, motto_translation = "Bravely and Faithfully" , streetaddress = 87–129 Pennant Hills Road , city = North Parramatta, Sydney , state = New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = Australia Sydney , pushpin_label_position = bottom , pushpin_mapsize = 250 , pushpin_map_caption = Location in greater metropolitan Sydney , type = Independent day and

boarding Boarding may refer to: *Boarding, used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals as in a: ** Boarding house **Boarding school *Boarding (horses) (also known as a livery yard, livery stable, or boarding stable), is a stable where ho ...

, denomination =

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of t ...

, established = 1831 , founder = William Grant Broughton , chairman = , headmaster = Tony George , key_people = , grades = Early learning;

K-12 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993, well known worldwide mainly for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. In January 2012, K-1 Global Holdings Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong, acqui ...

, grades_label = Years , gender =

Male Male (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization. A male organism cannot reproduce sexually without access to ...

, colours = Sky blue and white , slogan = Academic excellence with character development , athletics = AAGPS , affiliations = , website = , enrolment = ~2,100 , enrolment_as_of = 2019 , num_employ = ~264 The King's School is an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

, early learning,

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works ...

and

secondary Secondary may refer to: Science and nature * Secondary emission, of particles ** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products * The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...

day and

school for boys, located in North Parramatta in the western suburbs of

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. Founded in 1831, the school is Australia's oldest independent school, and is situated on a suburban campus. The School has about 2,100 students from kindergarten to Year 12 and about 430 boarders from Years 5–12, making it one of the largest boarding schools in Australia. It is Australia's oldest boarding school. The school is affiliated with the

Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) is an association of the head teachers of 361 independent schools (both boarding schools and day schools), some traditionally described as public schools. 298 Members are based in the Un ...

, the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the

Junior School Heads Association of Australia The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia. Officially established in Sept ...

(JSHAA), and the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA). It is a G30 School and is a founding member of the

Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales The Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (AAGPS) is a sporting association of boys' schools in New South Wales, Australia that contest sporting events among themselves. The AAGPS was formed on 30 March 1892, and ...

(AAGPS).

History

In January 1830, the archdeacon of New South Wales, William Grant Broughton, devised a plan for the establishment of grammar schools in the colony under the governorship of Sir Ralph Darling. The Duke of Wellington assisted in securing royal patronage, the text of which stated that with the authority of

King George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten ye ...

such schools would be named "The King's Schools". It is said, although no documentation exists, that royal sanction was granted by King William IV. Two schools were opened in 1832: the first in

Pitt Street, Sydney Pitt Street is a major street in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. The street runs through the entire city centre from Circular Quay in the north to Waterloo, New South Wales, Waterloo, although today's street ...

, the other in George Street,

Parramatta Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...

, inland. The former, opened in January, closed eight months later after the death of its first headmaster, while the Parramatta campus remained open under the stewardship of Robert Forrest, who was appointed headmaster in 1831. According to ''The King's School 1831–1981'', on opening day, Monday, 13 February 1832, with a handful of pupils. Forrest was paid a salary of £100 per annum, but it was inclusive of a land and housing grant. From fees of £28 and £8 per annum for boarders and day pupils respectively he was expected to maintain boarders and pay the salaries of his assistants, whose fees were £4 per annum for each pupil taught. According to an article in the ''Australian Historical Society Journal'' in 1903, enrolment reached over 100 pupils before the end of the first year. By 1839, Forrest's health had deteriorated and he submitted his resignation. Ill-health caused the school to experience a rapid succession of headmasters in the following decade. William Clarke was appointed headmaster to replace Forrest, and John Troughton was appointed master in charge of boarders. Two years later W. W. Simpson became headmaster, but an epidemic of

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by '' Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects chi ...

in 1843 forced his resignation. James Walker, a notable botanist and classical scholar, succeeded Simpson, but ill-health resulted in his resignation in December 1847. In 1848 Forrest returned to the school, which had now had 60 pupils, but he was again forced to resign due to illness in September 1853. In July 1854, Thomas Druitt was appointed headmaster and established military drill in April 1855, a compulsory subject overseen by W. Bamford. Druitt had been under the impression that his appointment was permanent and he refused to relinquish his position upon the arrival of his replacement, Frederick Armitage, in January 1855. It was not until the intervention of Bishop

Frederic Barker Frederic Barker (17 March 1808 – 6 April 1882) was the second Anglican bishop of Sydney. Early life Barker was born at Baslow, Derbyshire, England, fifth son of the Rev. John Barker and his wife Jane, née Whyte. He was educated at The ...

in May 1855 that Druitt agreed to stand down. Under the helm of Armitage, the school experienced a protracted period of expansion in facilities and enrolments, due to his significant wealth, which allowed him to pay for many of the improvements personally. The number of pupils increased to nearly 200, 150 of whom were boarders. Pupils studied for seven hours per day in summer and six hours in winter. As well as religious holidays, there were two official school holidays per year, including a mid-winter vacation from 15 June to 15 July, and a mid-summer vacation from 24 December to 31 January. In 1859 Armitage adopted school arms similar to those of The King's School Canterbury in England, which according to ''The King's School 1831–1981'', was due to the erroneous assumption that the Australian school was named after the English one. He applied for leave in 1862 to attend to his ill wife and to obtain a mathematics degree at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, but he never returned. By the end of his tenure, he had raised the standard and quality of education to a high level. The acting headmaster appointed prior to Armitage's departure, LJ Trollope, saw a drastic contraction in the number of pupils to just 10 by June 1864, resulting in the closure of the school. There are varying accounts as to the reasons underpinning the school's rapid and sudden decline, including the school's poor financial situation, the dilapidated buildings and competition from other schools, while ''The King's School 1831–1981'' claims that it was a series of successive rainstorms causing the collapse of the schoolroom roof that forced its closure. Other accounts have blamed Armitage as lacking the discipline to continue as headmaster. The ''

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

'' argues that while the departure of Armitage was not ideal, "a headmastership devoid of endowment or guaranteed salary in a colonial school without a council or adequate financial support could hardly have been attractive to a scholarly English gentleman." The school reopened in January 1869 with George Fairfowl Macarthur as Headmaster. Macarthur had been a pupil at The King's School during its early years.

Campus

The King's School originally rented Harrisford House in George Street, Parramatta, near the wharves on

Parramatta River The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average depth of , the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson. Se ...

. The school soon outgrew its campus in George Street, and following a submission to the Crown, it was provided with land and premises further upriver in Parramatta, close to the Government House. The school remained there for 130 years until August 1968 when it completed its relocation to the current site in North Parramatta, originally ''Gowan Brae'', the family residence and property of James Burns, co-founder of Burns Philp and Company. Since the relocation, the school maintained a site, while other sections of ''Gowan Brae'' were sold to

Redeemer Baptist School Redeemer Baptist School, commonly known as Redeemer, is a Baptist private school in North Parramatta, Sydney, Australia. It was founded in 1981. History The school was founded in 1981 in the context of the Christian Community Schools movemen ...

and

Tara Anglican School for Girls Tara Anglican School for Girls (commonly referred to as Tara) is an independent Anglican single-sex early learning, primary, and secondary day and boarding school for girls, located in North Parramatta, a western suburb of Sydney, New S ...

, with as well as the NSW Synod of the Uniting Church as the Uniting Theological College. A further section was sold for residential development, now the locality of ''Kingsdene'' in the suburb of Carlingford. A small patch of land is still owned by Burns and his descendants, and this is for the family cemetery at the centre of the Senior School. The senior school (years 7–12) is located on the east of the property, while the preparatory school (K–6) is located on the west of the property. Within the senior school, there are extensive facilities, including the Centre for Learning and Leadership, dining hall and separate buildings for visual arts, music, science, drama, agriculture,

PDHPE PDHPE (''Personal Development, Health and Physical Education'') is a subject in the New South Wales school curriculum. It is a compulsory subject in the K-10 curriculum, and available as an elective in years 11 and 12 and for the HSC in year 12. ...

and industrial design and technology. Futter Hall, the main school hall, and the staff centre adjacent to it are other facilities present in the academic precinct, known as 'the Quadrangle'. There are 35 classrooms, all equipped with audio-visual and computer facilities. The school theatre was renovated in June 2010, adding a second smaller theatre and drama classrooms. The school also opened its new $20 million science centre in March 2014, which includes classrooms and labs where students can work with collaboratively with researchers from

The University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's six ...

. Sporting facilities include 15 playing fields used for both cricket and

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

, 14 tennis courts, 12 basketball courts (nine outdoor, three indoor), 7 football fields, a 50-metre lap pool, a 25-metre swimming pool, a diving pool, and a gym under which there is an indoor rifle range. The Sports Centre opened in 2007 and includes two basketball courts, a fully equipped gym and fitness centre, and PDHPE classrooms. The school also has a rowing facility in

Putney Putney () is a district of southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. History Putney is an ancient paris ...

on the Parramatta River. There are also a number of boarding houses for students who reside at the school, and private residences adjacent to the boarding houses for teachers and their families who provide pastoral care for these boys. Other features of the school include an agricultural yard, greenhouse, a dam, vineyard, bamboo forest, a mountain biking course, and a number of heritage landmarks.

House system

Senior school

Until 2011, the school had 14 houses, for both day students and boarders. The boarding houses comprised Gowan Brae, Baker, Bishop Barker, Broughton, Forrest, Hake Harris, Macarthur and Waddy, and the day student houses Britten, Burkitt, Dalmas, Kurrle, Macquarie and Wickham. In that year, the school made a number of changes to its house system, which now consists of six day houses and five boarding houses. The boarding houses are Gowan Brae (for year 7 day students and boarders), Baker-Hake, Bishop Barker-Harris, Broughton-Forrest, Macarthur-Waddy, and the day student houses are Britten, Burkitt, Dalmas, Kurrle, Macquarie and Wickham. The houses are hubs for students' recreational and pastoral activities. During the course of a year, inter-house competitions take place where students earn points for their respective house by competing in events. The winning house at the end of the year receives the King's Cup. Kurrle and Wickham were created as a result of an expansion in enrolments in 2001, and the remaining Houses have been in existence for several decades. Their names are derived from former Headmasters and Deputy Headmasters, the founder of the school (Broughton), and the traditional name of the school site (Gowan Brae).

Preparatory school

The preparatory school has four houses: Stiles, Thomas, Blaxland and Harrison. Blaxland includes both boarders and day students, and boarders are housed within Gowan Brae, which is shared with Year 7 students. Each year there are competitions between the four houses such as athletics competitions and swimming carnivals. Gowan Brae serves as an intermediate step between primary and secondary schooling, allowing Year 7 students the opportunity to adapt to the unique institutions of the senior school while remaining within a common peer group of similar age. King's also operates a co-educational preparatory boarding school, Tudor House, in Moss Vale, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales which is approximately 100 kilometers south west of the North Parramatta campus.

Uniform

The school uniform is the oldest military uniform still worn in Australia and is highly distinctive.. It consists of a jacket made of a black and white woollen material, stitched in a birdseye pattern, navy blue trousers with a vertical red stripe, a white shirt and black shoes. The standard school jacket has red cuffs and collar tabs. The cuffs and epaulets are each surmounted by a braided red "Lovers' Knot". The uniform reflects the military history of the school, and is similar to the blazers worn at the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armies of the Sevent ...

The jacket may be modified in a number of ways. Military insignia can be stitched onto the right arm to show rank in the

Australian Army Cadets The Australian Army Cadets (AAC) is the youth military program and organisation of the Australian Army, tasked with supporting participants to contribute to society, fostering interest in defence force careers, and developing support for the ...

, a white lanyard may be worn by members of the Marching Band, and the Regimental Sergeant Major may wear the Coat of Arms patch on the left arm. Cadet Under Officers wear a different grey jacket, which has diamond lozenges on the shoulder tabs and silver braided 'Lover's Knot' cuffs. Most students wear one badge on a red tab on the right collar of the jacket. This is because students of lower rank would have carried rifles over one shoulder, and an additional badge would have been damaged or damage the rifle. House monitors wear two badges on the red tabbed collars of the jacket. School monitors (or prefects) wear two badges on the blue tabbed collars of the jacket. The school captain wears two crown badges on the blue tabbed collars of the jacket. All the buttons are silver in colour, and are manufactured by Stokes & Sons (now Stokes Badges). Monitors, school monitors and the school captain have two badges as they would have been armed with pistols. The grey jacket and blazers must be worn with a standard black tie commemorating the death of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

(although this was temporarily substituted in 2007 during the 175th anniversary by a navy-blue silk tie, with the King's crest and the number 175 scattered on it). On some occasions, senior students in Years 11 and 12 are allowed to wear a white pin-striped navy blue blazer (known as a ''butchers coat''), and students that have achieved honours colours are permitted to wear a sky-blue "honours blazer". Both blazers have pockets that may have special stitching commemorating academic, sporting or cultural achievements in the form of honours, full or half colours. Outstanding achievement is rewarded by honours colours and is signified by the sky-blue blazer and gold embroidery on the blazer's pocket in the area of achievement. Full colours are represented by white embroidery and half colours are shown by dark blue embroidery on the pocket of the pin-striped navy blue blazer. Historically, the school uniform was available to purchase from select department stores ( David Jones,

Farmers A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mig ...

and Peapes). Students now purchase their uniforms from the school uniform shop called the Braeside Shop. The preparatory school uniform differs slightly from that of the senior school. Students from Kindergarten to Year 2 wear navy-blue shorts with the vertical red stripe, knee-high black socks and a white pin-striped navy blue (butchers coat) blazer, while students from Years 3–6 wear the same shorts and socks, but with the grey blazer of the senior school.

Co-curricular activities

Co-curricular activities offered by the school include debating, choir, theatre, bands and ensembles, sport, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Clubs for senior students (the Twelve Club, the Cartesian Club, the

Scipionic Circle The Scipionic Circle, or the Circle of Scipio, was a group of philosophers, poets, and politicians patronized by their namesake, Scipio Aemilianus. Together they would discuss Greek culture, literature, and humanism. Alongside their philhellenic ...

, and the Tom Barrett Society) meet once a month, to discuss the current affairs and present papers on topical issues. The school produces at least one musical and two drama productions each year. Productions have included ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...

'', ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 187 ...

'', ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

'', ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on " The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also b ...

'', ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...

'', ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...

'', ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, where it ran at the ...

'', '' Grease'', ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' (2015), ''Addams Family'' (2016), ''A Fleeting Night's Dream'' (2017), ''We Will Rock You'' (2018), ''The Producers'' (2019), ''Grease'' (2020), ''Mamma Mia'' (2021) and ''School of Rock'' (2022).

Academic clubs

The headmaster, deputy headmaster, and other senior staff host intellectual clubs composed of high achieving students from year 11 and 12. The clubs include the Twelve Club, hosted by the Headmaster, The Cartesian Club hosted by the Deputy Headmaster, the Scipionic Circle, hosted by the Director of Student Services, and the Tom Barrett Society, hosted by the school Registrar. The members of these clubs are selected on the basis of achievement in academics, leadership and character.

Debating

The preparatory school competes in the IPSHA and ISDA debating competitions, and the senior school in the GPS and ISDA competitions. The school won the ISDA competition, the largest independent schools competition in NSW, for the first time in 2004. The school has also won the GPS tournament twice - once in 1957, and tied first with Sydney Grammar School in 2007. The school was represented by national and world championship winning representative teams in 2004.

Cadet corps

Founded in 1868, the cadet corps vies with

Newington College , motto_translation = To Faith Add Knowledge , location = Inner West and Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = A ...

as the oldest in Australia. All students in Years 9 and 10 are required to undergo cadet training, during which they are taught survival techniques, abseiling, map-reading, marching, and other skills. Each year the annual field exercise, or "Corps Camp", is held at the Singleton Military Area. The Corps is regarded as the largest unit from any single school. The Cadet Corps holds an annual passing-out parade, which commemorates the departure of the Year 12 members and the transfer of student leadership to Year 11 through the handing over of the unit colours. It is usually presided over by a high-ranking member of the

Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Fo ...

. The King's School Marching Band is a central element of the cadet corps. The Band consists mainly of members of the School's Symphonic Band, and it marches annually at the

ANZAC Day , image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg , caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary. , observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands Ne ...

Parade in central Sydney. The Band is overseen and directed in partnership with the Music Department, and incorporated into two platoons under the Cadet Corps command structure. There is an annual appointee to the position of Drum Major – generally a year 12 boy who demonstrates musical skill and leadership capability.

Music

The school has a music program that caters for a range of musical abilities, held in the sesquicentenary music building. Music at the school forms part of the curricula and co-curricula programs. The school has two pipe organs: a chapel organ in the memorial chapel and a large baroque pipe organ in Futter Hall.

Curriculum

Year 7 students complete the mandatory 100-hour

Board of Studies The Board of Studies was the state government education board in New South Wales, Australia from 1990 to 2013. It provided educational leadership by developing the curriculum from Kindergarten to Year 12 and awarding the secondary school credent ...

(NSW) music course, which introduces them to basic concepts of music in a variety of styles. Year 7 boys participate in a singing program and undertake a theory exam toward the end of the year. As part of the Year 8–10 elective program, students can continue to study music in these years. They are required to learn an instrument as part of this course and regular performance assessments take place. For the HSC, students can continue their music studies in either the Music 1 or Music 2 courses, with the option of choosing Music Extension as well. Music 1 and 2 cover a variety of music styles, however, the Music 2 course has a focus on

Western art music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

. Recently the school has been successful in this field, with a number of student performances and compositions nominated for ENCORE.

Co-curricular program

The school has seven large Wind Bands, which form the core of the Wind, Brass and Percussion program. The Symphonic Band is the school's elite level band and is composed of musicians typically studying AMEB or Trinity Grade 7 and above. The Wind Orchestra is the middle ensemble within the senior school, whilst Gowan Brae Band is a special ensemble for year 7 students only, which receives extra attention and allows students to develop their talents intensively upon their arrival at King's. The marching band includes members of the Symphonic Band who are enrolled as cadets in The King's School cadet corps. In the Preparatory school, the Concert Band, Wind Ensemble and Junior Band complete the 3-12 wind bands program. The school also runs three stage bands, and numerous other jazz and chamber ensembles for Wind and Brass players. The King's School is particularly renowned for its 'Drumline', a percussion ensemble in the American tradition in which outstanding percussion students perform memorised precision drumming routines, in military-style formation. The school has a chamber string orchestra for experienced players. There is a non-auditioned choir for boys in the senior school, and the auditioned Schola Cantorum (Latin: meaning "school of singers"); both ensembles are in four vocal parts. In the preparatory school there are three choirs consisting of trebles and altos. A number of small ensembles exist including piano trios, guitar ensembles, percussion ensembles, flute ensembles, clarinet quartet, saxophone quintet and a number of popular music bands.

Instrumental lessons

Full and half-period instrumental lessons are offered in piano, pipe organ, guitar, violin, viola, violoncello, contrabass, tuba, horn, trombone, trumpet, saxophone, flute, clarinet, percussion (orchestral and drum-kit), bagpipes, and voice, are available. The school has a variety of music tutors.

Regular concerts and events

The Music Department conducts a number of regular events each year, including the annual Festival of Lessons and Carols, Gala Concert, ensembles concerts, and studio recitals for individual performances. Most events are held in either the Recital Room (part of the Sesquicentenary music building) or Futter Hall.

Sport

Sport is compulsory for all students. Senior school students must participate in one of rugby union, association football, volleyball or cross country in winter, and rowing, cricket, basketball, tennis, athletics or swimming in summer. If personally selected by the sportsmaster, students may represent the school at shooting outside their regular sporting commitments. Students may participate in a sport in which they have achieved excellence (deemed by the sportsmaster). Cricket, rugby union, association football, basketball and tennis is also available at the preparatory school. The school engages in these sports as a member of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales) with other schools: Saint Ignatius' College, St Joseph's College,

Sydney Boys High School , motto_translation = With Truth and Courage , established = , location = Cleveland Street, Moore Park, Sydney, New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , pu ...

Sydney Grammar School (Praise be to God) , established = , type = Independent, day school , gender = Boys , religious_affiliation = None , slogan = , headmaster = R. B. Malpass , founder = Laurence Hynes Halloran , chairman ...

Sydney Church of England Grammar School , motto_translation = , established = , type = Independent single-sex and co-educational early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school , grades = Early learning; ...

(Shore),

Newington College , motto_translation = To Faith Add Knowledge , location = Inner West and Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = A ...

, The Scots College and The Armidale School. KingsRowing1932

Rugby union

The school was instrumental in the development of rugby union in Australia, playing in the first inter-school game against

Newington College , motto_translation = To Faith Add Knowledge , location = Inner West and Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = A ...

in 1870. The school has produced 28 Wallabies and four of them have been captains. In 1880 members of the school rugby team also participated in the first recorded soccer match in Sydney against the Wanderers Club. On their 1888 tour of New Zealand and Australia, the

British and Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...

drew against a team from the school. The rugby union 1st XV has won several GPS Premierships in recent years, including those in 1997–2000, 2002, 2008, 2009 and 2018. The team won the 2000

Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament The Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament is an international rugby union tournament for 15-a-side youth teams which is held every year during the Golden Week holidays (29 April – 5/6 May) in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. Participati ...

in Japan. Current and recent

Wallabies A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and som ...

Stirling Mortlock,

Benn Robinson Benn Robinson (born 19 July 1984) is a former Australian professional rugby union footballer. He played as a loosehead prop for the New South Wales Waratahs in the Super Rugby and for Australia in international matches. He retired from rugby ...

Dean Mumm Dean Mumm (born 5 March 1984) is an Australian former representative rugby union player. He made fifty-six appearances for the Wallabies. Background Dean Mumm was born in Auckland, New Zealand. Career Amateur career Mumm attended The King's ...

, Nick Phipps and

Julian Huxley Sir Julian Sorell Huxley (22 June 1887 – 14 February 1975) was an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist, and internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentieth century modern synthesis. ...

are former students of the school. Other former students including

Ben Batger Ben Batger, (born 20 March 1984 in Sydney, Australia) is a professional rugby union footballer. He attended The King's School, Parramatta, playing in the 1st XV. His usual position is fullback or wing. He has played for the New South Wales Wa ...

Daniel Halangahu Daniel Halangahu is a professional rugby union assistant coach for North Harbour Rugby Union in the Mitre 10 Cup competition. He is a former professional player and played primarily as a five eighth and retired in 2015. He is also currently a ...

, Will Caldwell, James Hilgendorf,

Ben Hand Ben Hand (born 24 April 1982 in Sydney, Australia) is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Brumbies in Super Rugby. His playing position is lock. He made his Super Rugby debut for the Waratahs during the 2007 Super 14 season a ...

, Tom Carter, Mitchell Chapman,

Hugh Perrett Hugh Perrett (born 6 April 1982, in Sydney) is a rugby union player who played for the in Super Rugby. His playing position is Flanker. He made his debut in Super Rugby for the during the 2012 Super Rugby season as an injury replacement. H ...

Lalakai Foketi Lalakai Foketi (born 22 December 1994) is an Australian rugby union player who currently plays as a centre for the in Super Rugby. Career Foketi first came to prominence in 2013 with some impressive displays while playing for the Manly Mar ...

, Guy Millar and

Tim Davidson Tim Davidson (born 3 November 1982, in Young, Australia) is a rugby union footballer. His regular playing position is either flanker or eighthman. He represented the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby having previously played for the Western For ...

play in the

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hem ...

competition.

Greg Jeloudev Greg Jeloudev (born 24 March 1990) is a professional Rugby Union player. He represents Australia in Sevens Rugby. Born in Sydney, NSW and playing for Sydney University at a club level, he debuted for Australia in November 2010. As of Decembe ...

and Dylan Pietsch play for Australia in the

World Rugby Sevens Series The World Rugby Men's Sevens Series is an annual series of international rugby sevens tournaments run by World Rugby featuring national sevens teams. Organised for the first time in the 1999–2000 season as the IRB World Sevens Series, the com ...

. Daniel Conn plays rugby league for the

Sydney Roosters The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional Rugby League Football Club based in the Eastern Suburbs (Sydney) and parts of inner Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. The Roosters have won fifteen Ne ...

in the

NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...

. The

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owne ...

reported on 19 May 2016 that RSPCA Australia was investigating alleged cruelty to sheep after a video was posted on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dust ...

showing members of the school's teams tackling older rams around a paddock. The principal of the school likened it to "shearing".

Rowing

In rowing, the school has won the GPS Head of the River 18 times, including in 2006, 2007, 2021 and the Schoolboy VIII at the National Rowing Championships in 1982, 2001, and 2006. The school won the

Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup is a rowing event at Henley Royal Regatta open to school 1st VIIIs. History The event was instituted in 1946 for public schools in the United Kingdom. It was opened to entries from overseas in 1964, and th ...

at the

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It differs from the thr ...

in 2001 and the

Fawley Challenge Cup The Fawley Challenge Cup is a rowing event for junior boys quadruple sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames, at Henley-on-Thames in England open to those who have not attained 18 years of age by 1 September of the year b ...

in 2006. The school has Old Boys' rugby and football clubs for past students.

Controversy

Bullying and sexual misconduct

In 2011, a teacher was arrested for possession of images of child abuse, however, they were not of students from the school. In 2014, students filmed and uploaded an incident where a student rubbed their genitals on another boy's face. The Child Abuse Squad investigated the incident and a student was expelled. In 2016, the

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was a royal commission announced in November 2012 and established in 2013 by the Australian government pursuant to the Royal Commissions Act 1902 to inquire into and repo ...

found that the school had helped an alleged abuser move to another private school by withdrawing from the school rather than being expelled or suspended, making it easier to transfer to another school. The royal commission found that the alleged abuser had ejaculated onto the victim's sleeping bag during a school camp which led to months of bullying and the school had not reported the incident to the police.

Animal cruelty

In 2016, the

obtained footage of the school's rugby team crash-tackling sheep in a farm paddock. The headmaster at the time,

Timothy Hawkes Dr Timothy Francis Hawkes OAM is a former headmaster of The King's School, Parramatta, stepping down from the post in 2017 after serving in the role for almost 20 years. Early life and education Born in Adelaide, in 1953, Hawkes' initial educa ...

, defended the incident, stating that it was a "rugby camp training exercise not dissimilar to shearing". RSPCA Australia attended the school to investigate the incident.

COVID-19

In July 2021, a staff member was reported to the police for violating public health orders and attending an anti-lockdown protest, including posting about the experience to social media. The staff member was suspended from the school. In October 2021, the school was the only school in NSW to refuse a mask mandate during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. The headmaster Tony George stated that "NSW Education Department guidelines are primarily intended for NSW public schools", but as the school is independent, it only had a legal obligation to follow public health orders.

Jobkeeper

The school came under fire for claiming the

JobKeeper The COVID-19 pandemic in Australia is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first confirmed case in Australia was identified on 25 January ...

subsidy, handed out by the government during the

to help protect jobs. The private school claimed $8m in JobKeeper subsidies, despite delivering a surplus without the subsidy, largely due to high school fees.

School spending

In 2022, the school came under scrutiny over the school's spending and lack of transparency, after it approved a trip to fly business class for the school's headmaster Tony George, deputy and both of their wives to fly to watch the King's First VIII race in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. It was later revealed that the school had also approved a plan to build a plunge pool for the headmaster's residence.

Notable alumni

See ''

List of old boys of The King's School, Parramatta This is a List of Notable Old Boys of The King's School, Sydney, former students of the Anglican school, The King's School in North Parramatta, Sydney, Australia. Business * Hugh Mosman – discovered gold in Charters Towers * David Droga ...

References

External links

*
ISDA Debating website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kings School, Sydney Boarding schools in New South Wales Educational institutions established in 1831 Private primary schools in Sydney Private secondary schools in Sydney Anglican schools in Sydney Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference Boys' schools in New South Wales Junior School Heads Association of Australia Member Schools 1831 establishments in Australia History of education in Australia Schools in Parramatta Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales North Parramatta, New South Wales

History

Campus

House system

Senior school

Preparatory school

Uniform

Co-curricular activities

Academic clubs

Debating

Cadet corps

Music

Curriculum

Co-curricular program

Instrumental lessons

Regular concerts and events

Sport

Rugby union

Rowing

Controversy

Bullying and sexual misconduct

Animal cruelty

COVID-19

Jobkeeper

School spending

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links