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. The most recent full integrated Independent Schools Inspectorate inspection awarded the grade 'excellent' in all 9 categories.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
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 appoint of the first Informator Chorustarum (Master over the Choristers) in 1456, Robert Brantham. The existence of a dedicated school building was recorded during the Counter-Reformation when a visitation of the University in 1557 inspected the "chorusters chamber and schole" and took away a number of books deemed to be unsuitable.
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. In this year that building was demolished and replaced with a brick building which continued to house the school through most of the eighteenth century. 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.
In order to widen the field from which selection of choristers could take place, and in response to improving musical standards in other English choirs, it was decided to open a boarding house to accommodate choristers from outside Cambridge. This was opened on the current site in 1878. From 1976 girls were admitted, and as the school expanded, it opened a pre-preparatory department.
The College School Video
Boarding
The boarding programme is open only to boys. Choristers are full boarders while other boys return home for the weekend.
Alumni
- William Sterndale Bennett composer (1816-1875)
- David Briggs former headmaster King's College School, Cambridge (1917-)
- Bob Chilcott, composer (1955-)
- Charles C. W. Cooke, journalist and broadcaster (1984-)
- Erasmus Darwin IV, grandson of the naturalist Charles Darwin (1881-1915)
- James Essex, architect and builder (1722-1784)
- Seiriol Evans, Dean of Gloucester (1894-1984)
- Orlando Gibbons, composer (1683-1625)
- Timothy Gowers, Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics (1963-)
- Sir Patrick Howard-Dobson, senior British Army officer (1921-2009)
- Julian Huppert, Liberal Democrat politician (1978-)
- Guy Johnston, cellist (1981-)
- Hugh Lupton, oral storyteller (1952-)
- Simon McBurney, actor, writer and director (1957-)
- John Pardoe, politician (1934-)
- Francis Newton Parsons, recipient of the Victoria Cross (1875-1900)
- Quentin Poole, musician (1957-)
- Simon Preston, organist (1938-)
- Amschel Rothschild, businessman (1955-1996)
- Charles Sorley, war poet (1895-1915)
- Christopher Tye, Renaissance composer and organist (1505-1573)
- Andrew Wiles, mathematician who proved Fermat's Last Theorem (1953-)
- Thomas Ridgewell, YouTube video creator (1990-)
- Ben and Jonathan Finn, creators of Sibelius Software
Heads
The following headmasters have served since 1878 when the school relocated to its present site in West Road:
- Vincent Charles Reynell 1878 - 1887
- Benjamin Benham 1887-1905
- Trenham Candy Weatherhead 1905-1912
- Charles Richard Jelf 1912-1927
- Cedric Moulton Fiddian 1927-1950
- Donald George Butters 1950 - 1958
- John David(son) Briggs 1959-1977
- Gerald Peacocke 1977-1993
- Andrew Corbett 1993-1998
- Nicholas Robinson 1998 - 2017
- Tom Hales 2017-2017
- Yvette Day 2018 -
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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