Clubs and Societies - King Edwards School

There are around 50 clubs and societies that meet during lunchtime or after school, so there really is something to interest everyone.

We provide over 50 high quality clubs and activities each week, including top-class music-making, dance, drama and more, all run by highly-qualified staff or outside experts. In addition, we offer Speech and Drama in preparation for LAMDA, and Music lessons in preparation for Associated Board examinations, at an additional charge.

Clubs and societies are a feature of life at KES and can play an important part in students’ personal and cultural development. From academic societies, to creative and sporting pursuits, and those that teach practical skills, there’s much to get involved in and boys can even set up their own.

Get ready for a world of opportunities.

Discover our exciting clubs and societies

Agora

Agora (Greek for 'market place', where Socrates used to philosophize) has been running for over thirty years. It is a philosophy and religion discussion group, run by members of the Sixth Form. Every other Tuesday lunchtime an invited speaker will address the society on a topic they are particularly interested and have some expertise in. Questions and discussion follow on from this. It is an opportunity to think deeply and rigorously about urgent and enduring questions in a spirit of co-operation and receptivity.

African and Caribbean Society (ACS)

ACS is a society to discuss cultural topics around African and Caribbean cultures including experiences, food and history. Inspirational speakers from the communities also regularly come in to discuss important topics and present on their own culture and experiences.

Anagnostics

Founded in 1953, the Anagnostics is King Edward’s oldest student society. It originally consisted of round-table play readings of Greek tragedies, a tradition which has been preserved in the after-school play readings which take place each half term. These readings cover the breadth of ancient drama and performance, exploring not only the tragedies, but also the comedic satyr plays and philosophical dialogues. Anagnostics also hosts lunchtime talks throughout the academic year, giving students a chance to expand their knowledge of the ancient world beyond the syllabus. These talks have been given by both internal and external speakers, providing students with a wonderful opportunity to learn from experts in the field.

Animal Club

A practical based club focused on all things animals; looking after our school hamster and Indian stick insects and exploring all things animal; from minibeast hunts, birdwatching in the local reserve, dog training, dissections, pond dipping, hatching chicks and many more activities. Open to students in Lower School.

Art Club

Lunchtime and after school sessions allow students to develop their work in a supportive and friendly environment. Whether something personal, some class work, or both, all are welcome.

Badminton

Regular sessions led by both internal and external coaches provide lots of opportunity for boys to enjoy the sport and improve their game.

Basketball

Basketball is run as a club on a Wednesday lunchtime and coached by a member of staff. The emphasis for the club is on letting the boys play and enjoy the game. There are separate sessions for Lower and Upper school with fixtures against local schools.

Birdwatching

Birdwatching, a profound passion, begins with the early light of a tranquil Friday morning. Beneath the vast, blue expanse of the sky, enthusiasts set forth to understand the hidden communication of our feathered friends. Armed with optics and guides, they explore various domains, seeking moments of connection with these captivating creatures. The world of birds unfurls like a mesmerising symphony. The gentle rustle of feathers, the playful melodies, and the mysterious silhouettes of elusive species all compose a poetic tapestry of the avian world. Each bird species represents a unique chapter in the birdwatcher's knowledge, revealing the intricate narratives of nature.

Centrepieces

The Centrepieces are our four-part acapella group who cover a variety of repertoire including jazz standards, blues, and The Beatles!

Chess

Chess Club welcomes everyone from budding Boris Spasskys and Judit Polgars to total novices. Students play informally while some join the team and take part in external competitions against rival schools. Our weekly visiting chess coach gives students the chance to test their skills against the best. See you there, check mate!

Choral Society

Choral Society is open to everyone, whatever their experience or musical ability, is one of the great KES and KEHS joint ensembles, and our only choir that combines both male and female voices.

Christian Union

Christian Union is a warm and welcoming society that spans all year groups across both KES and KEHS. Each week we gather (around biscuits!) to discuss either a topical theme or a short passage from the Bible. We welcome students from all faiths and none, and enjoy friendly discussions based around the Christian faith, led by a mixture of students and staff.

Concert Orchestra

Concert Orchestra is about 100 strong, wonderfully-accomplished, and is for more-experienced orchestral players — grade 5 and upwards is the standard.

Cricket

As one of the finest cricketing schools in the country, we are proud of the commitment and expertise of our coaching team. Working closely with players, they craft carefully individualised programmes for improvement - with terrific success!

Cross Country

Students of all paces enjoy the relaxing and bonding experience of running through our beautiful surroundings, including the Vale and Cannon Hill Park.

Debating Society

Debating a wide range of topics, from vegetarianism to alien life, Debating Club offers excellent opportunities for students to share opinions, develop public speaking skills, and take part in exciting competitions.

Drama Club

Whether you crave the spotlight on stage, or prefer to be part of the backstage production team, we offer fabulous opportunities to create exciting live theatre, make new friends and gain a wealth of new skills.

Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is the world’s most popular tabletop roleplaying game. It is a cooperative, storytelling game where you and other players take on the roles of different characters within a story. As you play, your character will make friends and enemies, fight monsters, discover loot, and complete quests.

Eton Fives

A rare sport a bit like squash but played with gloved hands. Entirely self-umpired, it is guaranteed to develop sportsmanship. Not for everyone, perhaps, but perfect for some!

Fencing

Our fencers are coached by the President of the British Academy of Fencing at the twice-weekly sessions, and enjoy considerable success. The club is open to all ages and abilities.

Geocaching Club

Geocaching is a 21st century hobby where you use GPS technology to find hidden objects. You can even hide your own caches! It can be very competitive and there are many different aspects of the game to compete in.

Guitar Ensemble / Orchestra

There are two Guitar Ensembles for players of varying abilities, a recorder ensemble and numerous chamber ensembles, all of which perform regularly.

Hindu Forum

Hindu Forum brings pupils from both KES and KEHS across all years, from all faiths or none, together to understand Hinduism's social, ethical and philosophical foundations and practices. The forum provides many opportunities such as the weekly learning of a shlokas/Bhajans, readings from Bhagvat Geeta, information about different festivals and interesting discussions to learn more about the wonderfully rich religion of Hinduism. Some of our past events include Diwali celebrations and Holi festivities.

History Society

History Society meets weekly and is a place for boys to come and share their enthusiasm for all things historical, learn about topics that don't make it onto the school curriculum, hear about essay competitions and swap history trivia. Open to all years.

Hockey

KES's reputation as a leading hockey-playing school is growing all the time.

Islamic Society

Run largely by the Upper School students, the Islamic Society discusses a variety of topics including Islamic history and art and is open to all. The highlight of our year is the Iftar event where people of all backgrounds are invited to join those who are fasting in breaking their fasts during Ramadan.

Swing Band

Playing a wide variety of jazz music - classic and contemporary - SB is the perfect place for younger players to let their hair down and get into the groove.

KES Choir

From our annual Carol Service to Symphony Hall concerts, this combination of male voices from across the whole school range highlights the extraordinary power of choral song.

Linguistics Olympiad

The UK Linguistics Olympiad is a national language-analysis competition which involves looking at samples from unfamiliar languages and working out the underlying patterns in order to solve linguistic puzzles. It’s about ‘breaking the code’ by looking behind the raw data to find how a particular language system works. We meet weekly from September to February to investigate a huge range of languages from all over the world, from those used by millions to some spoken by just a handful of speakers. In analysing their differing grammars and scripts we get to grips with problems of morphology, syntax, phonology and semantics – probably without realising it! . Those who wish can then enter the actual UKLO competition in February.

Mentoring Society

Mentoring Society matches younger boys who need some academic help or support with older boys who are able to provide it. Partnerships are sometimes short term - to help with specific pieces of work - or longer term for boys who'd like it. A KES Mentoring Society is an institution that has helped thousands of boys to succeed.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the art of paying attention, with curiosity and kindness, in the present moment. We meet every Thursday lunchtime and practise mindfulness together in various different ways. The sessions are loosely based on the .b course created by the Mindfulness in Schools project. The main practices we do are body awareness practices, either sitting or lying down, as well as mindful movement and mindfulness eating (!). We also do practices which involve cultivating gratitude and loving kindness, and discuss practical ways in which we can bring mindfulness into our everyday lives. Mindfulness Club aims to offer a haven of calm in the busy school week.

Model United Nations

MUN follows the format of the real United Nations - anyone interested in international relations, politics or diplomacy will love it! KES hosts a Birmingham MUN conference for local schools every spring - come along and be a part of it.

Philosophy Society

In the Philosophy Society, which meets every Wednesday lunchtime, we discuss a different philosophical question or idea each week. According to Plato, philosophy begins with a sense of wonder, and it is this spirit which animates our discussions. Questions discussed include: do we have free will? How do we decide whether an action is moral? Does life have an ultimate meaning? Who should rule in the ideal state? Do Near Death Experiences teach us anything about life after death? Do religious experiences teach us anything about God? Discussions are conducted in an open, respectful way and pupils develop both their listening and thinking skills during the sessions, in particular their ability to justify their point of view.

Psychology Society

Psychnology Society is a well-attended society, open to pupils in Year 10 upwards at both KES and KEHS. Overseen by a teacher, it is run by a team of Sixth Formers from both schools who have a strong interest in the ways of the mind and human behaviour. Meetings are usually led by a pupil who has a particular interest in a certain theme. Much discussion and debate ensues! Topics presented and discussed recently have included Carl Rogers' influence on psychotherapy; the psychology of personality; the psychology of video-games; the psychology of persuasion and marketing.

Reflecting on Theology

We are a small and very informal group of Sixth Formers from a wide range of belief backgrounds, religious and secular, who enjoy reading - or listening to - something theological then discussing it together. This term has included listening to Rabbi Sacks in conversation with Riachard Dawkins, reading some Queer Theology and from Job, hearing Womanist theologian Delores Williams tell her moving personal faith story, and welcomed Oxford's newly appointed first Professor of Black Theology, Anthony Reddie, who introduced us to Womanist (black feminist) theology.

Rugby

Our Rugby Club is currently undergoing a resurgence of enthusiasm developed by a terrific and inspiring team of coaches. Carefully developed training programmes ensure enjoyment, safety and success.

School’s Challenge

The School version of University Challenge, KES has a proud tradition of success at the highest levels of this nationwide activity, and last summer's team, who finished as beaten finalists, hope to go one further this year! No expectation, no pressure and a great way to learn how to improve your Quizzing aptitude, all are welcome.

Senior Art Club

Senior Art Club provides an opportunity for older students to continue to work on their portfolios and exam work with continued support not only of department staff, but one another.

Sikh Society

Sikh Society meets on a weekly basis to discuss Sikh philosophy and history. We also arrange various exciting events throughout the year, including the annual 'langar', 'chabeel' and provision of food for those who are homeless. Members are encouraged to share their knowledge and ask questions in the Q&A session. We welcome all, regardless of religion or race!

Training String Orchestra

Training String Orchestra is for string players from about Grade 2 to about Grade 4.

KES/KEHS Big Band

One of our greatest institutions, the joy of music is obvious in every Big Band rehearsal and performance. From a traditional sound to more contemporary numbers, the boys and girls of BB can do it all.

KES/KEHS Symphony Orchestra

One of the country's finest school orchestras, our Symphony Orchestra approaches the world's greatest music with maturity and the profound pleasure of music making.

Sustainability Society

Become a catalyst for change at our vibrant co-ed Sustainability Society, in collaboration with KEHS. Together, we drive impactful events, educational initiatives and community outreach, empowering students to actively contribute towards a sustainable future within our schools and the wider community.

Table Tennis

Table tennis is increasingly popular at KES as both informal social sport and for more serious competition.

The Edwardian Herald

The Edwardian Herald is the school’s student-run magazine, ‘by the students, for the students’. The Herald occupies a unique space in the KES ecosystem. Whilst not as formal as the Chronicle, it maintains a regular publication schedule, a dedicated team of writers, and a loyal readership, all managed by the students of KES. It aims to provide an engaging balance of satire, school news, and a forum for students to express their opinions.

Ultimate Frisbee

Experience the excitement of Ultimate Frisbee - a tactical sport open to all students! Push your limits with intensive fitness training and drills. Enjoy social games or competitive play, learn accurate disc throws, and join our national teams. Tournaments held throughout the year, including women-only events. Ultimate Frisbee - unlike anything you've imagined!

Warhammer Club

Warhammer is a tabletop miniature wargame with a mediaeval fantasy theme. As in other miniature wargames, players use miniature models (minis) to represent warriors. This club both plays the game and paints the models.

Water Polo

As one of the country's leading water-polo-playing schools, generations of KES boys have discovered the skill, enjoyment and exhaustion of this fun competitive sport.

Wind Band

Wind Band is for all wind players from about Grade 2 to about Grade 4.

Metascholen

Metascholen ('beyond school') is a philosophy reading and discussion group for Sixth Formers. We meet every other Thursday after school. Sessions revolve around the reading of a text. The texts are chosen from different parts of the philosophical tradition and reflect the interests of particular people (teachers and students) in the group. Examples of texts and topics studied include: selected passages from Nietzsche, Heidegger's 'Question concerning technology', animal rights, political philosophy, William James on 'the will to believe', Thomas Nagel on secular philosophy and the religious temperament.