King's Ely 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 an all through public school (English fee-charging

day A day is the time rotation period, period of a full Earth's rotation, rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours (86,400 seconds). As a day passes at a given location it experiences morning, afternoon, evening, ...

and boarding school) in the city of Ely in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. It was founded in 970 AD, making it one of the oldest schools in the world. It was given its first

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

King Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagreement w ...

in 1541, its second by Queen

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

in 1562, and its third by King Charles II in 1666. The school consists of a nursery, a pre-preparatory school, a prep school, a senior school, a sixth form, and an international school. King's Ely is a member of the

Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), formerly known as the Headmasters' Conference and now branded HMC (The Heads' Conference), is an association of the head teachers of 351 private fee-charging schools (both boarding schools ...

. In 2021, The Independent Schools Inspectorate published their report writing that "King's Ely achieved the highest grading possible in every category inspected and was judged to meet or exceed all regulatory standards for independent day and boarding schools." The school has produced a number of notable alumni, including,

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was King of England from 1042 until his death in 1066. He was the last reigning monarch of the House of Wessex. Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. He succeede ...

, King of England,

Lord Browne of Madingley Edmund John Phillip Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley (born 20 February 1948), is a British businessman and a crossbencher, crossbench member of the House of Lords. Browne was the CEO, chief executive of BP between 1995 and 2007. This period ...

, former

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

of BP, 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 A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receives ...

in the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...

. Much of the senior school uses the historic

monastic Monasticism (; ), also called monachism or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially ...

buildings of the

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, 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

The school now known as King's Ely is the result of over a millennium of history which originally began with the education of child

oblate In Christianity (specifically the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist traditions), an oblate is a person associated with a Benedictine monastery or convent who is specifically dedicated to God and service. Oblates are i ...

s on the site now occupied by

Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely, is an Church of England, Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The cathedral can trace its origin to the abbey founded in Ely in 67 ...

in 673 AD at the abbey founded by St Etheldreda. In 840 the site was burned down by the

Danes Danes (, ), or Danish people, are an ethnic group and nationality native to Denmark and a modern nation identified with the country of Denmark. This connection may be ancestral, legal, historical, or cultural. History Early history Denmark ...

. In 970 the monastery in Ely was restored by Æthelwold,

Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Winchester in the Church of England. The bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. The Bishop of Winchester has always held ''ex officio'' the offic ...

and St Dunstan,

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

, and with it the school was re-established, and has existed continuously since then (The school therefore states its establishment as being in 970 as it has operated continuously since then). Following the Dissolution of the monasteries in 1541, many schools connected to monasteries were at risk of abolition, however the school was re-endowed and renamed to ''The King's School, Ely'', by

as one of the seven King's Schools. In 1562

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

issued the school its second

. The name was not retained for long however as in 1653, under Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell the school was renamed ''Ely Cathedral Grammar School''. In 1666 the school was awarded its third royal charter by King Charles II. In 1702, upon the accession of Queen Anne the school became known as ''Queen Anne's School''. This was due to the fact that the country now had a queen, and was an exception in this time period as no other queen has resulted in a name change. In 1720 the name ''The Kings School, Ely'' returned, until it was shortened in March 2012 to ''King's Ely'' as to distinguish the school from the six other King's Schools established or renamed by

in 1541. When

Hereward the Wake Hereward the Wake (Old English pronunciation /ˈhɛ.rɛ.ward/ , modern English pronunciation / ) (also known as Hereward the Outlaw or Hereward the Exile) was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman and a leader of local resistance to the Norman Conquest of E ...

led the last Saxon rebellion against

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

in 1071, the monks of Ely, and therefore the teachers at the school, gave William access to a secret passageway that led to the defeat of the Rebellion and the capture of Ely. An article in ''

The Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'', founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. The magazine was published weekly for most of its existence, switched to a less freq ...

'' 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 The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil service personnel hired rather than elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leadership. A civil service offic ...
and Indian Civil Service examination, an exhibition at
Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms was ad ...
, a first in the May examination at
Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the 16 "old colleges" of the university, and was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. Its buildings span the R ...
, and a second at
Peterhouse Peterhouse is the oldest Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Peterhouse has around 300 undergraduate and 175 graduate stud ...
."

In his

memoirs A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based on the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobio ...

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 Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford, Universities of Oxford and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collect ...

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 An organism's sex is female ( symbol: ♀) if it produces the ovum (egg cell), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete (sperm cell) during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females and ...

Head, taking over from Richard Youdale who had been headmaster for 12 years. In 1973,

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

came to the school to celebrate the anniversary of the monastery, and also attended the school's Visitor's Feast The school keeps a strong link with the

by which it is overshadowed, forming a key part of school life with pupils attending services in the Cathedral at least once per week in Acremont and the Prep School, and twice per week in the Senior School, and being the venue for Start of Term, End of Term, Admission of Scholars, and Prize Giving services, alongside purely religious services. A Roll of Honour in School House lists 24 Old Eleans who were killed during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Another Roll of Honour is located outside of the Hayward Theatre and features the names of 89 Old Eleans killed while in service of the British Armed Forces during The First World War,

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and

The Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...

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 The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

, as a 20 ft length of cable, ropes ties, handcuffs and a 56 lb 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 2015 the school scrapped Saturday School, instead lengthening the regular working week, and leaving Saturday morning free for non-academic, non-compulsory activities.

List of Known Headmasters and Principals

15th Century * John Douham (c. 1448) 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 Keatinge 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 A visitor, in English and Welsh law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution, often a charitable institution set up for the perpetual distribution of the founder's alms and bounty, who can interve ...

's Feast.

Prior Crauden's Chapel

Prior Crauden's Chapel was built in 1324 for John de Crauden. The building is Grade I listed. 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 Prep 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 A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

was built in the 15th century by Bishop John Alcock and was one of the official residences of the

Bishop of Ely The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire (with the exception of the Soke of Peterborough), together with ...

until 1941. During the

the palace was used as a base for the

British Red Cross The British Red Cross Society () is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with 1 ...

, 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 Sue Ryder is a British palliative and bereavement support charity based in the United Kingdom. Formed as The Sue Ryder Foundation in 1953 by World War II Special Operations Executive volunteer Sue Ryder, the organisation provides care and supp ...

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 Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, the youngest ...

on Friday 25 January 2013. In 1674 a Great London Plane Tree was planted by the

at the time, Peter Gunning. In June 2002 the

Tree Council The Tree Council was founded in 1973 in the United Kingdom, and became a Charitable organization#Registration, registered charity in 1978. Its primary objective is to act as an umbrella organisation for local groups involved in the planting, car ...

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 Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

in 1541 and Queen's Scholars at the request of

in 1973 upon her visit to the school. There is no application process for these honorary scholarships, the positions instead being awarded based on pupils'

GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...

results.

The Hoop Trundle

The Hoop Trundle is performed to mark the re-founding of the school by

, in 1541. After he dissolved the monastery, he bestowed a

on the new school and introduced the first scholars. The

bowling Bowling is a Throwing sports#Target sports, target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a bowling ball, ball toward Bowling pin, pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). Most references to ''bowling'' are ...

of wooden hoops within the precincts of the

, along with other games, was one of the privileges that they were afforded. Female competition was added when

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 A tankard is a form of drinkware consisting of a large, roughly cylindrical, drinking cup with a single handle. In recent centuries tankards were typically made of silver or pewter, but can be made of other materials, for example glass, wood, ...

is awarded to both sexes. The course is a 75-yard dash to a post and back along the east lawn of

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 Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...

The King's Barbers, the school's barbershop group comprising former

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).

The Bowman Lecture

The Bowman Lecture was launched in 2014 to promote the creative and

liberal arts Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...

at the school and is funded by the Old Eleans' Club. It takes place during the

Michaelmas Term Michaelmas ( ) term is the first academic term of the academic year in a number of English-speaking universities and schools in the northern hemisphere, especially in the United Kingdom. Michaelmas term derives its name from the Feast of St M ...

. It is named after James Bowman, who is an Old Elean and world-renowned counter-tenor. Since its founding, speakers have included: James Bowman,

, Dame Fiona Reynolds, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Richard Pinto,

Harry Sidebottom Harry Sidebottom is a British author and historian, best known for his two series of historical novels the ''Warrior of Rome'', and ''Throne of the Caesars''. He is Quondam Fellow and Tutor in Ancient History at St Benet's Hall, Oxford, St. Ben ...

, and Mathelinda Nabugodi.

The Osmond Lecture

The Osmond Lecture is an annual event established in 1982 and endowed by the Old Elean's Club to commemorate Leonard Osmond, who taught Science at King's Ely from 1930 to 1972. Speakers in the last decade have included: Professor Lord Robert Winston,

Patricia Fara Patricia Fara is a college lecturer in the history of science at Clare College, Cambridge. She is a graduate of the University of Oxford and did her PhD at the University of London. She is a former Fellow of Darwin College and is an Emerita Fel ...

, and

Quentin Cooper Quentin Cooper (born 1961, Grimsby) is a science journalist and facilitator, who presented BBC Radio 4's ''Material World (radio programme), Material World'' from 2000 to 2013. He speaks at science festivals and lectures, and works regularly w ...

'Name on a Brick' Tradition

Every year,

Sixth Form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

leavers are given the opportunity to carve their name into a brick of their choice around the school site, allowing each student to leave a physical mark of their time at the school.

Sword and Dagger Ely Scheme Competition

The annual Sword and Dagger competition is a competition where the boys and girls senior 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.

Martin-Doyle Endurance Challenge

The annual Martin-Doyle Endurance Challenge is a gruelling endurance competition where each house nominates a team of two pupils to compete in a series of mentally and physically challenging competitions involving a 5 km run, 3 km canoe, climbing, memory challenge, tyre flip, assault course, swimming. 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 ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...

'' as an example of the benefits of outdoor education initiatives.

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 which 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 The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's government, reporting to Parliament. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training ...

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

(or

IGCSE The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an English language based secondary qualification similar to the GCSE and is recognised in the United Kingdom as being equivalent to the GCSE for the purposes of recognising ...

) and

A Levels The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational a ...

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 Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, politics, film studies,

classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

and

philosophy of religion Philosophy of religion is "the philosophical examination of the central themes and concepts involved in religious traditions". Philosophical discussions on such topics date from ancient times, and appear in the earliest known Text (literary theo ...

. The senior school was placed 12th in Cambridgeshire for its

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 The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...

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 (

) which are frequently offered by independent schools including King's Ely as they are considered good preparation for A Levels. Academic Results: * 2023 GCSE Results: Nearly 50% achieved grades 9-7. * 2023 A Level Results: Nearly 50% secured A* or A grades, with 75% achieving A*-B. * 2019 GCSE Results: 56% attained grades 9-7. * 2019 A Level Results: 34% achieved A* or A grades, with 58% achieving A*-B.

Extracurricular activities

The school has a significant amount of activities encompassing a wide range of subject matters. Some of these activities include:

Aerobics Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness (Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, Muscle, muscular strength, and ...

, Arts Award, Athletics,

Badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racket (sports equipment), racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net (device), net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per s ...

Brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...

Ensemble, Chapel Choir, Christian Union,

Chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

, Concert Band,

Contemporary Dance Contemporary dance is a genre of Concert dance, dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly stron ...

Club,

Cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

, Dance Club,

DaVinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

Engineering Society,

Duke of Edinburgh's Award The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, which has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and ...

(Bronze, Silver, and Gold), Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir, Ely Scheme, Equestrian,

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

Golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

Gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

nasium, History Café,

Hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...

, Jazz Band,

Kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

, King's Barbers, King's

Orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

Netball Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...

Percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

Ensemble,

Pilates Pilates (; ) is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Pilates called his method "Contrology". Pilates uses a combination of around 50 repetitive e ...

Rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

, Rugby,

Running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion by which humans and other animals move quickly on foot. Running is a gait with an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is in contrast to walkin ...

Club, Spikes

Cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...

Group, Squash, Strength and Conditioning, String Orchestra,

Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

Tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

, The Big Thinking Club,

Theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

Masterclass,

Yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...

, and Zumba.

Sports

King's Ely also has many sports facilities, including an

artificial turf Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass, used in sports arenas, residential lawns and commercial applications that traditionally use grass. It is much more durable than grass and easily maintained wi ...

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 Sculling is the use of oars to propel a boat by moving them through the water on both sides of the craft, or moving one oar over the stern. A long, narrow boat with sliding seats, rigged with two oars per rower may be referred to as a scull, its ...

hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

, squash,

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

, and

rounders Rounders is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a wooden, plastic, or metal bat that has a cylindrical end. The players score b ...

. Teams and individuals from the school frequently represent the school and county in their discipline. Recent successes have been seen in

show jumping Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows ar ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

, and

cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which teams and individuals run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain such as dirt or grass. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and soil, earth, pass through woodlands and ope ...

, among others. British Olympic Javelinist Goldie Sayers began the sport whilst at King's.

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

and

goalkeeper In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...

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 Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

* Girls -

Lent Term * Boys -

Association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

and

(Reinstated in 2019) * Girls -

Summer Term * Boys -

and

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

* 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 Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

, where pupils do activities such as athletics,

, cross-country,

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

, keep fit,

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

badminton Badminton is a racquet sport played using racket (sports equipment), racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net (device), net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per s ...

, and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

. 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. In 2025 the 1st XV made further school history by making it to the final of the Continental Tyres National Schools Bowl, after defeating King Edward VI School Stratford 17-13 in the semi-final, which was held at Ealing Trailfinders Stadium against Hayes School where they were defeated 50-26 by Hayes.

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 A state school, public school, or government school is a primary or secondary school that educates all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in part by taxation and operated by the government of the state. State-funded schools a ...

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 The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is the national governing body of tennis in Great Britain, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man founded in 1888. The LTA promotes all levels of lawn tennis. The organization believes tennis can provide ...

events. In 2022 the Senior Girls' team competed in the Lawn Tennis Association Schools Autumn League final against

Eastbourne College Eastbourne College is a co-educational Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging school in the English Public school (United Kingdom), public school tradition, for boarding school, boarding and Day school, day pupils aged 13–18, in ...

Bradfield College Bradfield College is a coeducational public school (independent boarding and day school) for pupils aged 13–18, in the village of Bradfield, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It is noted for its open-air Greek theatre and its trien ...

, and

Wycombe Abbey Wycombe Abbey is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private girls' boarding and day school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The school was founded in 1896 by Dame Frances Dove (1847–1942), who was previously headmistress of ...

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 1990s 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 Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

curriculum and as a Games option. Several notable athletes have attended the school, including Olympic Medallist 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 The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

's on the

River Great Ouse The River Great Ouse ( ) is a river in England, the longest of several British rivers called "Ouse". From Syresham in Northamptonshire, the Great Ouse flows through Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk to drain into the ...

. 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 1987 National Rowing Championships was the 16th edition of the National Championships, held from 17–19 July 1987 at the National Water Sports Centre in Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham. Senior Medal summary Lightweight Medal summary ...

the club won the men's U-16 single sculls. In 2017 at the

British Rowing Championships The British Rowing Championships usually take place every year and are normally held at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont (Nottingham), with occasional championships held at the Strathclyde Country Park Strathclyde Coun ...

the women's J16 quad sculls won the national title at the

2017 British Rowing Junior Championships The 2017 British Rowing Junior Championships were the 46th edition of the National Junior Championships, held from 14–16 July 2017 at the National Water Sports Centre in Holme Pierrepont Holme Pierrepont is a hamlet and civil parish lo ...

. In 2021 the club came second place in the J18

Double Scull A double scull, also abbreviated as a 2x, is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for two persons who propel the boat by sculling with two oars each, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") ar ...

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

Jazz Band A jazz band (jazz ensemble or jazz combo) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands vary in the quantity of its members and the style of jazz that they play but it is common to find a jazz band made up of a rhythm section and a ho ...

and

Concert Band A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind instrument, woodwind, brass ...

. There is also a barber shop chorus, formed almost exclusively by boys who were choristers in the

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 Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

each year, in which the music and drama departments collaborate. A less serious music competition is held in the

Michaelmas Michaelmas ( ; also known as the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, the Feast of the Archangels, or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels) is a Christian festival observed in many Western Christian liturgical calendars on 29 Se ...

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 A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

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 Candlemas, also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian holiday, Christian feast day commemorating the presentation of ...

St. George's Chapel, Windsor St George's Chapel, formally titled The King's Free Chapel of the College of St George, Windsor Castle, at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is a Royal Peculiar (a church und ...

and in

Evensong Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset focused on singing psalms and other biblical canticles. It is loosely based on the canonical hours of vespers and compline. Old English speakers translated the Latin word as , which ...

at St. Paul's Cathedral, London respectively.

Drama

The school has a

Drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

and

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 Prep 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 ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Ca ...

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. 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 The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal mythology. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by hi ...

', 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 The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) is a youth organisation in the United Kingdom, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which operates in schools, sub divided into Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and Royal Air Force sections. Its aim is to ...

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 The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, which has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and ...

. King's Ely has a dedicated climbing wall, bouldering cave, 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 Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

, the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

and the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

. 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. In 2015 the Ely Scheme Initiative was the subject of an article by ''

'' as an example of the benefits of outdoor education initiatives. Ely The Gallery

King's Ely Prep

The school has its own Prep school, known as King's Ely Junior School until the start of the 2023 academic year, which is separate from the senior school, although it shares many of its facilities. It has around 357 pupils from Year 3 (approximately 7) to Year 8 (aged 13). The Prep 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 Prep school is R Whymark. Like many independent schools, the Prep 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 Ely Prep 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

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

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 Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

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 Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

independent school A private school or independent school is a school not administered or funded by the government, unlike a State school, public school. Private schools are schools that are not dependent upon national or local government to finance their fina ...

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 Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a ...

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 The Charity Commission for England and Wales is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's Government that regulates registered charities in England and Wales and maintains the Central Register of Charities. Its counterparts in Scotland and ...

website. Income has steadily increased over recent years and as such expenditure has increased accordingly, excluding the disruption caused by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

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 Stem or STEM most commonly refers to: * Plant stem, a structural axis of a vascular plant * Stem group * Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Stem or STEM can also refer to: Language and writing * Word stem, part of a word respon ...

. 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

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

choristers. The choir has toured many countries in the past, including the United States, Canada,

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

as well as extensively in

mainland Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous mainland of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by so ...

. The choir is also regularly engaged in concerts, both in the cathedral as well as other prestigious venues (such as the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

) and has produced a number of

Compact Disc The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. It employs the Compact Disc Digital Audio (CD-DA) standard and was capable of hol ...

s. Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir was established in 2006, comprising twenty girl choristers drawn from both the Prep 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

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

"
Michael Howard Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne (born Michael Hecht; 7 July 1941) is a British politician who was Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom), Leader of the Opposi ...
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 King's College, formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, is a List of colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college lies beside the River Cam and faces ...
. 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, founded in 1889, 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

day, a barbeque, and a Rowing event. The Old Eleans club helps to raise donations for the school having in the last decade 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 alumni

Politics

* Richard FitzNeal, Lord High Treasurer, 1156–1196 * Sir Antony Buck, QC, Conservative MP * Tom Hunt, former Member of Parliament for Ipswich * Thomas Willett, first mayor of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. * Syed Iftikar Bokhari, Pakistani politician and cricketer * Desmond Crawley, British diplomat * Sir Guy Pilling, British colonial administrator and Governor of St Helena * Clifford Henry Fitzherbert Plowman, British Diplomat and Colonial Service administrator

Royalty and nobility

King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers Constitutional monarchy, regula ...

, 1042–1066 *

Sir Robert Fairbairn, 7th Baronet The Fairbairn Baronetcy, of Ardwick in the parish of Manchester in the County Palatine of Lancaster, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 2 November 1869 for the prominent Scottish engineer Sir William Fairbairn, ...

Businesspeople

, former CEO of BP * Tonye Cole, Nigerian businessman * Oswald Sanderson, English Businessman known for the Wilson Line of Hull

Legal Professionals

* Dame Joanna Smith, British High Court Judge

Writers

, author and historian * Patrick Collinson, historian * Aschlin Ditta, television and film writer * Andrew Taylor, author * John Tipler, automotive writer *

Jeremy Taylor Jeremy Taylor (1613–1667) was a cleric in the Church of England who achieved fame as an author during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. He is sometimes known as the "Shakespeare of Divines" for his poetic style of expression, and he is fr ...

, English writer, editor, and publisher * Gytha Lodge,

Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

bestselling writer and multi-award-winning playwright

Scientists and Medical Professionals

* Suzy Lishman

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, former President of the Royal College of Pathologists * William Sole, British

Apothecary ''Apothecary'' () is an Early Modern English, archaic English term for a medicine, medical professional who formulates and dispenses ''materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons and patients. The modern terms ''pharmacist'' and, in Brit ...

and

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

* Harry Swift, English medical practitioner and researcher * Robert Chartham, sexologist

Journalists and television presenters

* Matthew Amroliwala,

BBC News 24 The BBC News channel is a British free-to-air Public broadcasting, public broadcast television news channel owned and operated by the BBC. The channel is based at and broadcasts from Broadcasting House in the West End of London, West End of ...

newsreader * Nigel Colborn, broadcaster and gardening expert, former presenter of BBC '' Gardeners' Question Time'' * Julian Bennett, television presenter, best known for British '' Queer Eye'' and ''

The Only Way Is Essex ''The Only Way Is Essex'' (often abbreviated as ''TOWIE'' ) is a British reality television series based in Brentwood, Essex, England. It shows "real people in modified situations, saying unscripted lines but in a structured way." Broadcast on ...

Musicians

* James Bowman, English

countertenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a ...

and former Ely Cathedral chorister * Gus Unger-Hamilton, Keyboardist for the

Indie Rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

Band

alt-J Alt-J (stylised as alt-J, real name Δ) are an English indie rock band formed in 2007 in Leeds. Their lineup includes Joe Newman (guitar/lead vocals), Thom Sonny Green (drums), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards/vocals), and formerly Gwil Sainsbury ...

* David Pickard, Director of the

BBC Proms The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the ...

, and Former Director of the Glyndebourne Opera * Darren Jeffery, English Bass-baritone singer

Actors, directors and producers

* Ed Blum,

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

, known for the film '' Scenes of a Sexual Nature'' * Richard Everitt, Television and film producer, with credits including ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'' * Fiona Laird, Theatre director, composer, and writer. * Hugh Miles, cinematographer and filmmaker, specialising in wildlife films *

Alan Yentob Alan Yentob (11 March 1947 – 24 May 2025) was an English television executive and presenter. He held senior roles at the BBC, including head of music and arts, controller of BBC1 and BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadca ...

, television executive, producer and

presenter Presenter may refer to: People * News presenter, person who presents news during a news program * Sports commentator, an announcer who presents analysis of a sporting event * Radio personality, presenter or announcer on a radio show * Television ...

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's ''Imagine'' series

Artists and designers

* Aubrey Powell, designer, noted for designing

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

's '' Houses of the Holy'' album cover *

Edward Stott Edward Stott (24 April 1855 – 19 March 1918) was an English painter of the late Victorian to early twentieth century period. He trained in Paris under Carolus Duran and was strongly influenced by the Rustic Realism (arts), Naturalism of Bast ...

, Painter * Rupert Sanderson, British shoe designer

Armed forces

* Donald Kingaby, World War II flying ace *

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

Alwyn Thomas Lavender Covey-Crump, author of ''Alphabetical Glossary of Naval Terms and Abbreviations.'' * John W. R. Taylor, British Kremlinologist and military aviation expert

Sportspeople

* Oliver Jarvis, British racing driver and winner of the 2022

24 Hours of Daytona The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car racing, sports car Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Flo ...

* Benedict Jackson, English

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

* Oliver Oakes, Team Principal of Alpine F1 Team, Team Principal and Director of Hitech GP, 2005 World Karting Champion, and former British

Formula Three Formula Three (F3) is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers. History Formula Three (adop ...

and GP3 racing driver * Goldie Sayers, Olympic medallist –

Javelin A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon. Today, the javelin is predominantly used for sporting purposes such as the javelin throw. The javelin is nearly always thrown by hand, unlike the sling ...

* Nick Pope, England and Premier League goalkeeper *Rebecca Daniel, Welsh hockey player * Alan Gregory,

Scottish Rugby Union The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU; ) is the Sport governing body, governing body of rugby union in Scotland. Now marketed as Scottish Rugby, it is the second-oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873. The SRU oversees the national league sys ...

player in the 2018 Six Nations Championship * William Burns, cricketer * Henry Luddington, Cricketer

Others

* Frances Ward, Dean of St Edmundsbury, Cathedral of Bury St. Edmunds * Harry Barton, Archdeacon of Sudbury * James Bentham, English Clergyman and Historian of

Notes and references

External links

*
A history of the choristers of Ely CathedralEly Cathedral Choir websiteProfile on the Independent Schools Council website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kings School, Ely Private schools in Cambridgeshire Boarding schools in Cambridgeshire Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference Educational institutions established in the 1540s 10th-century establishments in England Choir schools in England Church of England private schools in the Diocese of Ely Ely, Cambridgeshire Schools with a royal charter Educational institutions established in the 10th century 970 establishments Buildings and structures in Cambridgeshire Cathedral schools Charities based in Cambridgeshire People educated at King's Ely Ely Cathedral

History

General history

Kidnapping

Abolition and later Reintroduction of Rugby Union

Saturday school

List of Known Headmasters and Principals

Notable Buildings

The Porta

The Monastic Barn

Prior Crauden's Chapel

The Queen's Hall

The Infirmary

School House

Prior's House

Old Hereward Hall

Hereward Hall

Bishop's Palace

School traditions

Scholars

The Hoop Trundle

The King's Barbers Valentine's Day Serenades

The Bowman Lecture

The Osmond Lecture

'Name on a Brick' Tradition

Sword and Dagger Ely Scheme Competition

Martin-Doyle Endurance Challenge

Houses

Boarding houses

Day houses

Curriculum

Extracurricular activities

Sports

Rugby Union

Hockey

Football

Netball

Tennis

Cricket

Athletics

Rowing

Equestrian Team

Music

Drama

The Ely Scheme

King's Ely Prep

King's Ely Acremont

King's Ely International

Fairstead House

Fees and charitable status

School finances

Scholarships

Ely Cathedral Choir

Old Eleans

Notable alumni

Politics

Royalty and nobility

Businesspeople

Legal Professionals

Writers

Scientists and Medical Professionals

Journalists and television presenters

Musicians

Actors, directors and producers

Artists and designers

Armed forces

Sportspeople

Others

See also

Notes and references

External links