs Matthews. So after being at King’s Hedges for 8 years, and with great help from the school I gained a place at Impington Village College. Transition was always going to be a difficult thing but with the help and support from staff at Kings Hedges it made the process a lot smoother and more enjoyable. Flying through 5 years at Impington Village College (they really did fly) I found new areas in subjects and hobbies that I love. With such an amazing cohort of staff at Impington, subjects became passions. Learning and developing my piano skills from primary school, whilst learning drums, guitar and bass I quickly got involved with a lot of music productions and bands at a young age; which also led me to learning live and studio sound engineering. Also with close connection with my form tutor, Katie Jarvis, I found my passion for tennis and other areas of sport. She really was an amazing women and who helped me succeed a place at Hills Road College, and really made my time at Impington amazing. With dreams of working and flying planes, hopefully in the RAF, the subject choice was easy to select. I am currently studying Physics, Maths with mechanics and Music Technology (also taking an AS in Chemistry during my first year.) Developing as a musician I also am involved with several bands at College, which have led me uncovering small venues all over London. Alongside college work I also quickly entered into the world of working. With my first proper job working with Cotswolds Outdoor I learnt a lot about retail and also a lot about rock climbing, hill walking and orienteering. These skills were invaluable when entering Air Cadets as a young Junior Cadet. Quickly climbing the ranks I became involved in more and more activities such as: Shooting, Flying, Kayaking, Duke of Edinburgh Award, National Navigation, Sports, Team Building and many more. After my time in Cadets and at Cotswolds with my developing love of Traditional Japanese and American Denim I gained a place at the high-end fashion store in Cambridge, Sevenwolves and Dogfish. Creating and bridging contacts with experts in London, Denim is now a major part of my life! My time now at Hills Road is rapidly coming closer to an end and I have opted to go on a gap year. A year out to hopefully complete and progress on my Privates Pilots License. With activities such as skydiving, Gliding, Mountain Leaders Award and Aerobatics on the horizon I cannot wait! I have plans to apply on my Gap Year for a University place in Aeronautical Engineering with Pilots Studies, hopefully transitioning into the RAF shortly after. Kings Hedges really gave me the confidence and drive in my subject areas and in general life, which still strives me today. From that summer’s day, while at Kings Hedges, with a trip to Duxford with my Father to see the Air Show, Flying really was and still is the dream for me. They really shaped me as a person and made me pursue these dreams, and allowed me to end up at one of the best sixth forms in the country. I can only thank them for all the hard work! One thing that will always motivate me again is from Mrs Matthews…Work Hard and Play Hard! Benjamin Wisbey Three years and a term after leaving King’s Hedges Primary School, I would like to think that hard work and endless hours of learning and revising has paid off. I am now getting on relatively well at The Perse Upper school in Year 10 and I would hope that I am heading for great marks in all of my GCSE exams next year. Getting this far was mainly because of the fantastic support the teaching staff had to offer to me as I worked through the school from nursery to Year 6. When you work hard and have the correct work ethic, you can achieve anything you want, whether that is to get into a good sixth form or a good university. In year 6, I can remember that the prospect of doing the SAT exams at the end of that year was extremely worrying for me because it was the first important exam that I had to complete. However, I realised that it was an important exam, so I put in hours of revision and preparation so that I could feel like I was ready for the exams. When the class and I had finished doing the SATs, we would have to wait a couple of weeks to receive the results. This was the most worrying time for me because I wanted to know if all of the hard work was worth it or if I had just needed to do more. At the end of the wait, I came out of the exams with results that I could be proud of. Alex Fairhead "I can’t remember how long it’s been since I last visited Kings Hedges. From year 6 I moved up to Manor Community College (or North Cambridge Academy now). I met up with someone I hadn’t seen since Nursery; she’d moved to the Grove. We’ve kept in contact ever since. I encountered a lot of bullying but you’re going to get some of that everywhere. On the up side, I managed to get through GCSEs with all As and an A*. I was so excited I got a place at Hills Road Sixth Form College. That’s where I met my boyfriend, Sam, and we’ll have been together for 4 years this Christmas Eve. I found going to University too stressful, but am now happily living in Birmingham with Sam (finishing his Master’s at the University of Birmingham), and am studying with the Open University whilst working part-time at the hospital as a ward clerk or receptionist. It’s not been easy, but I wouldn’t change any of it. Sam and I are planning to have a family in the future, having moved closer to Cambridge again. I’m hoping to carry on my geography and environmental sciences as a paid job; I like the idea of conservation, or encouraging green-measures in everyday life. Fingers crossed! Zoe M. "Hi, I am Charlotte Palmer-Long. I am an ex-pupil at King’s Hedges School, who is now working at the school as a teaching assistant. I have enjoyed all my time at King’s Hedges, and it was my time as a pupil that inspired me to become a teacher. I was lucky to have very influential teachers throughout my schooling and I always enjoyed learning and studying, so I worked very hard to get good grades. After sixth form, I wanted to go on to university to study an education degree, however it got cancelled at the last minute, which was when I was lucky enough to get the job at King’s Hedges. It is important to work hard and fight for your dreams or ambitions, so whilst working I completed my level 3 in supporting teaching and learning and I am now in the third year of my degree for education. It has been a long tough process, juggling jobs and studying, but I can now almost see the finish line. I hope that within the next two years I will begin my teacher training to fulfil my dream. Good luck to all of you, and always follow your dreams." "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to describe my journey since completing Kings Hedges School in 2001. I have recently completed a Masters in Professional Legal Practice and also completed a Law degree. During my legal studies I volunteered for a number of organisations to gain legal work experience, this involved volunteering as a Caseworker and participating for a number of ethnic minority events, this provided me with a good insight of other cultures and religions. My favourite memories of Kings Hedges have to be the lead up to the Christmas holidays and participating in all the exciting activities the teacher had prepared as well as the school nativity. I also remember our leaving performance where I played Mrs Bumble in Oliver Twist. I had an excellent time at Kings Hedges and made friends for life. I also miss the school dinners from King Hedges in particular Cornflake tart and pink custard! My proudest moment was gaining a Masters in Professional Legal Practice and my future ambitions are to qualify as a Solicitor." Rosemin Dawe “Hi, my name is Madeleine Crofts I am an ex-pupil of Kings Hedges. After many memorable years at Kings Hedges I then moved on to Impington Village College where I achieved my GCSE’S. I was not sure on what I wanted to do as a career however, I have always been interested in creativity and working with children. I then decided to stay at Impington Sixth form to study A-level Media and International baccalaureate Dance and Art. After completing my A-levels I then completed an Art Foundation at Cambridge Regional College which I thoroughly enjoyed. After leaving Kings Hedges 11 years ago, I returned last year full time as a Teaching Assistant. It is a pleasure to be back and working along side teachers that taught me. Currently, I am studying Level 3 in Supporting teaching and learning which will help my development as a Teaching Assistant. I hope this will inspire current pupils at Kings Hedges to enjoy their time at this school and look forward to their future ahead of them." Barry Matthews, Director of Legal Affairs and Third Party Sales, ITV plc "After leaving Kings Hedges, I studied Law at University College, Durham University. I then went on to work for the city law firm Hogan Lovells, qualifying in to the Media and Sports law practise where I worked on various matters for Sport England (Manchester Commonwealth Games and establishing the English Institute of Sport) and television companies including the BBC and Granada TV. I then took a job in Granada TV representing various parts of their commercial business which included representing Girls Aloud, Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC. I now work for ITV plc where I oversee 3 legal and compliance teams and a commercial sales agency business. My day to day work can range from advising on the sponsorship of the I'm a Celebrity to the sale of television advertising in the Republic of Ireland. In addition to my role at ITV, I sit on two boards as a non-executive director, BCAP (body which creates the rules for broadcast advertising in the UK) and Clearcast (an advertising business) and sit of the Education and Training Committee of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. I also run a number of social responsibility programmes aimed at encouraging students from families who do not have a touchpoint with law to become lawyers and volunteer for a charity called Body & Soul. On top of that I'm married to Sarah, have 3 kids and love rugby! I loved my time at Kings Hedges and count my infant school Headmistress, Mrs Foot, as the biggest influence on my life after my parents. My favourite memory of Kings Hedges was winning the Cambridgeshire County Primary Schools Cup against Milton Road Primary School - we were the underdogs. We were 2-1 down with 10 minutes to play and Rick Tierney scored the winner in the last minute of the game! I'm extremely proud to be from Kings Hedges and I'm very pleased that the school is still inspiring children today as it did when I was there." “Hi, my name is Chelsea Pead. I am an ex-pupil of King’s Hedges. I have now left secondary school, Impington Village College. I am now currently doing a hair dressing apprenticeship at Seanhanna. It has been a very hard rollercoaster ride. Through secondary school, I found it hard to concentrate and listen in lessons. I was always getting into trouble. There were times when I thought I wouldn’t make it through to the end of Year 11, but I did. I tried my best in exams, although I didn’t get good grades, I was still proud that I have tried my best. I am now doing hairdressing, which is what I would love to do as a career. Hairdressing is something I enjoy very much, I think it is very important to find what you enjoy doing and concentrate on your future ambitions. Saying that, I still think it is very important to try your very best in your main subjects, such as English, Maths and Science. In any job you may chose to do, you will need to get passes in your exams. I was very lucky to have got an apprenticeship as they are incredibly hard to find these days. But now I have got one, I am working hard and learning at the same time. I work 43 hours a week and have training once a week. It is a great opportunity and also a brilliant way to learn what you enjoy. Best wishes to all pupils.” © 2021 King's Hedges Educational Federation. Our school website is created using School Jotter, a Webanywhere product. [Administer Site] We use cookies to provide you with the best experience on our website. Read our Privacy Policy to find out more.