| Established | 1541 |
|---|---|
| Religion | Church of England |
| Headteacher | Alistair Macnaughton MA |
| Location | 19 Pitt St Gloucester Gloucestershire GL1 2BG England |
| Local authority | Gloucestershire |
| Website | www.thekingsschool.co.uk |
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. The current Headmaster is Alastair Macnaughton.
Contents |
The current school was officially founded in 1541 as a direct consequence of the English Reformation, by a direct royal proclamation of King Henry VIII. However, prior to that date, there was a school on the grounds of Gloucester Cathedral ever since it was first built as the Abbey of St. Peter around the year 1100. This makes King's one of the longest certifiable running schools in the world.
The school is based around Pitt Street in the centre of Gloucester. It is near Gloucester Cathedral and has assemblies there every morning, which the whole school attends. 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 Design Technology department buildings, the Science block, the music school, Wardle House (the Nursery) and the Anniversary Building (Junior School).
The school is divided into 3 age specific sections:
Pupils are divided into Houses; in Senior School they are Laud, Wheeler and Serlo, named after, respectively, Archbishop William Laud, Maurice Wheeler - a former headmaster, and Abbot Serlo - an important figure in the founding of Gloucester Cathedral. There are House competitions all year round, including in the Michaelmas term drama, debate, hockey (girls), rugby (boys), and the Christmas quiz, in the Lent term inter-house swimming gala, music, General Knowledge Quiz (different to the Christmas quiz), hockey (boys), netball (girls), and in the Trinity term cricket (boys), rounders (girls), and the Inter-House athletics, held at the Prince of Wales stadium in Cheltenham. Also House points can be won by for academic commendations and Combat of the Pen nominations (sixth form only), in addition to this a system has recently been introduced to reward high standards of personal appearance with house points. Supplementing these larger and more general events are once weekly activities held in the second half of a lunch break, the make-up of which changes from term to term, and which vary from table tennis to bridge. However, in recent years though these lunchtime activities have not diminished they have moved away from their house competition orientation, leaving only the main house events, music, drama, sporting,and academic. The King's School song, written by former headmaster Maurice Wheeler, is reputed to be the only school song which changes from 4-in a bar to 3-in a bar. (4 in the verse, 3 in the chorus and play over)
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 usually held there. The Meadow was the home of the annual Gloucester Cricket Festival until it was scrapped in 2009.[1]
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 U.S. 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. Incidentally his autograph is one of the most valuable in the World due to its rarity.
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.
Ivor Gurney: A 20th century composer and poet; famous for poetry volumes Severn and Somme (1917) and War's Embers (1919), and well known songs such as Sleep. He makes direct references to the King's school in his poem Day-boys and Choristers (1919).
F. W. Harvey: 'The Laureate of Gloucestershire' a 20th century English poet, known for poems composed in prisoner-of-war camps that were sent back to England during World War I. While at the King's school together Gurney and Harvey formed a close friendship, later in his life Harvey claimed that it was at King's that 'he learned to love music and how to learn'.[2]
William Hayes: 1708-1777: Chorister at Gloucester Cathedral and articled to William Hine (organist). Organist at Shrewsbury, Worcester and later Informator Choristarum at Magdalen College, Oxford. Professor of Music at Oxford University. Composer of The Passions (performed at various Three Choirs Festivals), concertos and Ode to Echo. Founder of the Holywell Music Room in Oxford. Father of Philip Hayes, composer.
Simon Pegg: An English actor, comedian, writer, film producer and director. Most famous for his work in 'Hot Fuzz', 'Shaun of the Dead' and 'Star Trek'. Born and lived in Brockworth for most of his childhood.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||