King's College School, Cambridge
| Established | 1441 |
|---|---|
| Type |
Independent preparatory day and boarding Choral foundation school |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Headmaster | Nicholas Robinson |
| Chair of Governors | Prof Robert Foley |
| Founder | Henry VI of England |
| Location |
West Road Cambridge CB3 9DN England |
| DfE number | 873/6000 |
| DfE URN | 110911 Tables |
| Students | 402 (2010) |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Ages | 4–13 |
| Website |
www |
King's College School is a coeducational independent preparatory school in Cambridge, England, situated on West Road off Grange Road, west of the city centre. It was founded to educate the choristers in the King's College Choir during the 15th century. Although no longer located on College grounds, it remains an integral part of the Chapel's musical tradition and is still governed by and receives some funding from the College.
History
King's College School was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI to educate the sixteen choristers who sing the services in the college chapel. The school is an integral part of King’s College and the Provost of King’s is its chair of governors. The school governors are appointed by King’s College and include both a number of King’s fellows and those recruited from beyond the college. It moved to its current site in 1878. From 1976 girls were admitted, and as the school expanded, it opened a pre-preparatory department.[1]
Curriculum
Pupils are taught Art, Design and Technology, Classics, English, Geography, History, ICT, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, Religious Education, Physical Education and Science.
Boarding
The boarding programme is open only to boys. Choristers are full boarders while other boys return home for the weekend.[2]
Extracurricular Activities
Music
King's College School has had a strong tradition in music due to its heritage as a choral foundation school. The sixteen choirboys of the college choir audition at about age 7 (Year 2). Those who successfully pass will gain scholarships to study at the school.[3] The choir features annually in the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols service held in the college chapel and broadcast live on BBC Radio.[4]
Other pupils have the opportunity to join the two chamber choirs, jazz ensemble and orchestra.[5]
Alumni
- Bob Chilcott, composer
- Orlando Gibbons, composer
- Timothy Gowers
- Sir Patrick Howard-Dobson
- Guy Johnston, cellist[6]
- Hugh Lupton
- Simon McBurney
- John Pardoe, politician
- Quentin Poole, musician
- Amschel Rothschild
- Andrew Wiles
Heads
The following men have served as head teachers at the school since 1878 when it relocated to its present site in West Road:[7]
- Vincent Charles Reynell 1878 - 1887
- Benjamin Benham 1887–1905
- Trenham Candy Weatherhead 1905–1912
- Charles Richard Jelf 1912–1927
- Cedric M Fiddian 1927–1950
- Donald George Butters 1950 - 1958
- John David(son) Briggs 1959–1974
- Gerald Peacocke 1974–1993
- Andrew Corbett 1993–1998
- Nicholas Robinson 1998 –
Recent Developments
2009 ISI Inspection
In 2009 the school faced an emergency unannounced Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection following complaints from a parent.[8][9] On 30 October 2009, the School was served with a Statutory Notice to produce an Action Plan. The Times Educational Supplement reported that the ISI had found shortcomings in the school's security and recruitment procedures, and that '[the inspection] described its anti-bullying, child protection and discipline policies as "inadequate in various areas"'. In particular, the school's designated child protection officer was no longer employed there.
In an email to a Cambridgeshire MP, Nick Gibb MP, Minister for State (Schools) Education, in response to a parliamentary question, confirmed that the ISI "rarely makes unannounced visits".[8] In a follow up inspection six months later, the school received a "glowing" inspection report in 2010 from the Independent Schools Inspectorate.[10]
Freedom of Information Act
Following a ruling by the Information Commissioner in October 2010, the school is subject to the Freedom of Information Act. This is believed to be the first case where a private school has been subject to the Freedom of Information Act.[10]
In a series of Decision Notices, the Information Commissioner ruled that the school should be considered as part of King's College and therefore subject to the Freedom of Information Act.[11]
References
- ↑ School History
- ↑ Boarding
- ↑ "Chorister recruitment". kings.cam.ac.uk.
- ↑ "A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols". kings.cam.ac.uk.
- ↑ Music Department
- ↑ "Cellist Guy Johnston: "When music works it's magic and speaks to the soul"". Cambridge News. 15 May 2014.
- ↑ http://www.ofchoristers.net/Chapters/CambridgeKingsCollege.htm Web accessible article on the school's history by Anne Page, B. mus (b 1920)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Sian Griffiths and Jack Grimston (13 December 2009). "King’s College school gets chorus of criticism". The Times. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
- ↑ Stephen Exley (23 January 2010). "Professor makes pledge to 'repair damage' at school". Cambridge News. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Stephen Exley (19 November 2010). "Choirboys' school tried to 'conceal' protection lapses". Times Educational Supplement. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
- ↑ 2009 Freedom of Information Act Ruling
External links
- King's College School, Cambridge
- ISI Inspection Report