Established 1541 Phone +44 1244 689500 Founded 1541 | Chairman of the Governors Mrs E M Johnson Founder Henry VIII of England | |
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Motto Rex dedit, benedicat Deus(The King gave it, may God bless it) Headmaster C D Ramsey MA (Cantab.) Profiles | ||
The King's School, Chester is a British co-educational independent school for children, established in 1541. It is situated outside the city of Chester, England. The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school comprises an Infant school (years 4-7), a Junior school (years 7–11), a Senior school (years 11–16) and a Sixth form (years 16-18) in which the students choose their A-level subjects.
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Motto and the school badge
The school motto is "The King gave it, may God bless it", which was given by John Saul Howson, D.D., Dean of Chester. John Saul Howson was the chief instrument in the building and endowing of the King's School, and in its reorganization on a broader basis.
Academia
In 2011, more than 28 per cent of A-level results were at A* grade, and 67.2 per cent at A*/A grade. In addition, 94.9 per cent of GCSE grades were at A*/B and a third of all King's pupils gained all A/A* grades. After The King's School's A-Level and GCSE results were released, The Daily Telegraph published its A-level and GCSE independent-school league tables which placed King's as the top-performing school in Cheshire and the second highest in the North West for A-level results and third for GCSE results.
In September 2011, King's adopted a new curriculum alongside its shift from an eight-period to a five-period day. This involved substantial changes, introducing 'enrichment' lessons and replacing the GCSE courses with IGCSE.
Extra-curricular activities
The school's pupils engage in a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities, including music and drama, as well as educational trips abroad, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. The school has a Music School, equipped with a recording studio, a recital room, and seven music practice rooms.
The King's School's Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a voluntary contingent within the CCF. It consists of the mandatory Army Section, with an additional RAF Section.
Publications
The Herald is the school's magazine and is published on a termly basis for parents and pupils. Its articles are about current pupils, teachers and former pupils.
Hockey
In 2011 King's appointed hockey coach, Simon Egerton, who is a member of the England hockey team.
Rowing
The school's boat house is situated on the River Dee in the centre of Chester.
Facilities and development
Since 1960, The King’s School has been based at its Wrexham Road site on the outskirts of Chester. It has a Sixth Form Centre, a library (the Wickson Library) and a music school (the Tim Turvey Music School). Sports facilities include a swimming pool, all-weather sports pitches, grass sports pitches, a cricket pavilion, and a boat house on the River Dee. During the summer of 2011, there was a £1.2 million renovation of the school hall, creating the Vanbrugh theatre - (named after Sir John Vanbrugh, theatre architect and dramatist) which has retractable raked seating. The project was part-funded by a legacy from former pupil Roger Snelson.
After the school became co-educational, a major redevelopment and enlargement program was undertaken, including:
Controversies
During 2004, teacher Barry Lewis was arrested and left the school, after child pornography was found on his school user account, leading to his imprisonment the next year.
Headmaster
The school's headmaster (since 2007) is Chris Ramsey, a graduate of Modern and Medieval Languages from Cambridge University. Chris Ramsey previously served as Head of Modern Languages at Wellington College, Berkshire and Headmaster of King's College, Taunton.
Previous headmasters
Post-1900
Pre-1900
The Chester Association of Old King's Scholars (CAOKS), founded in 1866, exists to maintain links between former students. It is one of the longest established alumni associations in the country. The school has recently established OAKS (Organization of Alumni of The King's School) to maintain relations with former pupils. OAKS is free to join and open to all alumni.