The King's School, Canterbury

The King's School () is a British Independent School (sometimes called Public School) located in Canterbury in the county of Kent. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is co-educational and has boarding and day pupils.

The school is often claimed (e.g. in the Guinness Book of Records) to have been founded in AD 597 by St. Augustine, making it the world's oldest extant school. This is based on the fact that St. Augustine founded an abbey (within the current school's grounds) where it is known teaching took place.

Enrolment is about 800 pupils with slighly more boys than girls in the average year. The school is located within the Precincts of Canterbury Cathedral and St. Augustine's Abbey. In 2004, the school was subject to a regular, independent inspection, and the results can be found here. In summary, the inspection team praised the pastoral care system, the high academic achievements of all its pupils - irrespective of their age, aptitude or ability - and the "natural and open relationships" which pupils have with each other as well as with adults. School rules ban being out of school after 6 p.m. and "petting behaviour" is deemed inappropriate. King's School Calendar, Rules and Regulations, (2005).

Subjects offered

Arabic, Art, Astronomy, Biology, Bilingual French, Chemistry, Chinese, Classical Civilisation, Critical Thinking, Drama, English, Economics, English as an Additional Language, French, Further Mathematics, Greek, Geology, German, Geology, General Studies, Geography, History, History of Art, ICT, Italian, Japanese, Jewellery, Latin, Mathematics, Mandarin, Music, Physical Education, Physics, Politics and Government, Philosophy, Photography, Spanish, Theatre Studies, Young Enterprise.

Houses

There are 15 houses at King's. Their full names (and the initials usually used to denote each one) are shown below. Most are named after past headmasters or people of interest in the school's history, with the exception of School House, The Grange and the newest house, Carlyon. The number of pupils in each house varies and the numbers given below are from the 2005-2006 academic year.

Day Houses (mixed sex)

Mitchinson's (MT) (70 mixed pupils, day, 1982) was opened in the Mint Yard by the Queen Mother. It is named after Headmaster John Mitchinson, co-founder of the Headmasters' Conference.
Carlyon (CY) (47 mixed pupils, day, 2005). Named after Carlyon Bay in Cornwall where the school was evacuated to in the Second World War.
Marlowe (MR) (74 mixed pupils, day, 1936) is named after the poet and dramatist Christopher Marlowe (King's Scholar, 1580) and looks out over the Green Court.

Boarding Houses (boys)

The Grange (GR) (60 boys, 1928) The building includes many fine architectural features taken from the Archbishop's Palaces of Laud and Parker by the family who converted the granary ruins to a family house in the 1840s.
Galpin's (GL) (53 boys, 1952) was built in the 1860s as the Headmaster's house and is named after Arthur Galpin. The House is viewed as a generally good all-round house, with an emphasis on Academics. Located within the Mint Yard it is in a prime central position in the school.
School House (SH) (56 boys) was the original School boarding house. The present building dates from the 1860s. It can list many famous OKS, but none has gone further than Michael Foale, the astronaut.
Linacre (LN) (57 boys, 1953) is named after Thomas Linacre, founder of the Royal College of Physicians, who was educated in Canterbury. The fine Georgian building was once the home of Canon Nelson. During visits by his brother Admiral Horatio Nelson, Lady Hamilton is reputed to have danced on a table in what is now the head of house's study. A recent Linacre OKS is David Gower.
Meister Omers (MO) (53 boys, 1936) was built by Master Omer in the 13th century and has the widest fireplace in England. It was here that Edward IV held a Parliament in 1470. In 1568 Cardinal Coligny died in the house in suspicious circumstances. The arms of Queen Elizabeth I in the hall mark her visit in 1573.
Tradescant (TR) (50 boys, 1976) named for John Tradescant, the 17th century Royal gardener and plant collector. The building, which is 19th century, was originally part of a missionary college.

Boarding Houses (girls)

Harvey (HH) (54 girls, 1996) is a purpose-built house at St Augustine's and is named after William Harvey (educated at the King's School in 1588) who demonstrated the circulation of the blood. The building was opened in 1999 by the Director of the Royal Institution, Professor Susan Greenfield.
Walpole (WL) (51 girls, 1935) is named after the novelist Sir Hugh Walpole (King's Scholar 1896). The 18th century building incorporates many remains of the mediaeval Archbishop's Palace and includes the spot where Thomas Becket's murderers armed themselves.
Jervis (JR) (45 girls, 1992) is a purpose-built house just outside the Precincts and linked to them through the city wall. It is named after Douglas Jervis OKS and his sister Norah, benefactors to the School.
Luxmoore (LX) (57 girls, 1945) moved from its original buildings to a purpose-built house in the Precincts, opened by the Queen Mother in 1981. A sundial in the front garden records the visit in fine Latin verse. The house is named after Sir Arthur Fairfax Coryndon Luxmoore, Lord Justice of Appeal, (King's Scholar, 1889), and his own sundial stands in the back garden.
Bailey (BL) (19 Sixth Form girls) is in a mainly 18th and 19th century building which incorporates the fine 14th century Abbey gateway originally called St Ethelbert's Gate. Its present name commemorates Henry Bailey, second Warden of St Augustine's College and a good friend of the King's School.
Broughton (BR) (51 girls, 1976) is named after an OKS, William Broughton, the first Bishop of Australia.

Facilities

Birleys Playing Fields The School's sport grounds just outside the school. A pavilion on site was opened by David Gower on 17th September 2005
Shirley Hall School Assemblies and Examination hall
Maurice Milner Memorial Hall Fencing, Drama and examination hall
St. Mary's Hall Drama, Theatre Studies
The Old Synagogue Music, Jewish Prayers
St. Radigund's Block Drama and Music
Palace Block Medival building containing the language department
J Block Geography
Lardergate History
Field Classrooms English and Mathematics
Priory Block Classics, English, History, Economics
Physics Block Physics
Mint Yard Classrooms Mathematics, ICT
Biology/Chemistry Classrooms Biology, Chemistry
Grange Classrooms Mathematics
CDT Centre CDT
Blackfriars Art
Pottery Room Pottery
The Recreation Centre Gym, hockey pitches, swimming pool etc. This is open to the general public too.
The Pupils' Social Centre Tuckshop, stationers, Junior Common Room and snooker tables.
The School Library The library, containing approximately 25,000 volumes.

Traditions

King's has many traditions including:

Canterbury Dress: the name King's people now use for their uniform, which consists of white shirt with wing collar, pinstripe trowsers, black socks, black tie and black shoes for the boys. Girls wear a white blouse, pinstripe skirt, black tights and black shoes.
The Beadle: a recent tradition, this is a sergeant-major in the school's CCF, who is also responsible for the general smartness of pupils. The current Beadle is RSM Alan Booth.
Purples: until recently called 'monitors', these are the school prefects, who are marked out by their distinctive purple gowns. Only those in their last year at the school may be a purple. Each house has at least one purple.
The Goat on Green Court: The Captain of School is allegedly allowed to keep a goat on the large lawn in the centre of the school. Sadly, this particular tradition is no longer practised.
King's Week: A festival of dramatic and musical events, as well as social extravaganzas open to the public who can get tickets from the Green Court at the centre of the school.
King's Scholars: An academically select group, marked by their distinctive black gowns, who process wearing surplices during Matins and at the School Carol Service. May be chosen by Scholarship examinations prior to entry (Exhibitioners may also be elected) or, as honorary scholars, on the basis of their GCSE results (8 A*s is usually the minimum) or in exceptional circumstances, by their AS results.
Gatings: A form of punishment that forces pupils to wear Canterbury Dress during weekends or prevents them leaving the school at all for up to a week.
Supper Leave/Pub Leave: A privilege extended to Sixth Formers, whereby pre-approved groups of people may go into town for supper or visit pubs for one night.
Out of Bounds: King's pupils are not allowed to venture beyond a mile radius from the school during the time they are allowed out at weekends.

Office of Fair Trading

Recently, the Office of Fair Trading has provisionally found that the school exchanged detailed information about prospective fee increases with approximately 50 other prominent UK independent schools, including Eton and SevenoaksOFT press release 9 Nov 2005. The OFT stated that "regular and systematic exchange of confidential information as to intended fee increases was anti-competitive and resulted in parents being charged higher fees than would otherwise have been the case." However, upon hearing of the OFT's objections the school immediately refrained from this practice and has since remained in full cooperation with the OFT.

Notable alumni

Harry Christophers, Classical conductor specialising in Renaissance Choral music
Michael Foale, astronaut
David Gower, cricketer
William Harvey, scientist
Sir Tony Hoare, Computer Science Pioneer
Patrick Leigh Fermor, travel writer
Christopher Marlowe, playwright
Michael Powell, film director
Carol Reed, film director
W. Somerset Maugham, novelist
Jacquetta Wheeler, model
Antony Worrall Thompson, TV chef
Michael Cordy, Modern novelist
John Tradescant, botanist

The Junior King's School, Canterbury

The King's School, Canterbury also has a feeder preparatory school, founded in 1879. The school, which is mixed, currently has around 380 pupils, ages 3 to 13, and is located at Milner Court in Sturry. Originally based in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral, the current site was donated by Lady Milner following the death of Lord Alfred Milner in 1925, and the current Headmaster is Peter M. Wells. About half the pupils at King's previously attended JKS. The buildings on site were opened by Rudyard Kipling in 1929. Further extensions include a Sports Hall (1997) and a CDT block (1991).

Notes

External links

The King's School website

Gourt Home::Gourt :: The King's School, Canterbury