The King's School, Gloucester
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The King's School, Gloucester is an independent school in the United Kingdom, taking students from the ages of 3-18, with around 500 students.
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[edit] Origins
The current school was officially founded in 1541, during the English Reformation, by a direct royal proclamation by King Henry VIII. However, prior to that date, there was a school on the grounds of Gloucester Cathedral even since it first opened as the Abbey of St. Peter around the year 1100. This would make King's one of the longest continuous running schools in the world.
[edit] The School
The school is based around Pitt Street in the centre of Gloucester. It is near Gloucester Cathedral and has assemblies there every morning. Most public examinations are held in the Chapter House. The school is based around several buildings - The Palace, the Mathematics Centre, Little Cloister House (the oldest part of the school, containing the oldest functioning classroom in the world), 6th form centre Dulverton House, (the former residence of the Bishop of Tewkesbury), the Gym (formerly the main school building), the Art, Textiles and Technology department buildings, the Science block, Wardle House (the Nursery) and the Anniversary Building (Junior School).
The school is divided into 3 age specific sections:
- The nursery, for 3-5 year olds
- Junior school, for scholastic years 2-6
- Senior school, for scholastic years 7-13
Pupils are divided into Houses, in Senior School they are Laud, Wheeler and Serlo. There are House competitions all year round, including House Drama, House Cricket and the Inter-House Athletics, held at the Prince of Wales stadium in Cheltenham. Supplementing these larger events are once weekly activities held in the second half of a lunch break, the makeup of which changes from term to term, and which vary from volleyball to bridge.
[edit] Archdeacon Meadow
The school owns Archdeacon Meadow, which was given as a gift to the school by the people of Gloucester. Archdeacon Meadow is used as a sports field for rugby, some hockey and cricket for the boys, and rounders in the summer for the girls. House cross-country running is also held there. The Meadow is also the home to the annual Gloucester Cricket Festival.
[edit] Notable Alumni
Button Gwinnett: mid 18th century; On behalf of Georgia signed the United States Declaration of Independence. With the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, he became the President and Commander-in-chief of the state of Georgia. He died shortly afterwards when he somewhat foolishly challenged one of his political enemies to a duel, the injuries resulted in his death a few days later.
John Stafford Smith: late 18th century; wrote the tune for "To Anacreon in Heaven". In 1814 Francis Scott Key would set his poem to this piece and was named Star Spangled Banner, the National Anthem of the United States.
