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King's College

King's College

South Road, Taunton, TA1 3LA, Somerset

01823 328204


admissions@kings-taunton.co.uk

www.kings-taunton.co.uk

King's College
School type Co-educational Day & Boarding Senior & Sixth Form
Founded 1880
Headmaster Mr Michael Sloan
Co-ed Age Range 13-18 years
Number of pupils 490
Day fees per annum £27,480 per annum
Average Class Size 20 max
Teacher/Pupil ratio 1:9
Associations BSA, HMC, ISC

King's College is an independent co-educational boarding and day school for boys and girls from the aged 13 to 18. Situated in the picturesque county town of Somerset and only three hours from London by train, the school seeks to develop well-rounded, balanced individuals with a love of learning and academic curiosity. Boarding and pastoral care are core to life at King's, and there is a strong sense of community with so many pupils and staff living on-site in centrally located boarding houses.

The school holds the position of being one of the top academic secondary institutions in the county, regularly leading the tables in both GCSE and A-level results. As well as academic excellence, the breadth of sport and other co-curricular activities are unparalleled for a school of King's size.

As well as being an exceptionally happy school, they are busy and purposeful. Pupils leave well qualified, but more importantly, they leave as well-rounded, intellectually curious and balanced individuals who have been nurtured and encouraged to grow, develop and explore.

Much of what sets King's apart from other schools stems is their strong boarding ethos. The houses are centrally placed (two are in the main school building) and boarding is central. Boarders come from far and wide; many boarders are local with a few live closer to school than some of their day pupil friends, others come from the south west of England or further afield in the UK, and some from overseas. This makes for a varied and vibrant community within the houses. Wherever pupils come from, they soon develop a strong sense of loyalty to their house, which makes for exciting and hotly contested inter-house competition in sport and many other activities.

King's believes that boarding is a rich and life-affirming experience for pupils and is confident that they leave the school well prepared for the demands and challenges of university life. Their friendships are extraordinarily long-lived, and they are independent, resilient, resourceful, cheerful, tolerant, pro-active, kind, capable young men and women who go on to make their mark on the world.

Pupils are challenged by enthusiastic and dedicated specialist teachers both inside and outside the classroom. Careful planning has devised a programme of visits, lectures, tutoring and prep to support learning. House-based tutors each support seven or eight boys or girls throughout their time at the school. Pupils are also prepared with care for examinations (GCSE and A-levels) and university, and are encouraged to develop independent thought and inquiring minds.

Sport is pivotal at King's, and the school aims to engage and develop all pupils so they have fun. First class facilities include two floodlit Astros, a tennis/netball dome, 25m swimming pool, strength and conditioning suite, a climbing wall and an equestrian centre. For those with elite aspirations, excellent technical coaching is backed up by mentoring and support maintaining a healthy life balance. The school has a Cricket Performance Centre and is an accredited England hockey performance centre. King's also has a vast array of co-curricular activities unparalleled for a school of its size, from drama, music, outdoor pursuits and CCF, to dance, cookery and debating. Outdoor activities are well catered for under the umbrella of the CCF (Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Army sections), and alongside that are the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Gold award schemes. Kayaking and water polo are popular, as is climbing - we have our own indoor wall and climbing club.