King's School, Chester

The King's School, Chester, is a British co-educational independent school for children. It is one of the seven 'King's Schools' established (or re-endowed and renamed) by King Henry VIII in 1541 after the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The King's School, Chester
Address
Wrexham Road Chester , Cheshire , CH4 7QL England
Information
Type	Independent day school Cathedral school
Motto	Rex dedit, benedicat Deus (The King gave it, may God bless it)
Religious affiliation(s)	Church of England
Established	1541 (1541)
Founder	King Henry VIII
Local authority	Cheshire West and Chester
Chairman of the Governors	Mrs E. M. Johnson
Headmaster	Mr George Hartley[1]
Gender	Co-educational
Age	4 to 18
Enrolment	1,045 (approx.)
Houses	8[2]
Colour(s)	Green, blue and white, red
Former pupils	Old King's Scholars
Affiliation	HMC
Website	http://www.kingschester.co.uk/

It is situated outside the city of Chester, England. The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school comprises an Infant school (years 4-7), a Junior school (years 7–11), a Senior school (years 11–16) and a Sixth form (years 16-18) in which the students choose their A-level subjects.[3]

Motto and the school badge

The school motto is "Rex dedit, benedicat Deus” (The King gave it, may God bless it), which was given by John Saul Howson, D.D., Dean of Chester. John Saul Howson was the chief instrument in the building and endowing of the King's School, and in its reorganization on a broader basis.[4]

Traditions and student activities

Academia

In September 2011, King's adopted a new curriculum alongside its shift from an eight-period to a five-period day. This involved substantial changes, introducing 'enrichment' lessons and replacing the GCSE courses with IGCSE.[5]

Extra-curricular activities

The school's pupils engage the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme. The King's School's Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a voluntary contingent within the CCF. It consists of the mandatory Army Section, with an additional RAF Section.[6] The King's School has also been successful in the F1 in Schools competition, sending a team to the global finals in 2016.[7]

Publications

The Herald is the school's magazine and is published on a termly basis for parents and pupils. Its articles are about current pupils, teachers and former pupils.[8]

Sports

Hockey

In 2011 King's appointed hockey coach, Simon Egerton, who is a member of the England hockey team.[9]

Rowing

The Kings School Rowing Club has been in existence since 1883 with the school's boat house situated on the River Dee in the centre of Chester.

Rowing is offered as part of the sports curriculum from the third year onwards.

The King’s rowers often compete in the top levels of school’s competitions, and count numerous ex-Boat-Race crew members alongside National and Olympic squad members amongst it Old King’s Scholars Alumni including seven Olympians, three in the London 2012 games. Gold and silver medallists – two gold and one silver Olympic medallists. Olympic Finalists – three in 2012. 14 x Oxford and Cambridge Blues. 47 x GB Senior World Championship representatives – since 1960 and 36 x GB Junior International representatives – since 1970.

Kings Chester Boat House 2019

Facilities and development

Since 1960, The King’s School has been based at its Wrexham Road site on the outskirts of Chester. It has a Sixth Form Centre, a library (the Wickson Library) and a music school (the Tim Turvey Music School). Sports facilities include a swimming pool, all-weather sports pitches, grass sports pitches, a cricket pavilion, and a boat house on the River Dee.

Headmaster

The school's headmaster (since 2017) is George Hartley. He has an undergraduate degree in Geography and an postgraduate degree in Environmental Sciences. He has previously been the headmaster/principal of two other British schools.[10]

Previous headmasters

• 2007–2017 - Chris Ramsey, linguist
• 2000–2007 - Tim Turvey, biologist
• 1981–2000 - Roger Wickson, historian

A full list of previous headmasters are engraved on a board displayed in the school.[10][11]

Notable alumni

Post-1900

• Godfrey Ashby, former Bishop of St John's, South Africa
• Michael Axworthy
• Hagan Bayley FRS, scientist and Head of Chemical Biology at the University of Oxford[12]
• Graham Benton, British and World Indoor Rowing Champion[12]
• Michael Burdekin OBE, FREng, FRS, civil engineer and Emeritus Professor of the University of Manchester[12][13]
• Sir John Carroll, mathematician, physicist and former Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen[12]
• Rob Leslie-Carter, Engineer
• Lieutenant General Sir James Dutton, former Commandant-General, Royal Marines[12]
• Rob Eastaway, mathematician and ex-puzzle writer for New Scientist[12]
• Simon Edge, novelist
• James Fair, England and Great Britain hockey goalkeeper[12]
• Nickolas Grace, actor[12]
• George Guest, organist and choirmaster at St John's College, Cambridge[12][14]
• Matthew Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Member of Parliament for West Suffolk[12][15]
• Phillip Hallam-Baker, computer scientist, mostly known for his contributions to Internet security
• Tom James MBE, Olympic gold medal oarsman[12][16]
• Sir Glyn Smallwood Jones, colonial administrator and last Governor of Nyasaland[12]
• Trevor Kletz, safety engineer and author on industrial safety[12]
• Steve Leonard, television vet and BBC presenter[12]
• Martin Lewis, financial journalist and founder of the MoneySavingExpert.com consumer finance website[12][17]
• Hugh Lloyd, comedy actor[12][18]
• Patrick Mercer, Member of Parliament for Newark[12][19]
• Seb Morris, racing driver[20]
• Mike Parry, journalist and radio presenter[12][21]
• Ronald Pickup, actor[12]
• Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent with Sky News
• George Drewry Squibb, lawyer[12][22]
• David Whitley, Author of The Midnight Charter[12][23]
• Olivia Whitlam, Olympic rower[12]
• Arnold Frederic Wilkins OBE, radar pioneer[24]

Pre-1900

• Randle Ayrton, film and stage actor, producer and director[12]
• Lord Bradbury of Winsford GCB, civil servant and chief economic advisor to the government during World War I[12]
• Thomas Brassey, civil engineer[12][25]
• Edward Brerewood, mathematician, logician and antiquary[12]
• Charles Burney, music historian, musician, composer and philosopher[12]
• John Byrom FRS, poet and developer of geometric shorthand[12]
• Randolph Caldecott, illustrator[12]
• William Chaderton, academic, clergyman and former Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge[12]
• John Churton Collins, literary critic and former Professor of English Literature at the University of Birmingham[12]
• Piers Claughton, clergyman and former Archdeacon of London[12]
• Thomas Legh Claughton, first Bishop of St Albans and former Oxford Professor of Poetry[12]
• George Cotton, clergyman and educator, known for establishing schools in British India[12]
• Sir Peter Denis, 1st Baronet, naval officer and Member of Parliament[12]
• John Downham, clergyman and theologian[12]
• Joseph Everett Dutton, pathologist, physician and tropical medicine specialist[12]
• Thomas Falconer, clergyman and classical scholar
• Thomas Francis, physician, former president of the Royal College of Physicians and former Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford[12]
• Christopher Goodman, clergyman and writer[12]
• William Lee Hankey, painter and illustrator[12]
• General Rowland Hill, 1st Viscount Hill, former Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces[12]
• George Lloyd, clergyman[12]
• Bert Lipsham, England International footballer and FA Cup winner with Sheffield United in 1902.
• George Ormerod, antiquary and historian[12]
• Sir Ralph Champneys Williams, colonial Governor of the British Windward Islands and Newfoundland and Labrador[12]
• Thomas Wilson, clergyman[12]

The Chester Association of Old King's Scholars (CAOKS), founded in 1866, exists to maintain links between former students. It is one of the longest established alumni associations in the country. The school has recently established OAKS (Organization of Alumni of The King's School) to maintain relations with former pupils. OAKS is free to join and open to all alumni.[26]

See also

• List of English and Welsh endowed schools (19th century)

References

1. "Contact Us". The King's School Chester. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
3. "The King's School Chester - Junior School". Kingschester.co.uk. 15 October 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
4. Wikisource:Howson, John Saul (DNB00)
5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
6. http://www.kingschester.co.uk/ccf
7. Chronicle, Chester (1 May 2016). "King's School team reaches F1 world final in America". chesterchronicle. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
8. "The King's School Chester Herald, Spring 2012". Kingschester.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
9. "King's hockey coach wins European Indoor Gold Medal with national team". The King's School Chester. 1 February 2010. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
10. "Staff and Governors". 3 January 2018.
11. "Headmasters of the King's School". 3 January 2018.
12. "Inspirational Alumni Members". The King's School Chester. Archived from the original on 15 December 2011. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
13. The Steel Construction Institute (2012). Owens, Graham W.; Davison, Buick (eds.). Steel Designers' Manual (7th ed.). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. xix. ISBN 978-1-4051-8940-8.
14. Gummer, John (4 December 2002). "Obituary: George Guest". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
15. "Members of Parliament | Matthew Hancock MP". The Conservative Party. 20 March 2012. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
16. "Profile: Tom James". BBC Sport. 1 December 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
17. Paul Taylor (21 February 2007). "Mr Supersaver's on a mission". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
18. "Obituary: Hugh Lloyd". The Daily Telegraph. London. 14 July 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
19. "Profile: Patrick Mercer". BBC News. 8 March 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
20. Wheelock, Paul (13 December 2017). "British GT champion Seb Morris parts ways with title-winning team-mate". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
21. Wheelock, Paul (30 April 2009). "Chester City FC: Mike Parry's on a mission". Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
22. Dickinson, P. L.; Ireland, G. K. (12 January 1994). "Obituary: George Squibb". The Independent. London. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
23. "The King's School Chester - news archive". Kingschester.co.uk. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
24. Watson, Raymond C. (2009). Radar Origins Worldwide:History of Its Evolution in 13 Nations Through World War II. Victoria BC, Canada: Trafford Publishing. p. 44. ISBN 978-1-4269-2110-0.
25. Helps, Arthur (2005) [1888]. Life and Labours of Thomas Brassey, 1805–1870. Elibron Classics. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-4021-0563-0.
26. "The King's School website". Kingschester.co.uk. Retrieved 29 May 2012.

External links

• Official website