King's College School

History

A Royal Charter by King George IV founded the School in 1829 as the junior department of the newly established King's College, London. The School occupied the basement of the College in The Strand.

Most of its original eighty-five pupils lived in the City within walking distance of the School. During the early Victorian Period, the School grew in numbers and reputation. Members of the teaching staff included Gabriele Rossetti, who taught Italian. His son, Dante Gabriel, joined the School in 1837. The best known of the early masters was the water-colourist, John Sell Cotman. Nine of his pupils became practising artists and ten architects. By 1843 there were five hundred pupils and the need for larger premises eventually led to the move to Wimbledon in 1897.

The school was progressive in its curriculum in many areas and appointed its first Science Master in 1855, at a time where very few schools taught science. The first Head Master, John Major, served the school between 1831–1866. Ninety-nine of the school's pupils from this period appear in the Dictionary of National Biography.

Until the 1880s, the school flourished. In 1882, only Eton College surpassed the total of thirty Oxford and Cambridge Board examination certificates obtained by pupils at KCS. But the school's teaching facilities were becoming increasingly inadequate as many competitor schools moved to new sites with modern facilities and large playing fields. In 1897, falling numbers of pupils prompted the move to the school's present site in Wimbledon, a fast-growing suburb well served by the railway lines from Surrey and south London. A separate junior school was opened on the same campus in 1912.

In World War I, many letters were written to the school, including some from the Battle of the Somme. During World War II, the school's Great Hall was damaged by bomb shrapnel, and some of the damage can still be seen on the outside of the hall.

The only remaining link between KCS and its former parent is that one of the KCS Board of Governors is nominated by King's College London.

Today

King's College School is one of the highest academically performing schools in the UK historically and to date, placing 5th in The Times GCSE Results league table in 2014, and 3rd in its results table for A-Level, IB, and Pre-U. In the 2015 edition of Tatler Schools Guide, it was commented on that "No wonder Oxbridge loves KCS pupils: more than 150 places in the past three years." On 21 November 2014, King's won the title of Sunday Times Independent Secondary School of the Year.

All sixth-formers at King's currently study either the IB Diploma or the A-Level course. In 2015 14 pupils obtained the maximum IB score of 45 points, equivalent to 7 A grades at A-Level. All pupils take IGCSEs, with 85% of all grades attaining A* in 2015. In the last year of all-IB, 2014, 86.9% of higher level grades were at 6 or 7, with 53% of grades at 7. Out of 190 students, 116 pupils scored 40 points or more. In the Daily Telegraph and the Times - when gauging success in A level, IB, and Pre-U results all together placed King's as the second highest ranking sixth form in the UK in 2012. King's was also named Sunday Times IB School of the Year in 2009 and 2012.

GCSE summary: last five years

A-Level Results: last five years

Exit

Almost all pupils stay on into the sixth form and proceed to leave for university – 58 places at Oxbridge were offered to students in 2015-16 - the rest to London University colleges or Russell Group universities, e.g. Durham and Bristol, to do traditional subjects. Increasing numbers are heading abroad – including Harvard, Stanford and Cornell.

Oxbridge offer statistics are as follows:

Number and Percentage of each year receiving offers from Oxbridge: last few years

The majority of pupils come to the school from southwest London, north Surrey and neighbouring areas. 64% of the Year 9 entry consists of boys who continue from the King's College Junior School, 34% enter from other preparatory schools and about 2% come from overseas. At a recent count around 450 applied for the 60 places available at 13+ entry. The Good Schools Guide described the school as "an inspiring place to be," adding, "Boys work and play very hard in this wonderful school community". It is a member of the Eton Group of 12 leading independent schools, and of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Senior School fees are currently [2016-17] £20,400 per year.

Tatler’s current review observes: What really sets KCS apart is head Andrew Halls's forward-thinking leadership. Since joining King’s from Magdalen College School, where he was Master until 2007, Andrew has introduced a highly successful co-educational sixth form, he reintroduced A levels as an option to complement the International Baccalaureate diploma programme, and in 2014 he announced plans to open a school in China. Most recently he announced the opening of a new lower school for pupils aged 11, with a clear focus on widening access, supported by a fundraising drive to expand bursary opportunities. Like his predecessor, Tony Evans, he received Tatler's best headmaster of a public school award in 2011.

The school is located on Southside, Wimbledon Common, on a 24-acre (97,000 m²) site, with the main building being the 19th century Great Hall. The school has 20 Science laboratories and a demonstration laboratory, alongside the 1st XV pitch. The buildings include the Q-block (based around the Quadrangle), College Court, South Hayes, the Cavan Taylor Wing, the new classroom block, the Reeve School of Art & Design, and the Sports Hall, as well as the Junior School, which has its own buildings, and Rushmere house. There are four rugby pitches on the main site for use by the Senior School, with Coleman's field providing additional pitches for the Junior School. There are six tennis courts on site, three squash courts, a 33m swimming pool and a sports hall.

There are two additional playing field sites, in Raynes Park and at Kingsway in Motspur Park, which provide two fully lit astroturf pitches as well. A new pavilion was opened at Kingsway in September 2011 to replace the old changing rooms. The school is currently seeking to transform the on-site sporting facilities with the construction of a second sports hall, a new six lane swimming pool and an enhanced fitness suite. In March 2016 The Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Education opened a new classroom block incorporating a school hall, six new classrooms and much needed science corridors that unify the existing buildings. The construction of a new music school,including a 200-seater auditorium, starts in April 2016.

Sport

The main sport for the boys during the autumn term is rugby, in which the school fielded 13 sides during the 2015-2016 season. The fixture list for 2015-2016 included St. Paul's, Reed's, Dulwich, Eton, Wimbledon College, Berkhamsted, RGS Guildford, Skinners, Reeds, St George's Weybridge, St. John's Leatherhead and Tiffin. The 1st XV and the U15As enter the National NatWest Cup, and reached the Quarter Finals of the U18 (Formerly Daily Mail) Cup in 2006 and 2007 and the semi-finals of the U15 Vase in 2008 and 2009. The school went on a tour to South Africa in 2010, 2013 and regularly head to France, and this year Portugal for a pre-season training camp. The 1st & U16 VII also play a number of sevens tournaments in the spring term. In 2014, the 1st VII narrowly lost in the final of the Rosslyn Park Festival. A good number of boys have represented the county, Independent School Lambs and divisional teams.

The school is always well represented in the Varsity match at Twickenham, with a significant number of Old Boy's turning out for Oxford or Cambridge in recent years. Most recently, 2009 KCS Head boy Matt Janney was victorious in 2015 having been matched up in the centre against Wales and British & Irish Lion Jamie Roberts . The school were lucky enough to have Jonny Wilkinson run an outstanding guest session with one of the teams in November 2015 and has also been visited by the likes of England players Toby Flood and Jason Leonard in recent years. Alongside this, King's regularly benefits from expertise of premiership players and coaches from Harlequins, London Irish and Wasps.

Football at the school continues to flourish with the school fielding 18 sides in 2016. The most notable success in recent years was when the school reached the Final of the Trinity School's Cup in 2010. However, the teams also enjoy much success on a strong fixture list that includes Hampton, Dulwich, Wilson's, Wimbledon School, Epsom College and Latymer. Football also enjoys a successful touring programme and in 2014 they headed to Brazil and Argentina during the summer holidays.

The Spring term also sees the boys compete, playing schools including nationally recognised hockey schools such as RGS Guildford, Kingston Grammar School, Reeds and Trinity. The 1st XI side use their tour of Barcelona at Christmas each year as a pre-season. The superb new astroturfs at the off-site Kingsway facility are also shared by 2014-2015 Premiership Hockey Champions Wimbledon Hockey Club. The school has also benefited from having current and former international players on their staff including Ben Marsden (GB and England), Richie Dawson-Smith (England Indoor) and Dirkie Chamberlain (South Africa Women).

In the summer, the main sport is cricket with 13 teams representing the school in 2015. The 1st and 2nd XI play their cricket in the 50 over South London Schools League against Hampton, RGS Guildford, Reeds, Tiffin, Trinity, St Paul's and St George's. The 1st XI still manage over 20 scheduled fixtures a season despite the pressures of examinations. The remaining fixtures consist of teams including Dulwich, The MCC, visiting touring sides, St John's Leatherhead, Trinity, Reigate Grammar School and Epsom College. The school benefits from outstanding facilities. The past two tours have been to Sri Lanka (2012 and 2015) with two sides enjoying much success in difficult conditions.

Cricketing figure Sir Viv Richards visited the boys in 2012 and gave the cricketers some valuable advice. A number of boys represent Surrey County Age Group sides each year and Ruari Crichard and Alex Hunt played for Cambridge at Lords in the Varsity in 2015, the former also making his 1st Class debut for the same side in the 2015 season in fixtures against Northamptonshire CCC and Leicestershire CCC.

Wimbledon has a reputation for tennis and with the school situated approximately a mile from the Wimbledon Club the sport continues to thrive. Old Boy Ross Hutchins (formerly in the GB Davis team) opened the new courts and Martina Navratilova came to the school to deliver an assembly for the boys and girls in 2012. The School competes at a high level of tennis including cups, leagues and local derby matches against Reeds. The players prepare for the season with an annual training camp to Majorca.

Rowing is a popular sport throughout the year. The boat club races in the regatta season, culminating with Henley Royal Regatta, where it reached the second round of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013 and 2014. The 1st VIII also race in the National Schools Regatta, having won the Child Beale Cup in 2004 and 2012, with silver in the same category in 2015, and reaching the final of the Championship 8s category in 2013 and 2014. Boats also participate in the School's Head of the River Race, achieving a Gold Medal in 1st 8+s in 2013, and the National Junior Sculling Head.

The school boathouse is used by the Cambridge University Boat Club in their preparation for and participation in the University Boat Races. In 2016 Charlie Fisher (2013 Leaver) helped Cambridge win the race. In the Autumn of 2015 the boat club toured the USA having been invited to race in the Head of the Charles, Boston. King's rowers have also represented Great Britain at a Junior level and Director of Rowing Patrick Duggan was flown out to Rio to help coach the GB youngsters in 2015.

Since girls joined the school in September 2010 the girls' sport has gone from strength to strength. The girls follow a programme of hockey, netball, rounders and tennis and play on a competitive fixture list with regular midweek and weekly Saturday fixtures. The girls have recently had representation a national level from pupils in hurdles and Under 18 National Age Group (NAGS) hockey. Fixtures consist of strong local opposition including Cranleigh, Epsom College and St George's Weybridge. The girls have also made excellent progress on the river and are well supported and coached throughout their two years in the sixth form.

Other team and individual sports are also of high importance. The school plays regular matches and tournaments in squash, badminton, fencing, basketball, water polo, athletics, cross-country and table tennis. 2014 leaver Max Mondelli arguably the most notable recent athlete, who won an Athletics Scholarship to train and study at Harvard.

Houses

There are six houses in the Senior School, each named after a previous headmaster or notable old boy. Boys wear a standard red and blue school tie until they achieve 6 house points, at which point they are awarded the right to wear a house tie of navy blue with thin stripes of the following colours:

Green: Alverstone house, named after Richard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone (barrister, politician and Judge, died 1915)

Blue: Glenesk house, named after Algernon Borthwick, 1st Baron Glenesk (journalist, editor and newspaper proprietor, died 1908)

Purple: Kingsley house, named after Henry Kingsley (gold prospector, mounted policeman, novelist, newspaper editor and war correspondent, died 1876)

Red: Layton house, named after Walter Layton, 1st Baron Layton (economist, editor and newspaper proprietor, died 1966)

White: Maclear house, named after George Frederick Maclear (the school's second Head Master, who served between 1866–1880)

Yellow: Major house, named after John Richardson Major (the school's first Head Master, who served between 1831–1866)

House points are awarded for participation in inter-house competitions throughout the year.

Other ties include (in order of increasing seniority) the House Prefect's tie (bold stripes of dark blue and a house colour with a single red crest), School Colours (navy blue with a single red school crest), the School Prefect's tie (red with blue school crests), and the Senior Prefect's tie (blue with red school crests). Girls receive badges as an alternative to ties.

The Senior Prefects consist of the Captain and Vice-Captains of School and the Captain and Vice-Captains of each house. In addition, each house typically has about 8 School Prefects.

King's College Junior School

King's College Junior School (also known as KCJS) is the preparatory school for King's College School located in Wimbledon, London. It was established in its own right in 1912, and educates boys from ages 7–13. It occupies the same campus as the senior school.

In 2016 enrollment in the junior school totalled 464 boys, divided into six year groups with three or four classes of about 20. The first two years are collectively referred to as 'Rushmere' (as they are taught in Rushmere House), while the final four years are called 'Priory'. Fees were £5,370 per term for years 3-4, and £5,950 per term for years 5-8 in 2015-16. The headmaster is Dr G A Silverlock.

The uniform is a red blazer with the emblem in blue on the top pocket. Every boy wears a white shirt and grey shorts or trousers. The ties are similar to the Senior School ties, and prefects in the top year ("Upper Remove") wear Senior School ties.

The Junior School has featured in national competitions too - they were National Rugby Champions at U13 level in 2009. In the same year the Junior School ran away with the team prize on its return to the national Townsend-Warner Competition for History and had twelve pupils qualify for the UK Junior Mathematics Olympiad. They went on to win the Townsend-Warner Prize again in 2010 and 2011.

All boys are allocated to one of the school's four houses when they join (siblings are placed into the same house):

Norman (Black)

Stuart (Green)

Tudor (Blue)

Windsor (Yellow)

Head Masters of King's College School

The following have been Head Masters of King's College School:

19th century births

Sabine Baring-Gould, (1834-1924) Hagiographer, antiquarian and hymn writer, the best known of which is 'Onward, Christian Soldiers'

Alfred Barry, (1826–1910) Anglican Archbishop of Sydney

John Barrymore, (1882–1942) American stage and film actor

John G. Bennett, (1897–1974) mathematician, scientist, technologist, industrial research director, and author

Francis Marcus Beresford, (1818-1890) MP and colonel in the 7th Surrey Rifle Volunteers

Rowland Blades, 1st Baron Ebbisham, (1868-1953) politician and Lord Mayor of London

Sir Algernon Borthwick, 1st Baron Glenesk, (1830–1908) journalist and politician

William Burges, (1827–1881) Victorian art-architect

Ingram Bywater, (1840–1914) classical scholar

Arthur Cayley, (1821–1895) mathematician

Frederic Chase, (1853-1925) academic and Bishop of Ely

Sir William Christie FRS, (1845-1922) astronomer royal

Sir Jeremiah Colman, 1st Baronet, (1859-1942) industrialist, Chairman of Colman's Mustard

George Devey, (1820-1886) architect

Charles Dickens, Jr., (1837–1896) geographic dictionary compiler, and son of the author Charles Dickens

Edward Dutton Cook, (1829–1883) dramatic critic and author

Richard Walther Darré, (1895–1953) German Third Reich minister of food and agriculture under Adolf Hitler (On exchange)

James Drake, (1850–1941) Australian politician

Brigadier General James Edward Edmonds, (1861–1956) official British historian of World War I

Henry Fawcett, (1833-1884) blind British economist, statesman, academic and campaigner for women's suffrage.

Major-General E.R. Festing, (1839-1912) Army officer and first Director of The Science Museum

Rt Revd John Festing, (1837-1902) Bishop of St. Albans

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Frederick Field, (1871-1945) First Sea Lord

Edwin Flavell, (c1908-1916) Brigadier DSO, MC, TD, DL. Provincial Grand Master of Berkshire (1967–85).

Sir William Grantham, (1835–1911) MP and High Court Judge

Robert Graves, (1895–1985) poet and novelist, who mentions his brief spell at the school in his biography Goodbye to All That

Charles Harbord, 5th Baron Suffield, (1830-1914) peer and Master of the Buckhounds

Frederic Harrison, (1831–1923) jurist and historian

George Hillyard, (1864-1943) tennis player, olympic gold medallist, Middlesex cricketer and naval officer

George Holt-Thomas, (1869-1929) aviation pioneer and founder of Imperial Airways

William Ince, (1825–1910) Regius Professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford

Henry Jones, (1831-1899) writer and authority on tennis and card games, instrumental in establishing the Wimbledon Tennis Championships

Henry Kemble, (1848-1907) actor and member of the famed Kemble family

Henry Kingsley, (1830–1876) novelist

George William Kitchin, (1827–1912) theologian

Walter Layton, 1st Baron Layton, (1884–1966) statesman and editor

Henry Liddon, (1829-1890) Theologian

Sir Sidney Low, (1857-1932) journalist and historian

Sir John Martin-Harvey, (1863-1944) actor

Sir Henry Martyn, (1888-1947) surgeon-apothecary to the royal household at Windsor

Reginald McKenna, (1863–1943) Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer

John Milne, (1849-1913) geologist and mining engineer

Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner, (1854–1925) statesman and colonial administrator

Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore GCMG, KStJ (1887–1964), British Governor of Sierra Leone, Kenya and Ceylon

Sir Monier Monier-Williams, (1819-1899) oriental scholar

Jacob Wrey Mould, (1825–1886) architect best known for work in New York City's Central Park

Felix Moscheles, (1833-1917) painter, peace activist and advocate of Esperanto

Percy Newberry, (1869-1949) Egyptologist, introduced Howard Carter to Egypt, and served on staff Tutankhamun excavations

Sir Victor Negus, (1887-1974) laryngologist, surgeon and comparative anatomist

Henry Poole, (1873-1928) sculptor

Sir William Henry Preece, (1834–1913) electrical engineer

Alfred de Rothschild, (1842–1918) Director of the Bank of England

Leopold de Rothschild, (1845–1917) banker and thoroughbred race horse breeder

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, (1828–1882) Pre-Raphaelite painter

George Saintsbury, (1845–1933) writer and critic

Sir Sidney Shippard, (1838–1902), British colonial administrator

Walter Sickert, (1860–1942) English Impressionist painter, suspected of being Jack the Ripper

Walter William Skeat, (1835–1912) philologist

Gordon Smith, (1856-1905), barrister and philatelist

Frederick Sowrey, (1893-1968) World War I flying ace

Ernest Starling, (1866-1927) physiologist, discovered hormones, developed the 'law of the heart', and involved in the Brown Dog Affair

Henry Sweet, (1845–1912) philologist

Major-General Gilbert Szlumper, (1884–1969) General Manager of the Southern Railway

Charles Sanford Terry, (1864–1936) historian and musicologist

Sir Skinner Turner, (1868-1935) Chief Judge of the British Supreme Court for China

Sir William Thiselton-Dyer, (1843–1928) director of the Royal Botanic Gardens

Sir William Treloar, Bt, (1843–1923) Lord Mayor of London

Andrew Watson, (1857–1902) the world's first black association football player to play at international level

Richard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone, (1842–1915) former Attorney-General, barrister and politician

20th century births

Khalid Abdalla, (1980-) actor and star of United 93, The Kite Runner and Green Zone

Angus Allan, (1936–2007) comic strip writer

Clive Aslet, (1955-) writer and former editor of Country Life

Tom Audley, (1986-) Rugby Union Player for London Welsh

Robert Ayling, (1946-) former CEO of British Airways

Ben Barnes, (1981-) actor and star of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Stardust

Tom Basden, (1981-) comedian

James Binney FRS, (1950-) astrophysicist

Andrew Black, (1963-) founder of Betfair, an internet betting exchange

Sir Cyril Black, (1902–1991) MP and financier

Tom Browne, (1945-) broadcaster and actor

Sir James Bottomley, (1920-2013) diplomat

Raymond Buckland, (1934-) author

Michael Cardew, (1901–1983) master potter

Roger Casale, (1960-) MP for Wimbledon

Christopher Challis, (1919-2012) cinematographer

Sir Neil Chalmers, (1942-) former Director of the Natural History Museum

John Cloake, (1924-) former Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Bulgaria

Sir Ralph Cusack, (1916–1978) High Court judge

Sir John Vivian Dacie, (1912-2005) haematologist

Nick D'Aloisio, (1995-) entrepreneur and youngest person to have raised VC funding in the world

Guy de la Bédoyère, (1957-) writer and broadcaster

Nigel Don, (1954-) SNP MSP for Angus North and Mearns

Jimmy Edwards, (1920–1988) 1950s British radio and television comedy actor

George S. J. Faber, (1959-) television producer

Sir Victor Goodhew, (1919–2006), politician, Conservative MP for St Albans

Nigel Green, (1924 – 1972), actor

Conal Gregory, (1947-), politician, MP for York

Cifford Hall, (1904 - 1973) painter

The Right Reverend David Halsey, (1919-) former Bishop of Carlisle

Frank Robinson Hartley, Chemist, Vice-Chancellor Cranfield University 1989-2006

Robin Holloway, (1943-) composer

Peter Horrocks, (1959-) former Director of BBC World Service

David Hughes, (1930–2005) novelist

Ross Hutchins, (1985-) professional tennis player

Robert Jay, (1959-) Counsel to the Leveson Inquiry (2011-2012), and now High Court Judge

William Joyce, (1906–1946) nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw, hanged for treason

Alvar Lidell, (1908–1981) BBC radio announcer

Ben Lovett, (1987-) musician and member of the band Mumford and Sons

Mark Lowen, BBC Athens Correspondent (2011-) and former BBC Balkans Correspondent (2009-2011)

James Mitchell, (1989-) professional poker player, took part in the Irish Poker Open.

Simon Conway Morris FRS (1951-), evolutionary palaeobiologist

Buster Mottram, (1955-) professional tennis player, who achieved a highest world ranking of fifteenth.

Marcus Mumford, (1987-) musician and founder of the band Mumford and Sons

David Nokes, (1948–2009) literary scholar and biographer.

Richard Pasco CBE, (1926-) stage, screen and TV actor

Roy Plomley, (1914–1985) broadcaster and creator of the BBC radio programme Desert Island Discs

Andrew Powell, (1949-) musician

Gaby Rado, (1955–2003), television journalist

Sir Stephen Richards, (1950-) High Court judge

Prince Alexander Romanov, (1929–2002) great nephew of the last Russian Emperor, Nicholas II

Ronald Sandison, (1916-2010) psychiatrist, pioneered the clinical use of LSD in the UK.

David Shaw (1950-), politician, former MP for Dover

Dan Smith (1986-), lead singer of indie band Bastille

Joby Talbot, (1971-) composer

Edward Tomanek, (2002-) musician

Simon Treves, (1957-) actor and writer

Mark Urban, (1961-) journalist, author & Diplomatic Editor of BBC's Newsnight programme

Stuart Urban, (1959-) film and television director

Chris van Tulleken, (1978-) Doctor and TV presenter including CBBC series Operation Ouch!, brother of Alexander

Patrick Wolf, né Patrick Apps, (1983), singer-songwriter

Nadhim Zahawi, (1967-) MP for Stratford-on-Avon

Victoria Cross holders

Five Old King's have been awarded the Victoria Cross.

Mark Sever Bell, VC, Ashanti War, awarded the Victoria Cross

William George Cubitt, VC, Indian Mutiny, awarded the Victoria Cross

Philip Salkeld, VC, Indian Mutiny, awarded the Victoria Cross

Squadron Leader Arthur Stewart King Scarf VC, World War II, awarded the Victoria Cross

Robert Haydon Shebbeare VC, Indian Mutiny, awarded the Victoria Cross