King's College School, Cambridge

Last updated

King's College School
KCS logo - Nov18.jpg
Signs of spring at King's College School, Cambridge (geograph 2407983).jpg
Address
King's College School, Cambridge
West Road

Cambridge
,
Cambridgeshire
,
CB3 9DN

England
Information
Type Private preparatory day and boarding
Choral foundation school
Religious affiliation(s)Church of England
Established1441;583 years ago (1441)
Founder Henry VI of England
Department for Education URN 110911 Tables
Chair of GovernorsThe Revd Dr Stephen Cherry
HeadYvette Day
Gender Co-educational
Age4to 13
Number of students420 [1]
Houses Burrells
 Grange
 Queens
 West
Colour(s) Purple
PublicationThe Fleur De Lys (Annual)
Website www.kcs.cambs.sch.uk

King's College School is a coeducational private preparatory school for pupils aged 4 to 13 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. The school is part of the same historic foundation as Eton College. The most recent full integrated Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection awarded the grade "excellent" in all 9 categories. [2]

Contents

History

King's College was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI. By 1447 the full complement of 16 choristers had been recruited to sing in the chapel. They were likely educated by a fellow until the appointment of the first Informator Chorustarum (Master over the Choristers) in 1456, Robert Brantham. [3] The existence of dedicated school rooms was recorded during a Marian visitation of the University in 1557 which inspected the "chorusters chamber and schole" and took away a number of books deemed to be unsuitable. [4]

The location of the demolished brick building that housed the choir school in the 18th century Ground Plan of Provost's Lodge.jpg
The location of the demolished brick building that housed the choir school in the 18th century

The school has moved location several times since its inception. By 1693 it was located in a building to the south-east of the chapel, next to King's Parade. [4] In this year that building was demolished and replaced with what was known as the New Brick Building which continued to house the school through to the nineteenth century. [5] [4] [3] In the 1820s during the rebuilding by William Wilkins, the brick building and adjoining Provost's Lodge were demolished, opening up a view of the chapel from the street. The outline of the foundations of the brick building can be seen on the lawn during long periods of hot dry weather. [3]

In 1828 the Wilkins building on the south side of the court opposite the chapel was opened and the school was housed in rooms within it. [3] By the 1870s in response to improving musical standards in other English choirs, it was decided to open a boarding house to accommodate choristers from outside Cambridge in order to widen the field from which selection of choristers could take place. This was opened on the current site in West Road in 1878, and by 1880 all 16 choristers were boarders, and there were also 8 non-chorister day pupils, a number that would gradually increase over the coming decades. [3] From 1976 girls were admitted, and as the school expanded, it opened a pre-preparatory department. [6]

Boarding

The boarding programme is open to boys and girls. Year 4 and 5 Choristers are weekly boarders. Year 6 to 8 Choristers are full boarders, with the option to spend Friday nights at home (until Saturday lunchtime), while other boarders return home for the weekend. [7]

Houses

Like many British schools, King's uses a house system. This is not a system related to boarding houses, of which there is only one at King's, but one of which pupils are placed into one of four houses, each named after a surrounding road or path. There are many inter-house competitions throughout the year in sports and academics, in the form of merits, awarded for good work, which are totalled and averaged each term, with the house with the highest average merits winning a house party.

The school began a link project with Sri Siddharta Dikkumbura school in Sri Lanka in 2007 initially as a response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, after a visit there by the then headmaster, Nicholas Robinson, but the link quickly went beyond aid and became more of an academic link, with three yearly teacher exchanges and many more exchanges of work between the schools to learn more about each culture. King's often raises funds to help the school, and has sent musical instruments and sports equipment to the school in Sri Lanka as well. [8]

Alumni

Kings College Choristers 1882 Kings College Choristers 1882.jpg
Kings College Choristers 1882

Heads

The following headteachers have served since 1878 when the school relocated to its present site in West Road: [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

Westminster Abbey Choir School is a boarding preparatory school for boys in Westminster, London and the only remaining choir school in the United Kingdom which exclusively educates choristers. It is located in Dean's Yard, by Westminster Abbey. It educates about 30 boys, aged 8–13 who sing in the Choir of Westminster Abbey, which takes part in state and national occasions as well as singing evensong every day and gives concert performances worldwide. Recent tours include to America, Hungary and Moscow. Other tours have included Australia, America and Hong Kong. The school is one of only three choir schools that educate only the male trebles of the choir, the others being Saint Thomas Choir School in New York City and Escolania de Montserrat in Spain. The headteacher is Dr Emma Margrett who became the first female headteacher of Westminster Abbey Choir School on 1 January 2024. The organist and master of the choristers is Andrew Nethsingha, former Director of Music at St John’s College Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedford School</span> Public school in Bedford, England

Bedford School is a 7–18 boys public school in the county town of Bedford in England. Founded in 1552, it is the oldest of four independent schools in Bedford run by the Harpur Trust. Bedford School is one of the oldest boys' schools in the United Kingdom, and was the winner of the Independent Boys School of the Year Award at the Independent Schools of the Year Awards in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's School, Worcester</span> Private school in Worcester, England

The King's School, Worcester is a private co-educational day school refounded by Henry VIII in 1541. It occupies a site adjacent to Worcester Cathedral on the banks of the River Severn in the centre of the city of Worcester. It offers mixed-sex mainstream education that follows the UK National Curriculum to around 1,465 pupils aged 2 to 18. At age 11, approximately two thirds of pupils join the senior school from its two prep schools, King's Hawford and King's St Albans, while others come from maintained schools in the city of Worcester and the surrounding areas that include Malvern, Redditch, Kidderminster, Evesham and Pershore.

Wells Cathedral School is a co-educational independent day and boarding school located in Wells, Somerset, England. The school is one of the five specialist musical schools for school-age children in the United Kingdom, along with Chetham's School of Music, the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Purcell School and St. Mary's Music School, Edinburgh. The Head Master, Alastair Tighe, is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The latest fees for day students are £9,336 – £24,558, while boarders pay £24,828 – £40,029 pa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The King's (The Cathedral) School</span> School in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England

Founded by King Henry VIII in 1541, The King's School is a state-funded Church of England Cathedral Chorister School located in Peterborough, England. It is the Chorister School for Peterborough Cathedral. Former pupils are known as Old Petriburgians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choir of King's College, Cambridge</span> English Anglican choir

The Choir of King's College, Cambridge is an English Anglican choir. It was created by King Henry VI, who founded King's College, Cambridge, in 1441, to provide daily singing in his Chapel, which remains the main task of the choir to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hereford Cathedral School</span> Cathedral school in Herefordshire, England

Hereford Cathedral School is a private, co-educational boarding and day school for pupils of ages 3 to 18 years, from nursery to sixth form. Its headmaster is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school's premises are next to Hereford Cathedral in Hereford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford</span> Cathedral in Oxford, United Kingdom

Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the Anglican diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford. This dual role as cathedral and college chapel is unique in the Church of England. This gives the Dean of Christ Church a distinctive role as both head of Christ Church, Oxford as well as having the ecclesiastical function of an Anglican Dean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St George's School, Windsor Castle</span> Independent coeducational preparatory school in Windsor, Berkshire, England

St George's School, Windsor Castle is a co-educational private preparatory school in Windsor, near London, England. Founded to provide choirboys for the Choir of St George's Chapel, it now educates over 400 boys and girls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle</span>

The Choir of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle exists to sing services in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choir of St John's College, Cambridge</span> Collegiate choir

The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge is part of the English cathedral tradition, having been founded to sing the daily liturgy in the College Chapel, though it is set apart from other English choirs of this tradition by the frequent inclusion of Continental works in its repertoire and its emphasis on polyphonic interpretations. Alongside the choir of King's College, Cambridge, it is one of the two most famous collegiate choirs in Cambridge, having had over 90 recordings published. The choir consists of fifteen Choral Scholars and twenty Choristers and Probationers, all of whom are members of St John's College, many of whom have proceeded to become distinguished musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Church Cathedral School</span> Private day and boarding school in Oxford, England

Christ Church Cathedral School is an independent preparatory school for boys in Oxford, England. It is one of three choral foundation schools in the city and educates choristers of Christ Church Cathedral, and the Chapels of Worcester College and Pembroke College. It is a member of the IAPS and the Choir Schools Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Nethsingha</span> English conductor and organist (born 1968)

Andrew Mark Nethsingha, FRCO, ARCM is an English choral conductor and organist, the son of the late Lucian Nethsingha, also a cathedral organist. He was appointed Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey in London in 2023, having previous held similar positions at St John's College, Cambridge, Gloucester Cathedral and Truro Cathedral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salisbury Cathedral School</span> School in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England

Salisbury Cathedral School is a co-educational private school in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, which was founded in 1091 by Saint Osmund. The choristers of Salisbury Cathedral are educated at the school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St John's College School</span> Private preparatory school in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England

St John's College School is a co-educational preparatory school founded in the 17th century for the education of the choristers of the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, England. The 20 choristers are educated in the school, which comprises 460 boys and girls aged 4–13. The Head Master is Neil Chippington. The school is divided into two halves, Byron house for KG, T1, T2, Form 1 and Form 2 whilst the 2nd part of the school, further up Grange Road, is in charge of Forms 3-6.

Christopher John Robinson is an English conductor and organist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Paul's Cathedral School</span> Private preparatory school in London, England

St Paul's Cathedral School is an independent school associated with St Paul's Cathedral in London and is located in New Change in the City of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Briggs (headmaster)</span> English educator (1917-2020)

John Davidson Briggs, known as David Briggs, was an English educator and headmaster of King's College School, Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exeter Cathedral School</span> Private school in Exeter, Devon, England

Exeter Cathedral School (ECS) is a 3–13 mixed, Church of England, private day and boarding choir and preparatory school in Exeter, Devon, England. It has been closely associated with Exeter Cathedral since it was first recorded as existing in the 12th century.

References

  1. ↑ "About King's". King's College School. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Integrated Inspection King's College School Cambridge" (PDF). Independent Schools Inspectorate. 2014. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Henderson, RJ (1981). A History of King's College Choir School Cambridge. ISBN   978-0950752808.
  4. 1 2 3 John Gray (1964). "King's College School in 1564" (PDF). Proceedings of the Cambridge Antiquarian Society. LVI–LVII: 88–102.
  5. ↑ Robert Willis; John Willis Clark (1886). The architectural history of the University of Cambridge and of the colleges of Cambridge and Eton: Volume 3. Cambridge University Press. p.  541.
  6. ↑ "History of King's College School". King's College School. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  7. ↑ "Boarding". King's College School. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  8. ↑ "Sri Lanka Twin Project". King's College School. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  9. ↑ Rothman, Philip (23 June 2015). "An interview with Ben Finn, co-founder of Sibelius [Part 1 of 2]". Scoring Notes. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Burton, Andrew (15 May 2014). "Cellist Guy Johnston: "When music works it's magic and speaks to the soul"". Cambridge News . Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  11. ↑ Page, Anne. "Cambridge, King's College School". Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  12. ↑ "King's School announces new Head". King's College, Cambridge. 10 March 2017. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.

52°12′14″N0°06′23″E / 52.2039°N 0.1065°E / 52.2039; 0.1065

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.