WHAT / WHERE?

Located in a prime position in the heart of historic Worcester, King’s Senior School & Sixth Form is a selective co-ed school for ages 11 – 18, with a cohort of 850 pupils.

Gravitas is King’s middle name, this place was founded back in 1541 by Henry VIII himself as part of Worcester Cathedral, so it oozes history from every corner.

Today, the Senior School is the top tier of a dynamic educational brand – the King’s Foundation – and includes nearby Preps, King’s Hawford and King’s St Alban’s. So if you value continuity (and a simple life) joining the King’s family can take you all the way through from 2 to 18, should you desire.

Average class sizes are around 20 pupils in Year 7, and 16 pupils in the Sixth Form, with numbers rarely rising above this. Over 95% of pupils transfer from the two nearby King’s Prep Schools with a further 40 pupils joining from other schools (a 50/50 spread from state and independent).

King’s has a charmingly gentrified ambience, having been a boarding school up until 1999, and it retains that atmosphere. The legacy in 2024 is it’s a dynamic day school, but with that oh-so covetable olde worlde boarding feel.

King’s Worcester’s postcode may be solidly urban, but you’re in toe-dipping proximity to the River Severn (where the school has an incredible boathouse) and 43 acres of playing fields across the river, so its location gives the best of both worlds.

FACILITIES

Step through the Hogwarts arches of King’s ancient walls, and you’re met with wow-factor facilities. At the heart of the school lies the College Green which is bordered by the Cathedral; the facilities around this are a mix of attractive Oxbridge-like buildings and modern additions.

More than £30 million has been pumped into King’s Worcester over the past 15 years and it shows. Among the redeveloped or newly built facilities are the centre for English and Classics with ICT rooms; the base for Maths; the Music School, Library, Careers Centre, Art School and the expanded and refurbished DT department. And you can add to that the refitting of all 13 science labs and a modern languages computer centre.

King’s Worcester delivers a lot of brick for your buck, but more is to come. Although somewhat sworn to secrecy during my visit as it is early days, I can reveal that there is big further investment about to be pumped into both the music and sports facilities, improving them even further.

The first investment phase was the new Sixth Form centre which looked like a bright, modern and happy place to study, it even boasts its own cool coffee shop (above). More additions are due later on in 2024, including further multi-use spaces and specialist Sixth Form classrooms – I wager any teen would give their right arm to call this study centre a ‘school’.

SPORT

Someone WhatsApp Team GB… sport at King’s Worcester is in another ballpark! King’s was recently named in the top 1% of sporting schools in the UK, quite the accolade, putting it in a league with some of the country’s top sporting schools, such as Epsom College, and Repton.

In 2024, a staggering 43 King’s hockey players were selected for the Worcestershire County Academy and the England Talent Academy as part of the England Hockey Player Pathway.

The games facilities at King’s will be the envy of many: we’re talking a state-of-the-art, national-standard sports hall, an indoor climbing wall, a fitness suite, and a 25 metre, indoor, heated swimming pool. All this plus 43 acres of playing fields and courts, and access to two local sites with an Astroturf and five acres of additional sports fields.

Rowing opportunities at King’s are incredible, if you don’t come here loving the water, we bet you’ll leave a fan.

The award-Winning Michael Baker Boathouse (Grand Designs eat your heart out) is a sustainably built, state-of-the-art facility packed with gleaming boats stacked on high, fully equipped training areas and a smart viewing area.

Featuring a prow that juts out over the River Severn, from here pupils have access to a 12km loop of the river for both training and competition. Little wonder then that King’s was named in the Top 8 UK Rowing Schools in the UK in 2024 (Good Schools Guide).

Expect to get involved in many inter-school competitions and events such as the world-famous annual Henley Regatta. There’s a close-knit boat club, so they’ll make buddies for life, and it’ll be no surprise that the school churns out British Rowing Champions.

I saw a huge cabinet of gleaming silverware on my visit showcasing multiple wins in superball, rugby, athletics, hockey, swimming and football at Worcester Sixways Stadium.

If you’ve got a competitive cherub they’ll totally thrive here, King’s competes with highly regarded independent schools in 1,000+ sporting fixtures during the year. There are over 120 clubs to get involved with too if mainstream stuff isn’t your bag, ranging from Rock Climbing to Scuba Diving, as well as annual Sports Tours to places like South Africa and India.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award also gets an impressive uptake, spotlighting King’s emphasis on throwing yourself into stuff, with up with 50% of pupils taking gold and silver awards.

MUSIC / DRAMA / THE ARTS

Music is stamped into the DNA of Kings, after all, how many schools can claim a cathedral as their chapel. King’s has a long tradition of excellence in music and many former pupils become professional musicians including Allan Clayton, International Operatic Tenor and Peter Holder, the Organist at Westminster Abbey who played at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the King’s Coronation.

The Music School is situated in Castle House and has a number of well-equipped rooms including 25 computer workstations, with specialist software. There is a great rehearsal space, drum studio, and twelve practice rooms. You won’t be short of instruments either, from a harpsichord to a wide range of percussion, all for hire.

Around 20 pupils achieve Grade 8 each year in their music exams and biennial trips abroad are a strong card in the department’s deck, with recent highly successful concert tours of France, Spain and Italy.

Both boys and girls have ample opportunity to become King’s Choristers and soak up unparalleled training from the Cathedral’s music staff.

Many pupils go on to gain choral and instrumental scholarships at universities and conservatoires; recent offers include the Royal Academy of Dance and Music at Trinity College, Cambridge, and an organ scholarship to Somerville College, Oxford.

Performing Arts opportunities are excellent, with the chance to get involved in everything from acting to the technical crew. Pupils can tread the boards at three full-scale productions and showcases throughout the year, and King’s consistently chalks up ‘Outstanding’ results in LAMDA Speech and Drama exams.

Drama lessons have a very skills-based approach, and when I visited the Year 9s were totally absorbed in a lesson on lifts and stage-flying, which looked tremendous fun.

Art enjoys impressive results at King’s, with 96% of pupils gaining an A* – A at A-Level and 95% gaining 9 -7 at GCSE. The Art School itself is an impressive, light and spacious building, spread over three floors with five studios, a library and IT suite.

Well-known artists exhibit regularly, give talks and run weekend workshops for the students. World renowned Fine Artist Ian Murphy, is the current Artist in Residence, chatting to some pupils in the studio, I’m told that it’s something they all find very inspiring.

The DT department was also buzzing with creativity, and I saw six 3D printers furiously whirring away when I passed through, whipping up expert-looking final GCSE products for the pupils.

ACADEMICS

This is an area where King’s earns its stripes – it consistently notches up excellent academic results. For three years running, it has been named in The Sunday Times Parent Power Schools Guide as one of the Top 10 Independent Secondary Schools in the West Midlands – and the only Worcester school to chart twice – and a highly respectable ranking of 153rd in the national table out of 900 independent secondary schools.

King’s also scooped the Daily Telegraph Best Value School in Worcestershire in 2023, a definite added value factor in tough cost of living times.

As a snapshot, in 2023, 62% of GCSE pupils received grades 9-7 and 77% achieved A* – B at A-level. King’s is well known for great results in Maths, English, STEM and Art. Taking an EPQ is also really encouraged here, over 50% of pupils take one and in 2023 50% received A* and 100% were awarded A* to B grades.

As you’d expect with results like these, pupils get into top Russell Group universities (62%) and 25% go on to medical schools, there’s also now specialist support for Medical, and Oxbridge applications.

In 2023 eight pupils bagged Oxbridge offers (20 in 3 years), with the King’s 26% acceptance rate coming in higher than other private schools. But pupils are also supported if they want to do swerve academia and do an apprenticeship instead, with pupils recently joining schemes such as Rolls Royce and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

King’s holds talent and commitment in high esteem, so there are Sports, Music and Academic Scholarships, All-Rounder Awards and Bursaries available. These can be up to 100% of school fees (means tested) so if fees are a barrier, you still have a shot at an exclusive education.

HEAD

Head Gareth Doodes has been in the hot seat for five years. A highly likeable, engaging and articulate leader, he took over in 2019, following six years as Head of Dover College. A keen historian, he still teaches Year 9 history to stay hands-on.

A runner and cyclist in his free time, he lives on site with wife Jess, and their two children who each attend one of the Prep Schools, King’s St Alban’s and King’s Hawford Prep. Doodes holds the position of Chair of the Society of Heads, sits on the board of the Heads’ Conference, and has appeared on BBC radio and TV talking about education – so he’s about as dynamic and ‘can-do’ as a Head can be.

A self-confessed political anorak and current affairs junkie, under the serious Mastermind-vibe demeanour lurks a sense of humour – he’s known for his ability to emulate legendary comedian Les Dawson on the organ!

Doodes hasn’t needed to reinvent the wheel here – King’s has long had a great all-rounder reputation. His focus however has been to strengthen teaching standards and classroom learning quality – recent external validation for King’s clearly means a lot to him.

He has brought in some changes however, such as the introduction of an enhanced Sixth Form curriculum. Pupils now take three A-levels and electives such as EPQs, TEFAL courses, Core Maths and a Sign Language course, as well as a new staff appraisal scheme, to keep staff motivated and focused.

Keen to produce confident, capable and caring young adults, he is hyper-aware that a school that uses a cathedral for its assemblies could be seen as, well, a bit toffy.

However, King’s Worcester really doesn’t give off that air at all, it’s a remarkably down-to-earth place, his response to this has been a big drive to increase the number of bursaries, with an impressive 40 pupils currently receiving full, free bursaries.

I couldn’t help but notice clergy robes hanging on his office door as I left too; it turns out he’s an Honorary Canon in the Cathedral, and can often be found helping out with services in between school life.

PASTORAL CARE

Pastoral provision at King’s is strong. All pupils join a co-ed House and have a House Tutor and a Year Grup Tutor looking after them from Years 9 to 13, so staff get to know the pupils well. In the past 12 months a New Deputy Head of Pastoral and Head of Lower Years have also been introduced, as an extra layer of pastoral support.

There is a dedicated Health Centre at the school with three full-time nurses, and it has had a full refresh this year, with new soft furnishings, artwork and a wellbeing library. The School Council has been reformed under Doodes’ tenure too, giving pupils a voice on issues that matter to them.

SEND PROVISION

There are 226 pupils who benefit from SEND support at King’s Worcester. Provision includes adaptive teaching, learning support, lessons by specialist teachers and assessments for a range of learning difficulties.

Emphasis is placed on building self-confidence and encouraging pupils to become independent learners; there’s also a focus on preparing them for life after they leave King’s. The Learning Skills Department has a suite of rooms that are well-resourced with computers, literature, games and activities, and you won’t pay more at King’s for the extra help – support is included in termly fees.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Pupils are allowed to have mobile phones in school, but they must be switched off between 8.30am and 3.40pm. Sixth Formers are allowed to use their mobile phones discreetly. King’s a firm believer in avoiding the “mobile phone menace” of kids being on them all day, hence the school upholds a strict no-use policy.

WHAT ELSE?

Don’t expect a tech-obsessed education at King’s; digital learning is used in moderation. The school deliberately champions its own path in this area, a big believer in usage not equalling better academic results.

Rather than every pupil having a personal iPad, instead banks of iPads are available throughout the school when needed. Personal tablets are not allowed until Sixth Form.

QUIRKS

King’s claim to fame is having the oldest fully functional classroom in Europe – dating back to 1541. There are 38 steps up the Hogwarts-style spiral staircase to the oldest classroom in the country; you’ll find it located in the magnificently medieval Edgar Tower.

TRANSPORT

Intake is mainly from the local area – Pershore, Malvern, Ledbury, Hagley, south of Birmingham and Cheltenham – and there is an extensive network of minibuses on offer. King’s has a transport app, Student Safe, making it very easy to book a ride or track your child’s whereabouts.

You won’t struggle to get here; Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill stations are conveniently located a short walk away via the central pedestrian precinct to the school.

WRAPAROUND CARE

Out-of-hours care is available from 8:00am to 6:00pm, with additional clubs offered outside of these times. The school is open from 8:00 to 5:50pm with a late room, for those who are not in a club, and the school library open until 5:50pm on weekdays.

FEES

Compared to schools of a similar calibre you’ll find good value here – you get a lot for your hard-earned cash. As of September 2024 the termly fee for the Senior School is £6,325 per term. There is a discount for three or more siblings attending the school together.

ISI REPORT

The most recent report showered King’s with ‘Excellent’ ratings across the board. Find it here.

WORD ON THE GROUND

The one word that comes up again and again with parents is “community”; the school is seen as welcoming, very much a family, and is praised for its openness and down-to-earth atmosphere.

The consensus is that King’s is a place where children are happy, individual strengths are celebrated, and that it provides a learning environment where they feel properly cared for.

One parent described King’s as a “head and heart school” – meaning parents feel like they are getting the full package here.

Kids say they love King’s ‘extras’, aka the huge range of co-curricular activities on offer; there’s also high praise for good communication from mums and dads, citing Parents Receptions every Friday as well as a rollicking-sounding event calendar.

The school has a strong and proud Christian heritage and ethos; it’s a wonderfully rich heritage to be part of and pupils I talked to loved being immersed in the history of the place and the thrill of calling Worcester Cathedral their school chapel!

But it’s not dictatorial in any way, instead, King’s religious values and spirituality are used as a springboard to promote compassion and kindness in the school, with all faiths treated with respect.

MUDDY VERDICT

GOOD FOR: If you want a school steeped in history yet modern-facing and forward-thinking. Curious, ambitious, go-getting types will love it here, King’s is all about grade-getting excellence in a nurturing atmosphere (fans of Harry Potter will adore it; it’s fabulously Hogwarts). If you want an education that will open doors – but also teaches you how to open them yourself.

NOT FOR: Anyone who wants that mile-long country drive up to their child’s school – King’s is in the heart of Worcester. Or, if a boarding element is a non-negotiable for you, you won’t get that provision here.

OPEN DAYS

Want to make up your own mind? Register your interest for the Open Days here:

King’s Senior & Sixth Form Sat 28th Sept 2024

King’s Sixth Form Information Evening Tues 26^th November 2024

King’s Senior & Sixth Form Sat 6^th June 2025

King’s Worcester, 5 College Green Worcester WR1 2LL

Review: King’s Senior School & Sixth Form, Worcester

You may also like