Tenbury House Opening Speech
There has long been a tradition of boarding at British independent schools.
You can see this in fiction. From Wuthering Heights and Tom Brown’s School Days, through to Harry Potter.
Reality, of course, is quite different. Boarding schools are no longer Victorian institutions full of cruel teachers and unhappy children, nor are they remote, cold and full of wizards.
As we can see, a modern boarding school such as Tenbury House, is an exciting, dynamic and happy place. This was the idea that we had at King’s College. To bring the brightest and the best, the most adventurous and ambitious young people from around the world, from countries as far away as Canada, Kenya, and Kazkhstan, not just to give them the opportunity to receive a British education, one of the most sought after educations in the world, and to get places at top international universities such as Oxford and Yale, but to experience both life in Madrid and Spanish culture in a wider sense.
The first computer, invented by the Englishman Charles Babbage in 1820, was called “the Difference Engine”… well Tenbury House is the “Difference Engine” of King’s College in Madrid. You boarders might not realise it but you make a huge difference to the school. What you bring to the school makes King’s College extra special. Spanish children might not realize it yet, but sharing Maths, Biology and Economics classes with Bulgarian, Belgian and Bhutanese students (and that is just the ‘B’s) brings a whole new aspect to their learning. Teachers too benefit from the “difference” that boarders make. The opportunity to teach pupils who are top academic scholars in their home countries, such Tshering Gyaltshen, who was selected through national competition, from Bhutan, is a privilege that not many teachers get.
I am extremely lucky and proud to be the headteacher who saw the completion of the building work. I am extremely lucky and proud of the team that made it all possible. King’s College is a dynamic place. The last year and a bit have seen a lot of changes here at Soto de Viñuelas. The pace of change is amazing. King’s College somehow manages to combine the best of British education and its highly academic nature, with entrepreneurial energy and a focus on adding huge value to local families in Madrid and other parts of Spain.
As we were building Tenbury House, we wondered which countries our pupils would come from. An important reason for the pupils who chose to come to King’s College Boarding School, from their homes in places such as Russia, Germany, Italy, Zimbabwe and even the UK, is its location - Madrid. The third largest city in Europe, home not only of fantastic sports and cultural opportunities, but also a city which holds education at its heart, with its forward looking programme of bilingual education, driven by Doña Esperanza, and with its top universities of national standing.
We are lucky to live in Madrid. King’s College has been a key part of the educational landscape here for more than 40 years. When I was in England for Christmas I found myself talking about Tenbury House and Madrid a lot. I am sure that all the boarders went home with wonderful stories about the school and about Madrid, their adopted city.
We are honoured to have his Excellency Giles Paxman and other ambassadors representing the nationalities of our boarding pupils here today. But they are not the only ambassadors in the room. First of all I want to congratulate all the boarders for being such great ambassadors for your countries. And secondly I’d like to urge you all to continue to be great ambassadors for Madrid when you go home, so that the words “King’s College Madrid” become synonymous with the phrase “a place of excellence in education” in all your home countries, as well as in Spain and the UK.
You can see this in fiction. From Wuthering Heights and Tom Brown’s School Days, through to Harry Potter.
Reality, of course, is quite different. Boarding schools are no longer Victorian institutions full of cruel teachers and unhappy children, nor are they remote, cold and full of wizards.
As we can see, a modern boarding school such as Tenbury House, is an exciting, dynamic and happy place. This was the idea that we had at King’s College. To bring the brightest and the best, the most adventurous and ambitious young people from around the world, from countries as far away as Canada, Kenya, and Kazkhstan, not just to give them the opportunity to receive a British education, one of the most sought after educations in the world, and to get places at top international universities such as Oxford and Yale, but to experience both life in Madrid and Spanish culture in a wider sense.
The first computer, invented by the Englishman Charles Babbage in 1820, was called “the Difference Engine”… well Tenbury House is the “Difference Engine” of King’s College in Madrid. You boarders might not realise it but you make a huge difference to the school. What you bring to the school makes King’s College extra special. Spanish children might not realize it yet, but sharing Maths, Biology and Economics classes with Bulgarian, Belgian and Bhutanese students (and that is just the ‘B’s) brings a whole new aspect to their learning. Teachers too benefit from the “difference” that boarders make. The opportunity to teach pupils who are top academic scholars in their home countries, such Tshering Gyaltshen, who was selected through national competition, from Bhutan, is a privilege that not many teachers get.
I am extremely lucky and proud to be the headteacher who saw the completion of the building work. I am extremely lucky and proud of the team that made it all possible. King’s College is a dynamic place. The last year and a bit have seen a lot of changes here at Soto de Viñuelas. The pace of change is amazing. King’s College somehow manages to combine the best of British education and its highly academic nature, with entrepreneurial energy and a focus on adding huge value to local families in Madrid and other parts of Spain.
As we were building Tenbury House, we wondered which countries our pupils would come from. An important reason for the pupils who chose to come to King’s College Boarding School, from their homes in places such as Russia, Germany, Italy, Zimbabwe and even the UK, is its location - Madrid. The third largest city in Europe, home not only of fantastic sports and cultural opportunities, but also a city which holds education at its heart, with its forward looking programme of bilingual education, driven by Doña Esperanza, and with its top universities of national standing.
We are lucky to live in Madrid. King’s College has been a key part of the educational landscape here for more than 40 years. When I was in England for Christmas I found myself talking about Tenbury House and Madrid a lot. I am sure that all the boarders went home with wonderful stories about the school and about Madrid, their adopted city.
We are honoured to have his Excellency Giles Paxman and other ambassadors representing the nationalities of our boarding pupils here today. But they are not the only ambassadors in the room. First of all I want to congratulate all the boarders for being such great ambassadors for your countries. And secondly I’d like to urge you all to continue to be great ambassadors for Madrid when you go home, so that the words “King’s College Madrid” become synonymous with the phrase “a place of excellence in education” in all your home countries, as well as in Spain and the UK.
