Felix Hawes, 17, from Wicken, near Ely.
Which year group did you join King’s Ely?
I joined King’s Ely, or the King’s School Ely as it was then, in Reception (13 years ago now!) at Acremont House in class RS, following in the footsteps of my dad who is an Old Elean. I was in Mercury house (the best house) before moving to Junior School where I was in Queen Emma (the best house) before transitioning to the Senior School where I am in Osmond (the best house again! Aren’t I lucky.) I was followed by my sister, who joined in Reception two years later.
What A Levels are you studying and what are your future career ambitions?
I am studying History, Religious Studies and Government and Politics. I don’t know what I’d like to do after university, but I have narrowed it down to three jobs at the moment! I would either like to be a politician, a civil servant or a teacher like my parents and grandmother.
What extra-curricular activities do you enjoy here?
The mainstream sports aren’t for me, so I am pleased that King’s Ely offers Swimming, which is what I do and have done for many years. Over the years I have played the violin and have taken part in many plays, mostly in King’s Ely Junior – the highlights were playing a villain, the Tooth Fairy, in ‘When Sasha Got Swept Up the Chimney’ back in Year 6 and in Year 2 when I was one of the three kings, I also sang a solo in the cathedral! More recently I have enjoyed attending the history lecture series, History Café, and taking part in book discussion led by Mr. Currie called ‘An Other Club’. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed the charity events as I’ve been able to lead my own stall, ‘Guess the Doctor Who Action Figures’, for seven years.
How do you feel to have been selected as Head of School?
I feel incredibly honoured to have been made Head of School. King’s Ely is so much of a community that to call it a large family is fitting, and to be a leading figure in this family is a huge privilege for me. The school has served me well, and now I am serving it too.
What are you looking forward to most during your time as Head of School, and what, if anything, are you nervous about?
I look forward to organising and helping out the school and seeing how things are done from the top. Jobs that some may consider to be mundane like lunch duty and supporting in the cathedral are actually things I enjoy as they are an extra chance to interact with the younger years. Oh, and there is the gown of course! I also look forward to telling people about all the wacky traditions a head boy can do like keep a goat on Cherry Hill and grow a beard! I am nervous about public speaking, which comes about quite a lot in this job, but King’s Ely has given me plenty of practice over the years, so everything should be just fine.
What do you hope to achieve most during your time as Head of School?
I would like to strengthen the already existing community. I would like to bring the school even closer together and to further the bond between the younger and older year groups.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Well there is a question! I’ve thought about this before and it is a tricky one. I’ve often wanted to read minds but then that might not always be a good idea. I think being invisible would be pretty good because then you could pretend to be a ghost and could sneak into places such as Buckingham Palace.
Name three things you would want with you if stranded on a desert island for a week.
I would like food and water to be able to live but if all necessary requirements had been met then I would like to bring a pen and paper so I can list things because that’s one of my weird hobbies, a television set with all my Doctor Who DVDs because you can’t go wrong with a bit of Doctor Who, and a trampoline because that’s my version of ‘going on a walk’.