King's School, Ely

King's Ely (renamed from "The King's School" in March 2012),The School's Terms and Conditions and the Companies House registration would suggest that the School's legal name remains "The King's School, Ely" is a co-educational public school (English independent day and boarding school) in the city of Ely in England. It was founded in 970 AD, making it one of the oldest schools in the world. It was given its Royal Charter by King Henry VIII in 1541. The school consists of a nursery, a pre-preparatory school, a junior school, a senior school, a sixth form, and an international school. King's Ely is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

The school has produced a number of notable alumni, including, Edward the Confessor, King of England, Lord Browne of Madingley, erstwhile chairman of British Petroleum, and James Bowman, countertenor.

King's Ely has featured in the local news for its sports results, and it has produced a bronze medal-winning Olympic athlete, Goldie Sayers, who won a Bronze Medal for Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Much of the senior school uses the historic monastic buildings of the cathedral, and major school events and twice-weekly services are held there. One of the boys' boarding houses, School House, is claimed to be the oldest residential building in Europe. In its entirety, the school has over 1,000 pupils. It has a small campus, with other parts in buildings near the city centre. All King's Ely sections share resources such as sports facilities and the refectory in the Monastic Barn (unless in Sixth Form where pupils eat in the Bishop's Palace).

History

General History

King's Ely is one of seven schools established, or in some cases including this one, re-endowed and renamed, by King Henry VIII in 1541 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The school has its origins in the religious house founded in Ely by St Etheldreda in 673 AD. Before 1720 it was called the Ely Cathedral Grammar School. The school became co-educational in 1970, and in 1973, Queen Elizabeth II came to the school to celebrate the anniversary of the monastery.

The school keeps a strong link with the cathedral by which it is overshadowed. A teaching institution has been on the site since 970, making it the seventh oldest school in the United Kingdom.

An article in '' The Illustrated London News'' from 1882 provided the following which showed the state of the school at that time:

"The head master, after some allusion to the former history of the school (in which Edward the Confessor had been educated, and which, in the seventy years after its new foundation by Henry VIII, had developed, into a school of upwards of 300 boys, among whom were many of distinction), recounted the honours achieved in the past year. Among these were successes in the Civil Service and Indian Civil Service examination, an exhibition at Worcester College, Oxford, a first in the May examination at Queens' College, Cambridge, and a second at Peterhouse."

A Roll of Honour in School House lists 24 Old Eleans who were killed during World War I.

In his memoirs from 1955, the Reverend Christopher Campling described the school's state when he became chaplain. "Academic standards were not high, but a few boys gained admission to Oxbridge each year. The music in the school was especially good, because the choristers of the cathedral choir stayed on after their voices had broken."

The first girls were admitted in 1970 and the school has since become fully coeducational. In 2004, Susan Freestone was appointed its first female Head, taking over from Richard Youdale who had been headmaster for 12 years.

Kidnapping

In November 1999, a 14-year-old pupil was kidnapped as he left the school premises, and held by three men. Police were able to stop the kidnappers' vehicle as the victim was being driven away from a hotel in Essex three days later; it is thought the boy was about to be drowned in the River Thames, as a 20 ft length of cable, ropes ties, handcuffs and a 56lb weight were found in the gang's vehicle. The parents of the boy received mobile phone calls demanding £250,000, which the police were able to trace. The men were found guilty of false imprisonment and blackmail and sentenced to custodial terms of 11–12 years.

Abolition and later Reintroduction of Rugby Union

In June 2002, the Principal Richard Youdale aroused media interest and criticism with an announcement that the school would be phasing out rugby which had been introduced in the place of football in the early 1950s. Youdale cited, among other reasons, the increasing popularity of football. The school reinstated rugby in 2005.

Saturday school

In line with other public schools, children in year groups up to Year 5 (age 9) do not have Saturday school. Year 5 and 6 children have optional activities. Pupils in Years 7 to 11 have compulsory Saturday school while there are activities for the boarding community. However, this policy is due to be changed in the academic year starting September 2015, with lessons previously held on a Saturday being moved to the regular working week, while Saturday morning will be left free for non-academic, non-compulsory activities.

Renaming and Re-Branding

In March 2012 the school changed its name from 'The King's School' to 'King's Ely' so as to distinguish the school from the six other King's Schools established or renamed by King Henry VIII in 1541.

List of Known Headmasters and Principals

16th Century

* Ralph Holland (c1541 - 1562)
* James Speight (1562 - 1596)
* John Lucke (1596 - 1598)

17th Century

* Mark Holdred (1598 - 1604)
* William Pamplin (1605 - 1609)
* Daniel Wigmore (1609 - 1619)
* William Hitch (1619 - 1664)
* Charles Chadwick (1664 - 1674)
* Richard Peachey (1674 - 1681)
* Stephen Hutton (1681 - 1690)
* William Silvertop (1690 - 1699)

18th Century

* Edmund Tenant (1699 - 1725)
* Henry Gunning (1725 - 1763)
* William Irwin (1763 - 1776)
* Caesar Morgan (1776 - 1790)
* Richard Jeffreys (1790 - 1793)

19th Century

* Stephen Stephens (1793 - 1816)
* George Millers (1818 - 1833)
* Solomon Smith (1833 - 1834)
* Office Vacant (1834 - 1838)
* William Keating Clay (1838 - 1843)
* David James Stewart (1843 - 1848)
* James Henry Henderson (1848 - 1852)
* John Ingle (1852 - 1861)
* John Chambers (1862 - 1870)
* Richard Winkfield (1870 - 1894)

20th Century

* Frederick William Hawes (1894 - 1904)
* Edward Henry Blakeney (1904 - 1918)
* Thomas James Kirkland (1918 - 1941)
* Geoffrey John Cross (1941 - 1947)
* William Brown (1947 - 1955)
* Benjamin Edward Noble Fawcett (1955 - 1969)
* Hubert Ward (1970 - 1992)

21st Century

* Richard Youdale (1992 - 2004)
* Sue Freestone (2004 - 2019)
* John Attwater (2019 - )

Notable Buildings

The Porta

Many of Ely's monastic buildings are leased to the school by the cathedral. The imposing Porta is the gateway into the monastic buildings of the cathedral, and now houses the school's largest library, classrooms and a conference room, as well as its archive.British-history.ac.uk
City of Ely Monastic Buildings, 'City of Ely: Monastic buildings and palace', A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 4: City of Ely; Ely, N. and S. Witchford and Wisbech Hundreds (2002), pp. 77–82. Retrieved 12 July 2008

The Monastic Barn

The monastic barn is close to the Porta. At one time it housed the abbey's crops and tythes but it is now primarily used as the school's dining hall for pupils in year 3 to year 11. It is also used to hold formal dinners, such as the Visitor's Feast.

Prior Crauden's Chapel

Prior Crauden's Chapel was built in 1324. Small and intimate, it retains much of its original wall decoration. It is used by the school for small congregations and private prayer, its organ played by pupils and staff.

The Queen's Hall

Prior Crauden's Chapel is next to Queen's Hall, another 1330s building, which as the Priory housed boys aged 11–12 in the 1950s. It now serves as the residence of the Principal and his family.

The Infirmary

The Infirmary is one of the oldest surviving of the monastery's buildings, constructed in the 12th century. Located on Firmary Lane near the south transept of the cathedral, the building once housed sick monks, but is now the boarding house for the Ely Cathedral choristers.

School House

School House is part of the monastery, and the religious studies department is housed in the Hermitage buildings. The school uses the cathedral as a place of worship three times a week, and for major school services.

Prior's House

Prior's House is used as a boarding house for the Junior School house, Priory House.

Old Hereward Hall

Old Hereward Hall was built in the 1800s and is now used by the school to house classrooms, alongside a portion Wilkinson House.

Hereward Hall

Hereward hall was originally the Ely Theological College, constructed in 1876 and used until 1964 when it transferred into the possession of the school.

Bishop's Palace

The palace was built in the 15th century by Bishop John Alcock and was one of the official residences of the Bishop of Ely until 1941. During the Second World War the palace was used as a base for the British Red Cross, and then as a home for disabled children until its closure in the 1980s. Following this the palace was purchased on a 99 year lease by the Sue Ryder Care organization, although the palace went up for sale again in 2010. Later that year King's Ely took over the lease and had the palace refurbished to be used as the school's Sixth Form Centre. It was opened by the Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester on Friday 25 January 2013. In 1674 a Great London Plane Tree was planted by the Bishop of Ely at the time, Peter Gunning. In June 2002 the Tree Council designated the Great London Plane Tree of Ely as one of the 'Top 50 British Trees'.

School traditions

Scholars

Up to 12 of the top scholars in Year 12 are nominated as King's Scholars (boys) or Queen's Scholars (girls). Alongside the King's and Queen's Scholars there are also two International Scholars installed each year. They become members of the Cathedral Foundation and also qualify for other privileges such as being married in the Cathedral and being buried in its grounds. King's Scholars were inaugurated by Henry VIII in 1541 and Queen's Scholars at the request of Queen Elizabeth II in 1973. There is no application process for these honorary scholarships, the positions instead being awarded based on pupils' GCSE results.

The Hoop Trundle

The Hoop Trundle is performed to mark the re-founding of the school by King Henry VIII, in 1541. After he dissolved the monastery, he bestowed a royal charter on the new school and introduced the first scholars. The bowling of wooden hoops within the precincts of the cathedral, along with other games, was one of the privileges that they were afforded. Female competition was added when Queen Elizabeth II introduced Queen's scholars to the school, who have taken part since. There are both male and female heats leading to a final for which a separate tankard is awarded to both sexes. The course is a 75-yard dash to a post and back along the east lawn of Ely Cathedral bowling the hoop with a wooden stick.

The King's Barbers Valentine's Day Serenades

Every year on the week leading up to valentine's day The King's Barbers, the school's barbershop group comprising former Ely Cathedral male choristers, will, in return for a donation to their charity of choice, serenade another pupil anonymously on the commissioning pupil's behalf either in person or online in the form of a video. The 2022 performance raised £1,413 for the Bethesda Life Center (James 1v27 Foundation).

Houses

Boarding houses

There are five boarding houses in the senior school, two for boys and three for girls, one of which is for the girls' choir. Hereward Hall is a boys' boarding house; previously sited opposite the Porta, it is now on Barton Square in Ely on the site of the old Cambridge theological college. It contains about 55 boys.
School House, previously known as Headmaster's House as it was where the Headmaster lived, is the other boys' boarding house. It is on the Gallery, the road leading to the west end of the cathedral and houses about 60 boys. According to the school's official website, it is the "oldest inhabited residential building in Europe", although the veracity of this is uncertain. In the 1950s it also housed the refectory then became the library which had been in the tythe barn. Etheldreda, previously called Canonry and housing boys under eleven years old, is now a girls' boarding house, established in September 2006 for the Girls Choir of Ely Cathedral, mostly senior school pupils. The house is located close to the cathedral, providing easy access for practice and performance.
Hill House, situated on the corner of Barton Square and Back Hill, was until recently a boys' boarding house, being converted to housing girls as their numbers swelled. Two houses were formed on the introduction of girls into the school, Etheldreda and Withburga, the latter to house day pupils. Until September 2006, when the girls' choir house was formed, Etheldreda was the only girls' boarding house but is now the largest of all. Originally situated on Cambridge Road, it has moved to Hill House and been renamed. The current Etheldreda house was originally known as Canonry when it first split from Etheldreda (now Hill). Wendreda house was created as a dedicated boarding house for girls in years 9-11.

In the most recent Ofsted report of boarding at the school, inspectors reported that "the school provides very good care and support to boarders and there was an obvious caring culture within the boarding houses" although they said that "the school would benefit from harmonising boarding practices across the entire boarding provision."

Day houses

There are four-day houses in the senior school. Students are assigned into studies, usually with 3 or 4 others, although the number usually decreases as the pupil moves into higher years. In these studies there is a work space and storage area. There are various activities annually between houses, including sports and Ely Scheme competitions. There is also a debating competition, quiz and popular house music competition. Pupils in each house meet weekly for a meeting, and also have a personal tutor who guides them throughout their time at the school.

Curriculum

The school follows the standard curriculum of GCSE (or IGCSE) and A Levels in the senior school, in years 11 and 12–13, respectively. As well as the core subjects, the school's A Level range includes three modern languages, Latin, politics, film studies, classics, economics, psychology and philosophy of religion.

The senior school was placed 12th in Cambridgeshire for its GCSE results in 2014 (based on the percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C or equivalents including A*-C in both English and mathematics GCSEs); it was placed 162nd in the independent schools' table (based on the percentage of students obtaining A*/A). The school was ranked the 210th independent school for A Level results in 2014 (based on the percentage of students obtaining A*/A or equivalent qualifications); it was placed 13th of all institutions in Cambridgeshire for A Levels (based on the percentage of students achieving at least AAB with two facilitating subjects). The meaningfulness of these league tables has been very strongly questioned as some qualifications are not taken into account when they are compiled, notably International GCSEs (IGCSE) which are frequently offered by independent schools including King's Ely as they are considered good preparation for A Levels.

Extracurricular activities

The school has a significant amount of activities encompassing a wide range of subject matters. Some of these activities include: Aerobics, Arts Award, Athletics, Badminton, Brass Ensemble, Chapel Choir, Christian Union, Chess, Concert Band, Contemporary Dance Club, Cricket, Dance Club, DaVinci Engineering Society, Duke of Edinburgh's Award (Bronze, Silver, and Gold), Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir, Ely Scheme, Equestrian, Football, Golf, Gymnasium, History Café, Hockey, Jazz Band, Kayaking, King's Barbers, King's Orchestra, Netball, Percussion Ensemble, Pilates, Rowing, Rugby, Running Club, Spikes Cello Group, Squash, Strength and Conditioning, String Orchestra, Swimming, Tennis, The Big Thinking Club, Theatre Masterclass, Yoga, and Zumba.

Sports

King's Ely also has many sports facilities, including an artificial turf pitch, swimming pool, tennis courts, sports hall and several outdoor pitches. In 2022 plans were submitted to the council to build an additional artificial turf pitch which would according to Mark Hart, Chief Operating officer of King's Ely, be used for "hockey, football, tennis, circuit training, and more."

Other sports played include sculling, hockey, netball, basketball, squash, golf, and rounders.

Teams and individuals from the school frequently represent the school and county in their discipline. Recent successes have been seen in show jumping,
football,
and cross country running, among others. British Olympic Javelinist Goldie Sayers began the sport whilst at King's. Premier League and England goalkeeper Nick Pope also attended King's Ely between the years 2000 and 2008.

The major sports (The school defines major sports as sports which are available from years 3 upwards) played are:

Michaelmas Term

* Boys - Rugby Union
* Girls - Hockey

Lent Term

* Boys - Association football and hockey (Reinstated in 2019)
* Girls - Netball

Summer Term

* Boys - Cricket and tennis
* Girls - Cricket and tennis
Rowing is also available to all pupils from year 8 upwards and is available as a games option in every academic term.

Alongside the five periods of timetabled "Games" throughout the week there is also one period of timetabled physical education, where pupils do activities such as athletics, basketball, cross-country, dance, gymnastics, keep fit, swimming, tennis, badminton, and volleyball. Throughout the year there are frequent sports matches against other schools spanning from year 3 upwards.

Rugby Union

Rugby is taught as a major sport for boys in years 3-13 and the school has seen much success, notably in 2019 with the 1st XV and the Under 15A teams completing the year's campaign without a single defeat with the 1st XV winning all 11 matches they played and as a result placing the team at the very top of the UK schoolboy rugby tables. The School's rugby program was run for almost 5 years by former Scottish Rugby player Jim Thompson.

Hockey

Hockey is taught as a major sport to girls and boys from years 3-13 as the primary choice for girls and an alternative to football for boys. Welsh Hockey player Rebecca Daniel is a former student.

Football

Football is taught as a major sport to all boys from years 3-13 and is also participated in by some girls on request.

Netball

Netball is taught as a major sport from years 3-13 to all girls. In 2020, the school hosted a 'High 5 Netball Tournament' in partnership with several local state schools.

Tennis

Tennis is available as a major sport to all boys and girls from years 3-13 and the school has had success in Lawn Tennis Association events. In 2022 the Senior Girls' team competed in the Lawn Tennis Association Schools Autumn League final against Eastbourne College, Bradfield College, and Wycombe Abbey.

Cricket

Cricket is taught as a major sport from years 3-13. The school's Cricket Festival is a week of matches against all levels of competition at amateur, club, and school levels, ending with the 1st XI v. Old Eleans Match and the Old Eleans v. King's Ely Staff match

The King's Enzymes is a Cricket Team made up of Old Eleans, parents, staff, and current pupils which hosts friendly internal and external games during the Summer Term against Pupil Teams, Staff Teams, and other Cricket Clubs. The team was launched in the 1990's by the then Head of Biology but eventually fizzled out until it was revived in 2022.

Athletics

Athletics is taught both as part of the Physical Education curriculum and as a Games option. Several notable athletes have attended the school, including Olympic Medalist Goldie Sayers.

Rowing

The school has its own boat club which is affiliated to British Rowing (boat code KSE) and its own boat house which is next to Cambridge University's on the River Great Ouse. The river is wide, straight and uninterrupted. Sculling is open to Senior School pupils and year 8 pupils, and has produced teams and single sculls that have competed at regional and national level, The club's blade design is duck egg blue with dark blue cheque.

At the 1987 British Rowing Championships the club won the men's U-16 single sculls. In 2017 at the British Rowing Championships the women's J16 quad sculls won the national title at the 2017 British Rowing Junior Championships. In 2021 the club came second place in the J18 Double Scull category of the National Schools Regatta.

Equestrian Team

The school has its own equestrian team. Its achievements include: 7th place at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, Qualifying for the NSEA Championships several times, and 1st Place at the British Riding Club's NAF Horse Trials Qualifiers.

Music

In 2001, the Gibson Music School opened, moving the entire music department from the Hereward Hall building to the purpose-built centre adjacent to the Hayward Theatre. The new building contains a recital hall, several practice rooms, a classroom and two music technology rooms. There a number of music groups, chiefly the Chapel Choir; an Orchestra, Jazz Band and Concert Band. There is also a barber shop chorus, formed almost exclusively by boys who were choristers in the Ely Cathedral Choir. In 2006, the Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir was formed,with 18 girls from the Senior School.

The school holds an annual music festival, where pupils represent their houses in a competition, culminating in a Finalists' Concert. There is also a major school musical each year, in which the music and drama departments collaborate. A less serious music competition is held in the Michaelmas term, when all senior school houses represent themselves in a unison and ensemble class. The school offers music scholarships to pupils who show an aptitude in at least one musical discipline, and who can contribute to the school's music groups. The music department has a Concert Society, which showcases visiting professional musicians and holds concerts several times a term.

The numerous choirs and vocal groups within the school form an integral part of school life performing at major school services in the Cathedral and at many other points throughout the year. In 2022 members of the King's Ely Chamber Choir and King's Ely Chapel Choir have sung in Candlemas at St. George's Chapel, Windsor and in Evensong at St. Paul's Cathedral, London respectively.

Drama

The school has a Drama and Theatre department. In the Senior school the department is housed in a dance studio, a Black Box Studio, and the Hayward Theatre where productions are held. The Junior School has its own Drama Studio and productions are either held in the Morbey Hall or the Hayward Theatre. The department is active throughout the year with: rehearsals every evening and most weekends, Theatre Masterclasses run by professional practitioners brought in from external acting troupes, Drama and Dance clubs such as the Acting Techniques Club and the Armchair Theatre Club, academic rehearsals, and Technical Theatre Clubs. The department regularly has former pupils entering the performing-arts industry and has a growing number of candidates auditioning for Theatre Schools.

Drama is taught to all pupils in years 3-9 and optionally from year 10 onwards. In 2019 84% of pupils earnt a grade 9-7 at GCSE. For the past 5 years 100% of pupils have achieved 100% A*-B at A Level and in 2015 100% of pupils achieved an A* grade.

Each year the department's shows include: A musical theatre production, contemporary and classical studio pieces, academic showcases, open mic nights, Trinity Speech and Drama showcases, and attendance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Recent productions have included: Made in Dagenham, Education Education Education, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, Lord of the Flies, The Dreaming, The Lion King, Arabian Nights, Grimm Tales, Around the World in 80 Days, Frankenstein, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Misérables, Seussical, Electra, The Electra project, Into The Woods, Grease, Whistle Down The Wind, We Will Remember Them, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Cagebirds, Iphegenia in Orem, Guys and Dolls, Wendy and Peter Pan, Emil and the Detectives, Medea, Pride and Prejudice, and Legally Blonde: The Musical.

In 2019 the school took the production ''Ugly Youth'' written by then Director of Drama and Theatre, Nick Huntington, to the Edinburgh Fridge Festival where it earnt a 5 star review from reviewer Richard Beck for the Broadway Baby. In 2017, the school's first performance at the Fringe Festival, a production of 'The Dreaming', was awarded 5 stars by James Taylor of The Edinburgh Reporter.

The Ely Scheme

The Ely Scheme is the schools outdoor education initiative which has been running as an alternative to the Combined Cadet Force for over 30 years. Since its inception, it has developed into a unique outdoor adventure programme with its own timetabled activities for Years 9. Its aim is to develop self-confidence, team-working, problem-solving and personal skills in a variety of activities. Pupils have the opportunity to become Ely Scheme leaders as they move up the school. Many choose to embark on The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

King's Ely has a dedicated climbing wall and all-terrain course, as well as access to an even larger obstacle course at nearby Braham Farm. In recent years, the school's climbing club has travelled to Corsica, the Alps and the Himalayas.

Throughout the year there are many competitions spanning from Year 8-13 beginning with the Humphries Challenge in Year 8 which is a test of strength, courage, strategy, teamwork, and communication skills. The competition is named in memory of Christopher Humphries who had a love of outdoor learning and who was heavily involved in the Ely Scheme Initiative. In Year 9 pupils compete in the Ely Scheme challenge which tests the skills the pupils have learned in their year of Ely Scheme Lessons. There is also the annual Sword and Dagger competition where the boys and girls houses compete to be the fastest in teams of 6 to go around the school assault course. Years 9 and 10 compete for the Dagger prizes, with a mounted dagger being awarded to the fastest boys and fastest girls house. The same system applies for Years 11-13 but they instead compete for the Sword Prizes, with a mounted sword being awarded in a similar fashion to the Dagger Competition. Possibly the most senior and gruelling is the annual Martin Doyle Endurance Challenge where each house nominates a team of two pupils to compete in a series of mentally and physically challenging competitions involving swimming, canoeing, climbing, slacklining, and an assault course. The competition is named in memory of Kit Martin-Doyle who was one of the founders of the Ely Scheme Outdoor Education Program. In 2015 the competition along with the wider Ely Scheme Initiative was the subject of an article by The Telegraph as an example of the benefits of outdoor education initiatives.

King's Ely Junior

The school has its own junior school, which is separate from the senior school, although shares many of its facilities. It has around 357 pupils from Year 3 (approximately 7) to Year 8 (aged 13). The junior school has its own faculty of staff, own administration and management and a self-contained block of classrooms. This was complemented in 2003 by a new building which contained classrooms and other facilities, primarily for Year 7 and 8 pupils. The majority of Year 8 pupils can expect to transfer into King's Senior School. The Head of the junior school is R Whymark.

Like many independent schools, the junior school has a house system, with each pupil belonging to one. It forms an integral part of life at the school and there are frequent inter-house events in sports as well as the arts. All boarding pupils in Priory and Walsingham (Choir) House are also affiliated to a day house for everyday school activities, such as house meetings and competitions. Walsingham House was previously known as Choir house until September 2021 when its name was changed to reflect the fact that it no longer housed just choristers but also other boarders.

King's Ely Acremont

King's Acremont Nursery and Pre-Prep occupies a Georgian-style house on Egremont Street,ISBI profile of King's Acremont and Nursery
Independent Special Boarding International. Retrieved 14 July 2008 a ten-minute walk from the main campus.
Children are admitted to the nursery from age one and almost all pupils transfer into Year 3 of King's Junior School at age seven.
Acremont pupils join the rest of the school for major events in the cathedral where they stage their annual Christmas production. Acremont received an 'excellent' rating in its 2003 Ofsted inspection, with inspectors saying "Young children are given an excellent start to their education ... the warm, welcoming environment promotes learning and there is an excellent relationship between children, parents and teachers."

King's Ely International

King's Ely International was started primarily as a link school, so that students who had little English–speaking ability could accustom themselves to the language before going on to the senior school or another English-speaking public school, normally in the sixth form. The centre offers both two and one-year GCSE programmes.
The centre recommends that students attend the summer school preceding their arrival, which includes basic English as well as social activities to helps adapt to English culture.
In the last 3 years, King's Ely has integrated the study centre into the main school, with more shared activities in sports and academia. The study centre uses many of the main schools facilities like the dining hall and sports facilities, despite being, physically at least, relatively isolated from the rest of the school—opposite the Oliver Cromwell Museum near the cathedral. The termly fees for the study centre are £8400, or £25,200 per year, plus a refundable deposit of £3000.
There were 51 pupils in attendance in the academic year 2012–2013.

Fairstead House

On March 22, 2022, The Governing Bodies of King's Ely and Fairstead House, a coeducational independent school in Newmarket with pupils between the ages of 4 and 11 years, announced a merger of the schools' respective charities. This formalised a longstanding relationship between the two schools. Although the schools will now be under the oversight of a single Governing Body, which includes two Governors from Fairstead House, both schools remain autonomous on a day-to-day level retaining their identities.

Fees and charitable status

Annual fees are up to about £27,000 per year for boarders or about £34,000 for international boarders (2014–15). Like most public schools, King's is a non-profit educational body and a registered charity, and as such benefits from substantial tax breaks. It was calculated by David Jewell, master of Haileybury, that in 1992 such tax breaks save the school about £1,945 per pupil per year. The school offers bursaries and allowances, £1,575,525 was provided in 2013, and scholarships which totalled £304,197. These include music scholarships—amounting to around two-thirds for choristers whilst serving in the Cathedral Choir, and a third scholarship upon their continuation as a pupil in the Senior School. There are further major and minor scholarships for music, sports and academic performance. The Senior School occasionally offers a large major scholarship for a promising organist or musician who is of a particularly high quality. Like many public schools, King's offers fee reductions when more than one child attends, and to the children of staff members. There also bursaries for children of the Clergy, Armed Forces and to those who would otherwise not be able to afford it, on a means tested basis. Over a third of all pupils receive some sort of financial award, be it a bursary or a scholarship, with 355 individuals benefiting in 2013.

School finances

Information about income and expenditure for the last five years is available to the public on the Charity Commission website. Income has steadily increased over recent years and as such expenditure has increased accordingly, excluding the disruption caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available at two points in the school, that being the entry into Senior School (Year 9) and entry into the Sixth Form (Year 12). For Year 9 the scholarships available are: Academic, Art, Dance, Drama, Music, Sports, ECGC ( Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir), and STEM. In Sixth Form the scholarships available are: Academic, Art, Dance, Drama, Music, Sports, STEM, ECGC, Female Choral, Male Choral, and Organ. The application process generally consists of an assessment and an interview occurring the year before the scholarship takes effect.. Scholarships are awarded of up to 10% of day tuition fees.

Ely Cathedral Choir

The boy and girl choristers of Ely Cathedral are all educated at and boarders of the school. The boy choristers number between 18 and 22 boys, varying per year."Ely Cathedral Boy's Choir", ''Ely Cathedral Official website''
The boy choristers sing Evensong four nights during the week, evensong on Saturday and Sunday, as well as a Morning Service on Sundays. They practise in the mornings before school. The choristers are joined to day houses as well as their boarding house, Walsingham (Choir) House. The choir is currently under the directorship of Edmund Aldhouse.

The boy choristers are aged between 7 years old and 13 years. Two members of the group, Patrick Aspbury and CJ Porter-Thaw who formed part of The Choirboys, were Ely Cathedral choristers. The choir has toured many countries in the past, including the United States, Canada, Malta as well as extensively in mainland Europe. The choir is also regularly engaged in concerts, both in the cathedral as well as other prestigious venues (such as the Royal Albert Hall) and has produced a number of Compact Discs.

Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir was established in 2006, comprising twenty girl choristers drawn from both the Junior School and the Senior School, in Years 7-11 (ages 11–16). The girl choristers sing two Evensong per week, and do full weekend duties once or twice a month. Since September 2010, the girls' choir has been directed by Sarah MacDonald.

There are six permanent Layclerks who sing Alto, Tenor, and Bass for both top lines. They are supplemented by additional singers on Sundays and for major feasts, and there are also a number of Sixth Form Choral Scholars who are also pupils at King's Ely. The cathedral appointed its first female layclerk in January 2019.

In his memoirs, Christopher Campling described the voice of the boys in 1955 as "something different" from other Cathedral Choirs:

" Michael Howard he director of musicpurposely produced a tone for the boys which was halfway between the continental guttural sound produced from the chest voice, and the pure hard tone of the traditional English cathedral treble, as found at King's College, Cambridge. The "Ely Sound" was harsher than King's, more flexible, more vigorous, always excellent in enunciation."

Old Eleans

Old Eleans (Former pupils of the school) are organised under the Old Eleans Club which holds events during the year for Old Eleans to meet and remain involved with the school. These include an annual black-tie dinner, a drinks event in the spring, the Old Elean vs Staff Cricket Match, the Old Elean vs King's Ely XI Cricket match, a Netball match, a Golf day, a barbeque, and a Rowing event. The Old Eleans club helps to raise donations for the school having recently donated a Lightweight Double Rowing shell, donating £10,000 to the School's Harship Fund, and supporting the creation of a garden designed by Chelsea Award Winner Kamelia Zaal. Many Old Eleans participate in the Enzymes Cricket Team.

Notable Old Eleans

Politics

* Richard FitzNeal, Lord High Treasurer, 1156–1196
* Sir Antony Buck, QC, Conservative MP
* Tom Hunt, serving Member of Parliament for Ipswich
* Thomas Willett, first mayor of New York.
* Syed Iftikar Bokhari, Pakistani politician and cricketer
* Desmond Crawley, British diplomat
* Sir Guy Pilling, British colonial administrator and Governor of St Helena

Royalty and nobility

* Edward the Confessor, King of England, 1042–1066
* Sir Robert Fairbairn, 7th Baronet

Businesspeople

* Lord Browne of Madingley, former CEO of British Petroleum
* Tonye Cole, Nigerian businessman

Writers

* Harry Sidebottom, author and historian
* Patrick Collinson, historian
* Aschlin Ditta, television and film writer
* Andrew Taylor, author

Scientists

* Suzy Lishman CBE, former President of the Royal College of Pathologists

Journalists and television presenters

* Matthew Amroliwala, BBC News 24 newsreader
* Nigel Colborn, broadcaster and gardening expert, former presenter of BBC ''Gardeners' Question Time''

Music

* James Bowman, English countertenor and former Ely Cathedral chorister

Actors, directors and producers

* Ed Blum, film director, known for the film '' Scenes of a Sexual Nature''
* Dick Everitt, Television and film producer, with credits including '' Coronation Street''
* Fiona Laird, Theatre director, composer, and writer.
* Hugh Miles, cinematographer and filmmaker, specialising in wildlife films
* Alan Yentob, television executive, producer and presenter of BBC
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