| Established | 970 A.D. |
|---|---|
| Type | Independent |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Head of Senior School | Mrs Susan Freestone |
| Deputy Head | Dr Graham Parry |
| Founder | King Henry VIII (refounded in 1541) |
| Location | Ely Cambridgeshire CB7 4DB England |
| Local authority | Cambridgeshire |
| Staff | 160 |
| Students | 956[1] |
| Gender | Boys and Girls |
| Ages | 2–18 |
| Colours |
Navy & White |
| Publication | The Elean |
| Former pupils | Old Eleans |
The King's School, Ely, is a coeducational independent day and boarding school in the cathedral city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. It was founded in 970 A.D., making it one of the oldest schools in the world, though it was given its Royal Charter by King Henry VIII in 1541.[2] The school consists of a nursery, a reception class, junior school, senior school, and an international study centre. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
The school has produced a number of notable alumni, including Edward the Confessor, King of England,[3] and Lord Browne of Madingley (erstwhile chairman of British Petroleum.[4]
The senior school was placed third regionally for its GCSE results.[5] The last available national league table ranking of the school before its choice to withdraw from the ranking system was 243rd.
King's Ely has featured in the local news for its sports results, and has produced a fourth-place olympic athlete, Goldie Sayers, who represented Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Olympics, coming fourth.[6][7] Much of the senior school uses the historic monastic buildings of the cathedral, and major school events and weekly services are held there.[8] One of the boys' boarding houses, School House, is claimed to be the oldest residential building in Europe.[9] In its entirety, the school has over 950 pupils.[1] The school has a small campus, with parts of the school in a number of buildings distributed around the centre of the city. However, all its sections make use of certain resources, such as sports facilities and the Monastic Barn.[10]
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The King's School in Ely is one of seven schools established, or in some cases, including this one, re-endowed and renamed, by King Henry VIII in 1541 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.[11]
The school has its origins in the religious house founded in Ely by St. Etheldreda in 673 AD. Before 1720 it was called the Ely Cathedral Grammar School.[12] The school became co-educational in 1970, and in 1973, Queen Elizabeth II came to the school to celebrate the anniversary of the monastery.[12]
The school keeps a strong link with the cathedral by which it is overshadowed. A teaching institution has been on the site since 970, making it the seventh oldest school in the United Kingdom.[2]
An article in The Illustrated London News from 1882 provided the following which showed the state of the school at that time: "The head master, after some allusion to the former history of the school (in which Edward the Confessor had been educated, and which, in the seventy years after its new foundation by Henry VIII, had developed, into a school of upwards of 300 boys, among whom were many of distinction), recounted the honours achieved in the past year. Among these were successes in the Civil Service and Indian Civil Service examination, an exhibition at Worcester College, Oxford, a first in the May examination at Queens' College, Cambridge, and a second at Peterhouse."[13]
During World War I, 24 Old Eleans lost their lives and a Roll of Honour is located in School House.[14] Staff and pupils gather annually on 11 November for a memorial service to remember those killed.
In his memoirs from 1955, the Reverend Christopher Campling described the school's state when he became chaplain. "Academic standards were not high, but a few boys gained admission to Oxbridge each year. The music in the school was especially good, because the choristers of the cathedral choir stayed on after their voices had broken."[15]
In 2004, the school appointed the its first female Head, Susan Freestone, took over from Richard Youdale who had been headmaster for 12 years.[16]
Many of Ely's monastic buildings are leased by Ely Cathedral to the school. The imposing Porta is the gateway into the monastic buildings of the cathedral, and now houses the school's library, classrooms and a conference room, as well as the school's archive.[17][18] The monastic barn is situated directly adjacent to the Porta. At one time, this long barn housed the abbey's crops, but is now the school's dining hall. "It is a lovely place to eat in when you've had a long, hard morning at school" By Year 8 King's School pupil.[19]
Prior Crauden's Chapel was built in 1324, and, unlike many churches, still retains much of its original wall decorations. It is used by the school for smaller services and private prayer. The small organ is also used by pupils and staff.[17][18] The Queen's Hall is situated next to Prior Craden's Chapel, and was finished at roughly the same time in the 1330s. This serves as the residence of the Head of School.[17][18] The Infirmary is one of the oldest surviving of the monastery's buildings, constructed in the 12th century.[20] Located on Firmary Lane near the south transept of the cathedral, the building once housed sick monks, but is now the boarding house for the Ely Cathedral boy choristers.[21] School House is part of the monastery, and the religious studies department is housed in the Hermitage buildings. The school uses Ely Cathedral as a place of worship three times a week, and for major school services.[22]
In 2001, the Gibson Music School opened, moving the entire music department from the Hereward Hall building to the purpose-built centre adjacent to the Hayward Theatre. The new building contains a recital hall, several practice rooms, a classroom and two music technology rooms.[23] There a number of music groups, chiefly the Chapel Choir; an Orchestra, Jazz Band and Concert Band. There is also a barbershop choir, formed almost exclusively by boys who were choristers in the Ely Cathedral Choir. In 2006, the Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir was formed, comprising 18 girls choristers from the Senior School.[24]
The school holds an annual music festival, where pupils represent their houses in a competition, culminating in a Finalist's Concert. There is also a major school musical each year, in which the Music and Drama departments collaborate. A less serious music competition is held in the Michaelmas term, when all senior school houses represent themselves in a unison and ensemble class. The school offers music scholarships to pupils who show an aptitude in at least one musical discipline, and who can contribute to the school's music groups. The music department has a Concert Society, which showcases visiting professional musicians for concerts, several times a term.[25]
King's also has many sports facilities, including an artificial turf pitch, swimming pool, tennis courts, sports hall and several outdoor pitches. In June 2002, then-headmaster Richard Youdale announced that the school would be phasing out rugby from the school — arousing criticism and concern which reached the national media.[26] The school reinstated the sport in 2005. Other sports played include football,Sculling hockey, netball, basketball, squash and rounders.[27]
| “ | We know that sport is a sure route to the development of self-confidence, camaraderie, team spirit and self-fulfilment, so we ensure that there is every opportunity for students to try, participate and practise a vast range of physical activities. | ” |
|
—King's website[27] |
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Teams and individuals from the school frequently represent their school and county in their discipline. Recent successes have been seen in show jumping,[28] football,[29] and cross country running,[30] among others. British olympic javelinist Goldie Sayers began the sport whilst at King's.[6]
The school also has its own boat house, next to Cambridge University's on the River Great Ouse. The river is famed for being especially wide, straight and uninterrupted.[31] The activity is open to Senior School pupils, and has produced teams and single sculls that have competed at regional and national level,[32] including James Scott, who is the fastest junior sculler in the country.[33] The club's blade design is blue with white stripe.[34]
The Ely Scheme has been running as an alternative to the Combined Cadet Force for over 30 years. Since its inception, it has developed into a unique outdoor adventure programme with its own timetabled activities for Years 9 and 10. Its aim is to develop self-confidence, team-working, problem-solving and personal skills in a variety of activities.[35] Pupils have the opportunity to become Ely Scheme leaders as they move up the school. Many choose to embark on The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.[36]
King's has a dedicated climbing wall and all-terrain course, as well as access to an even larger obstacle course at nearby Braham Farm. In recent years, the school's climbing club has travelled to Corsica, the Alps and the Himalayas.[35]
In November 1999, a Chinese pupil was kidnapped as he left the school premises, and held by three men. Police were able to apprehend them; it is thought the boy was about to be drowned in the River Thames, as ropes and ties were found in the vehicle.[37]
| “ | Since rugby is a game which is notoriously difficult to referee and increasingly subject to litigation, it is perhaps not surprising that schools have begun to find it harder to secure the services of referees and team coaches. | ” |
|
—Richard Youdale, speaking to BBC News[26] |
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The school has been the subject of a number of news stories and controversies in recent years. King's made headlines in 2002 when then-headmaster, Richard Youdale, announced that the school would phase out rugby over litigation fears, even though the school had never been involved in any legal case regarding the sport. Another factor cited by the Head was the increasing popularity of football. With the introduction of a new headmistress however, the school decided to reintroduce the sport, after it found 90% of parents, and 88% of senior pupils were in favour.[38][39][40]
In 2006, five pupils were expelled, and three were suspended for smoking cannabis on school premises.[41] The parents of one student threatened legal action over alleged overreaction to the situation and thus unfair treatment of their son.[42]
In line with other public schools, children in year groups up to Year 5 (age 9) do not have Saturday school. Year 5 and 6 children have optional activities. Pupils in Years 7 to 11 have compulsory Saturday school while there are activities for the boarding community.[43]
The school follows the standard curriculum of GCSE and A-Levels in the senior school, in years 11 and 12-13, respectively.[44][45] As well as the core subjects, the school has recently expanded its A Level range to include politics and more creative subjects, such as textiles and fashion, media studies and photography.[45] Other subjects that are available in sixth form include classics, economics, psychology and religious studies.[46]
The following table shows the percentage of GCSE entrants who obtained at least 5 A* to C class grades.[47] In 2007, 94 students took at least 1 GCSE exam at King's , 26.6% of whom had a recognised special educational need.[48]
| Year | % 5 A*-C |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 92.9 |
| 2003 | 94.4 |
| 2004 | 94.4 |
| 2005 | 96.0 |
| 2006 | 98.9 |
| 2007 | 98.9 |
King's came third among secondary schools in Cambridgeshire in a percentage table of students who achieved the 'Level 2 threshold' - obtaining at least 5 A*-C grades, including those of maths and English, behind The Perse School, Cambridge and The Leys School, Cambridge.[5]
In 2007, there were 68 entrants to A Level exams.[49] Unlike at GCSE level, there has been no recognisable rise in results over recent years. The following table shows the percentage of students who achieved A-B in all of their concentrations, A-C, or A-E in all of them.
| Year | % A-B | % A-C | % A-E |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 56.3 | 79.3 | 99.5 |
| 2003 | 62.2 | 85.6 | 100 |
| 2004 | 61.9 | 82.5 | 98.9 |
| 2005 | 46.8 | 73.8 | 96.8 |
| 2006 | 61.4 | 86.5 | 100 |
| 2007 | 59.7 | 80.1 | 99.1 |
In 2002, the school again gained notability for its decision to withhold A-Level results from the league tables, citing it as a matter of principle and stating "its results were no one else's business." At the time it was ranked 243rd in the country.[50]
Up to 12 of the top scholars in Year 12 are nominated as King’s Scholars (boys) or Queen’s Scholars (girls). They become members of the Cathedral Foundation and also qualify for other privileges. King’s Scholars were inaugurated by Henry VIII in 1541 and Queen’s Scholars at the request of Queen Elizabeth II in 1973. There is no application process for these honorary scholarships, the positions instead being awarded based on pupils' GCSE results.[51]
The Hoop Trundle is performed to mark the re-founding of the school by King Henry VIII, in 1541. After he dissolved the monastery, he bestowed a royal Charter on the new school and introduced the first scholars. The bowling of wooden hoops within the precincts of the cathedral, along with other games, was one of the privileges that they were afforded. Female competition was added when Queen Elizabeth II introduced Queen's scholars to the school, who have taken part since. There are both male and female heats leading to a final for which a separate tankard is awarded to both sexes.[52] The course is a 75 yard dash to a post and back, all whilst beating the hoop with a wooden stick down the college, a lane which leads to the south door of Ely Cathedral.[53][54][55]
There are four boarding houses in the senior school, 2 for boys and 2 for girls, one of which is for the girls choir. Hereward Hall is a boys' boarding house, previously sited opposite the Porta, it is now situated on Barton Square in Ely, on the site of an old Cambridge theological college. It contains about 55 boys.[56] School House is the other boys' boarding house, based along The Gallery - the road up to the west end of Ely Cathedral. It houses approximately 60 boys. According to the school's official website, it is the "oldest inhabited residential building in Europe"[9] although the veracity of this is uncertain. Etheldreda, previously called Canonry is a girls' boarding house, established in September 2006, for the Girls Choir of Ely Cathedral, all of whom are pupils in senior school. The house is located very close to the cathedral itself for ease of access for practice and performance (in evensong each Wednesday and every other Monday).[57] Hill House, situated on the corner of Barton Square and Back Hill, was until recently a boy's boarding house, being converting to housing girls as their numbers swelled. Two houses were formed on the introduction of girls into the school; Etheldreda and Withburga; the latter to house day pupils. Until September 2006 when the girls choir house was formed, Etheldreda (later to be called 'Hill House') was the only girls' boarding house. It is now the largest of all the boarding houses. Originally situated on Cambridge Road, it relocated to Hill House (which was renamed), reverting to 1970's name of 'Hill House' in recent years.[58][59]
In the most recent Ofsted report of boarding at the school, inspectors reported that "the school provides very good care and support to boarders and there was an obvious caring culture within the boarding houses" although they said that "the school would benefit from harmonising boarding practices across the entire boarding provision."[60]
| House Name | Student's Gender | Part of: | House Colours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hereward Hall | Boys | senior school | |
| School House | Boys | senior school | |
| Hill | Girls | senior school | |
| Etheldreda | Girls Choir House | senior school |
There are four day houses in the senior school. Students are assigned into studies, usually with 3 or 4 others, although the number usually decreases as the pupil moves into higher years. In these studies there is a work space and storage area. There are various activities annually between houses, including sports and Ely Scheme competitions. There is also a debating competition, quiz and popular house music competition. Pupils in each house meet weekly for a meeting, and also have a personal tutor who guides them throughout their time at the school.[61]
| House Name | Student's Gender | Part of: | House Colours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osmond | Boys | senior school | |
| Wilkinson | Boys | senior school | |
| Torfrida | Girls | senior school | |
| Withburga | Girls | senior school |
The school has its own junior school, which is separate from the senior school, although shares many of its facilities. It has around 343 pupils[1] from Year 3 (approximately 7) to Year 8 (aged 13). The junior school has its own faculty of staff, own administration and management and a self contained block of classrooms. This was complemented in 2003 by a new building which contained classrooms and other facilities, primarily for Year 7 and 8 pupils. The majority of Year 8 pupils can expect to transfer into King's Senior School. The Head of the junior school is R Whymark.[62]
Like many independent schools, the junior school has a house system, with each pupil belonging to one. It forms an integral part of life at the school and there are frequent inter-house events in sports as well as the arts. The current houses are:
| House Name | Student's Gender | Part of: | House Colours | House type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodwin | Boys + Girls | junior school | Day | |
| Queen Emma | Boys + Girls | junior school | Day | |
| Queen Philippa | Boys + Girls | junior school | Day | |
| Saunders | Boys + Girls | junior school | Day | |
| Priory House | Boys + Girls | junior school | [63] | Boarding |
| Choir House | Boys (choristers) | junior school | Boarding |
All boarding pupils in Priory and Choir House are also affiliated to a day house for everyday school activities, such as house meetings and competitions.
King's Acremont Nursery and Pre-Prep occupies a Georgian-style house on Egremont Street,[64] a ten-minute walk from the main campus.[65] Children are admitted to the nursery from age two-and-a-half and almost all pupils transfer into Year 3 of King's Junior School at age seven.[66] Acremont pupils join the rest of the school for major events in the cathedral where they stage their annual Christmas production. Acremont received an 'excellent' rating in its 2003 Ofsted inspection, with inspectors saying "Young children are given an excellent start to their education … the warm, welcoming environment promotes learning and there is an excellent relationship between children, parents and teachers."[64] Annual fees are between £6,480 and £6,975 and there are 11 full time and 7 part time staff for the 162 pupils.[64]
The International Study Centre was started primarily as a link school, so students who had little English speaking ability could orientate into the language, and eventually go to the senior school or other English-speaking public schools, normally in the sixth form. The centre offers both a 2-year and a 1-year GCSE programme.[67] The centre recommends that students attend the summer school preceding their arrival, which includes basic English as well as social activities to helps adapt to English culture.[68] In the last 3 years, King's has integrated the study centre into the main school, with more shared activities in sports and academia. The study centre uses many of the main schools facilities like the dining hall and sports facilities,[69] despite being, physically at least, relatively isolated from the rest of the school—opposite the Oliver Cromwell Museum near the Cathedral.[70][71] The termly fees for the study centre are £8400, or £25,200 per year, plus a refundable deposit of £3000.[72] There were 41 pupils in attendance in the academic year 2006-2007.[1]
The fees for a full boarding child in the senior school are £21,510 (2007–08).[73] Like most public schools, King's (as a non-profit educational body) is a registered charity,[74] and as such benefits from substantial tax breaks. It was calculated by David Jewell, master of Haileybury, that in 1992 such tax breaks save the school about £1,945 per pupil per year. The school offers hardship bursaries, of which is gave over £1 million in 2007, and scholarships and grants whiched totalled £350,000.[1] These include music scholarships—amounting to around two-thirds for choristers whilst serving in the Cathedral Choir, and a third scholarship upon their continuation as a pupil in the Senior School. There are further major and minor scholarships for music, sports and academic performance. The Senior School occasionally offers a large major scholarship for a promising organist or musician who is of a particularly high quality. Like many public schools, King's offers fee reductions when more than one child attends, and to the children of staff members. There also bursaries for children of the Clergy, Armed Forces and to those who would otherwise not be able to afford it, on a means tested basis.[75] Nearly half of all pupils receive some sort of financial award, be it a bursary or a scholarship, with 411 benefiting in 2006.[1]
Information about income and expenditure for the last seven years is available to the public on the Charity Commission website.[74] Both income and expenditure have steadily increased over recent years. In 2006, an anoymous donor gave over £700,000 to the school.[1]
| Financial year start | Financial year end | Gross Income (£) | Total expenditure (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Sep 2000 | 31 Aug 2001 | 8,172,418 | 7,868,677 |
| 01 Sep 2001 | 31 Aug 2002 | 8,714,962 | 8,423,724 |
| 01 Sep 2002 | 31 Aug 2003 | 9,059,872 | 8,899,425 |
| 01 Sep 2003 | 31 Aug 2004 | 9,673,953 | 9,494,414 |
| 01 Sep 2004 | 31 Aug 2005 | 9,965,165 | 9,841,653 |
| 01 Sep 2005 | 31 Aug 2006 | 11,332,975 | 10,396,656 |
| 01 Sep 2006 | 31 Aug 2007 | 11,265,018 | 11,011,992 |
The boy choristers of Ely Cathedral are all educated at and boarders of the school.[76] The amount of choristers numbers between 18 to 22 boys, varying per year.[77] The choristers perform evensong 4 nights during the week, evensong on Saturday and Sunday, as well as a Morning Service on Sundays. They practise in the mornings before school. The choristers are joined to day houses as well as their boarding house, Choir House. The choir is currently under the directorship of Paul Trepte. The assistant organist is Jonathan Lilley.[77]
The choristers are aged between 8 years old and 13 years. Two members of the group, Patrick Aspbury and CJ Porter-Thaw who formed part of The Choirboys, were Ely Cathedral choristers. The choir has toured many countries in the past, including The United States, Canada, Malta as well as extensively in mainland Europe.[78] The choir is also regularly engaged in concerts, both in the Cathedral as well as other prestigious venues (such as the Royal Albert Hall) and has produced a number of Compact Discs.
Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir was also launched in 2006, comprising sixteen girl choristers from the Senior School, which has allowed a slightly reduced weekly schedule for the boy choristers. Since September 2010, the girls' choir has been directed by Sarah MacDonald.[79]
In his memoirs, Christopher Campling described the voice of choir in 1955 as "something different" from other Cathedral Choirs. "Michael Howard [the director of music] purposely produced a tone for the boys which was halfway between the continental guttural sound produced from the chest voice, and the pure hard tone of the traditional English cathedral treble, as found at King's College, Cambridge. The "Ely Sound" was harsher than King's, more flexible, more vigorous, always excellent in enunciation." [15]