Life in a purple gown

Tristan Watts: Head of House 2024/25:

Being Head of House has been a bit like being the captain of a slightly chaotic but loveable ship, one where the crew forget to take their plates to the kitchen and occasionally almost set off the fire alarm trying to cook toast. In all seriousness, being Head of our Meister Omers has been a huge honour. MO isn’t just somewhere we sleep and argue over showers, it’s genuinely been a second home.

As a new pupil to the sixth form and a first-time border, I was unsure as to quite what to expect, but I would be happy to call MO my home away from home. The building, people, friends, and staff somehow manage to perfectly capture that homely feeling.

One of the biggest parts of the role has been trying to keep things running smoothly. This includes the surprisingly difficult job of getting people to show up on time to absolutely anything.

Organising the 24-hour charity cycle was probably my Everest. Trying to convince tired, half-asleep teenagers to ride a static bike at 3am “for a good cause” involved a lot of convincing and persistent reminders of who was supposed to by cycling when. But 43 schedules and many coffees later, watching everyone come together, even if some of the ‘cycling’ was suspiciously ‘unique’, made it all worth it. We raised an amazing £3200 for Leukaemia UK. I hope that one of my legacies here is an incredible house spirit of generosity and support that I witnessed during this event.

There were the other more questionable moments, like the time Daniel tried to flush his porridge down the toilet, which caused a bit of a stir. Or when Mr Ram somehow set off the fire alarm just by moving a chair in his apartment. A moment that none of us will forget, mainly because I couldn’t stop laughing.

Keeping the kitchens tidy felt like a full-time job in itself, although miracles did occasionally happen. Mr Tolond’s cooking always managed to lift everyone’s spirits, and standards. What was especially nice was that it gave everybody an excuse to chill out together and talk.

Some of my favourite times here weren’t planned events at all. Just quiet Saturday evenings in house, sharing stories, laughing until far too late, and realising that these people had genuinely become family.

There were also the big highlights, the amazing Christmas dinner and social with Kingsdown where for once we all looked vaguely presentable. Giving a speech there was a big highlight for me personally, making plenty of inside jokes most of which will not be repeated here. These are the moments I’ll carry with me: not just the fun and dancing, but the overall sense of excitement, tradition and cohesion.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the people who held the house together: Jane and Denise, our incredible matrons, always there with cough sweets, biscuits, and of course a gossip. The cleaning staff who deserve medals for bravery, especially when dealing with certain rooms. And of course, Mr Singfield, the

man, the myth, the housemaster — along with Maria and Maya, who made the house feel like home from day one.

Thomas Sturges, Captain of School, 2024/25

Being Captain of School this year has been a huge honour, and I have learned so much from the experience. When starting in September, I was naturally nervous with how the year ahead would turn out to be. Now, looking back, I had no reason to be so nervous. Everyone at King’s is so supportive of one another, and I have felt this support, especially throughout this year, from the boys in house and other people in the school. When teachers and pupils discuss ‘role models’, they often bring up individual students, however I think MO as a whole should be seen as a ‘role model’ for other houses in the school.  

The role of Captain of School does bring many jobs, but also special moments. My highlights include, reading at the Coral Service, my first open day speech back in September and the small things, such as weekly meetings with Ms Lowson, Mr Patton and the other Vice-Captains.

However, I think the most important aspect of this role is not the ‘perks’ or the speeches but representing the pupil body at King’s. This role allows for pupil voice to be heard, and therefore the school continues to strive for positive change, through new ideas between both students and staff. I am extremely grateful to be given this opportunity and look forward to coming back to King’s in the future to see the growth of this fantastic school.