King's College School

Opening of the New Buildings, 7 July 1899; four sketches of the Great Hall

A royal charter by King George IV founded the school in 1829 as the junior department of the newly established King's College, London. The school occupied the basement of the college in The Strand.

Most of its original eighty-five pupils lived in the city within walking distance of the school. During the early Victorian Era, the school grew in numbers and reputation. Members of the teaching staff included Gabriele Rossetti, who taught Italian. His son, Dante Gabriel, joined the school in 1837. The best known of the early masters was the water-colourist, John Sell Cotman. Nine of his pupils became practising artists and ten architects. By 1843 there were five hundred pupils and the need for larger premises eventually led to the move to Wimbledon in 1897.

The school was progressive in its curriculum in many areas and appointed its first science master in 1855, at a time when very few schools taught science. The first head, John Richardson Major, served the school 1831–1866. 99 of the school's pupils from this period appear in the Dictionary of National Biography.

Until the 1880s, the school flourished. In 1882, only Eton College surpassed the total of thirty Oxford and Cambridge Board examination certificates obtained by pupils at KCS. But the school's teaching facilities were becoming increasingly inadequate as many competitor schools moved to new sites with modern facilities and large playing fields. In 1897, falling numbers of pupils prompted the move to the school's present site in Wimbledon, a fast-growing suburb well served by the railway lines from Surrey and south London. A separate junior school was opened on the same campus in 1912.

In World War I, many letters were written to the school, including some from the Battle of the Somme. During World War II, the school's Great Hall was damaged by bomb shrapnel, and some of the damage can still be seen on the outside of the hall.

The only remaining link between KCS and its former parent is that one of the KCS board of governors is nominated by King's College London.

Bannister Fletcher Great Hall 1897

All members of the Sixth Form currently study either the IB Diploma or the A-Level course, and all members of the Fifth Form take GCSE and iGCSE qualifications. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic results were not published during the 2019-2020 or 2020–2021 academic years.

GCSE summary: 2016-2022[3][4]

A level summary: 2016-2022[5][6]

International Baccalaureate Results: 2016-2022[7][8]

The 2016 Classroom Block

KCS occupies a 20-acre site on the south side of Wimbledon Common and owns a boathouse on Putney Embankment and two additional playing-fields in Raynes Park and Motspur Park.

In 2010 the school began to renovate and expand its facilities, which was completed in 2019.[9] This included a new sports pavilion (2011), quadrangle and netball court (2015), classroom block (2016), music school (2018) and sports centre (2019).[10][11][12][13][14][15]

There are six Houses, each named after a previous head or notable old boy. Boys wear a standard red and blue striped school tie until they achieve six house points, at which point they are awarded the right to wear a house tie of navy blue with thin stripes of the following colours.

• Green: Alverstone House, named after Richard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone (barrister, politician and judge, died 1915)
• Blue: Glenesk House, named after Algernon Borthwick, 1st Baron Glenesk (journalist, editor and newspaper proprietor, died 1908)
• Purple: Kingsley House, named after Henry Kingsley (gold prospector, mounted policeman, novelist, newspaper editor and war correspondent, died 1876)
• Red: Layton House, named after Walter Layton, 1st Baron Layton (economist, editor and newspaper proprietor, died 1966)
• Silver: Maclear House, named after George Frederick Maclear (the school's second head, who served 1866–1880)
• Gold: Major House, named after John Richardson Major (the school's first head, who served 1831–1866)

Further ties are awarded to members of the Sixth Form. In order of increasing seniority, these are: the house prefect's tie (bold stripes of dark blue and a house colour with a single red crest), school colours (navy blue with a single red school crest), the school prefect's tie (red with blue school crests), and the senior prefect's tie (blue with red school crests). Girls receive badges as an alternative to ties.

The senior prefects consist of two captains and two vice-captains of school and one captain and two vice-captains of each house. In addition, each house typically has about 8 school prefects as well as house prefects.

Rushmere House

King's College Junior School (also known as KCJS) is the preparatory school for King's College School located in Wimbledon, London, is on the same campus as King's College Senior school. It was established in its own right in 1912, and educates boys from ages 7–11.[16]

The junior school admits about 85 boys each year in three groups:

• At 7+ it takes about 54 boys and has approximately 6 applicants for every place. Applicant numbers at this stage are increasing.
• At 8+ it takes about 14 boys and has approximately 14 applicants for every place. Applicant numbers at this stage are increasing.
• At 9+ it takes about 12 boys and has approximately 8 applicants for every place. Applicant numbers at this stage are steady.

The first two years (3-4) are collectively referred to as 'Rushmere' (as they are taught in Rushmere House), while the final two years (5-6) are called 'Priory'. 2021/2022 Fees are £6,425 per term for years 3–4, and £6,930 per term for years 5–6.[17]

As of September 2021 the headmaster is Ted Lougher.[18]

The uniform is a red blazer with an emblem in blue on the right chest pocket. Every boy wears a white shirt, grey shorts or trousers, and ties similar to the Senior School ties.

All boys are allocated to one of the school's four houses when they join (siblings are placed into the same house):

• Norman (black)
• Stuart (green)
• Tudor (blue)
• Windsor (yellow)

China – King's supports Shanghai-based education provider Dipont in establishing schools in China. The first two schools, RDFZ King's College School Hangzhou and Nanwai King's College School Wuxi opened in September 2018. The educational concept brings together schools RDFZ Beijing (Hangzhou) and Nanjing Foreign Language School (Wuxi) from China and King's College School Wimbledon; both schools cater for local Chinese and international students aged 3–18.

Thailand - King's College International School Bangkok opened in opened its doors in September 2020 to over 300 boys and girls aged two to ten. The school now provides education to more than 1,100 students aged between two and sixteen. In August 2023, the school will open for over 1,600 students including its first Sixth Form pupils. In August 2024, its seventh and final building will open to cater for Senior School teaching provision. At capacity, the school will cater for roughly 2,400 students from pre-school to Year 13 who will be prepared for IGCSE, A level, and admission to leading universities. XET will own, manage and operate the school and King's Wimbledon will provide guidance on the curriculum, pastoral care and co-curricular programme to ensure that the King's ethos is closely replicated.[19][20]

Monaco - Founded in 1994, the International School of Monaco (ISM) is a co-educational school with approximately 670 students aged 3 to 18. There is a bilingual programme for English and French in its early years and primary school. In the senior school the medium of instruction is English, offering IGCSEs in years 10 and 11 and the IB Diploma programme in the sixth form. The ISM is seeking to become a leading international school in Europe, and King's College School, Wimbledon, will work closely with their team in all areas of school life to achieve its goals. King's will share its ethos and how it delivers academic excellence, outstanding pastoral care and a comprehensive co-curricular provision. King's will also provide staff training and ongoing quality assurance. This new partnership will include exciting opportunities for students and staff at King's and the ISM.[21]

The following have been heads of King's College School:[22]

• J.S. Cotman (1782-1842), art master
• G.P.G. Rossetti (1783-1854), Italian master
• M.E. Cotman (1810-1858), assistant art master
• A.J. Fletcher (1941-), history master
• R. Hiller (1942-), mathematics master
• G.P. Butcher (1975-), cricket master

• Sir Trevor McDonald, journalist and newsreader[27]

The principal society for former pupils of the school is the Old King's Club, founded in 1884.[28] The school promotes membership amongst recently departed pupils, for whom membership of the club is free.[29]

A number of alumni also join the East India Club, formerly the Public Schools Club, on discounted membership.

King's College School Lodge number 4257 is the masonic lodge associated with King's College School. It is governed by the United Grand Lodge of England and administered by the Metropolitan Grand Lodge. Meetings are held four times per year at the school.[30] The Warrant of the Lodge was issued on 23 February 1921 and it was consecrated at Freemasons' Hall, London, on 3 May 1921.[31]

• King's College School Boat Club
• List of independent schools in England

Wikimedia Commons has media related to King's College School.

• Official website
• King's Club Website
• Old King's Club Website
• KCS Lodge Website
• KCS Old Boys RFC Website
• Accounts for KCS available from the UK Charity Commission

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