King's Ely (renamed from "The King's School" in March 2012),The School's Terms and Conditions and the Companies House registration would suggest that the School's legal name remains "The King's School, Ely" is a

co-educational 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 ...

public school (English

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 ...

day and boarding school) in the city of

Ely Ely or ELY may refer to: Places Ireland * Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely * Ely Place, Dublin, a street United Kingdom * Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England ** Ely Cathedral ** Ely Rural District, a ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. It was founded in 970 AD, making it one of the oldest schools in the world. It was given its Royal Charter by King

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

in 1541. The school consists of a nursery, a pre-preparatory school, a junior school, a senior school, a sixth form, and an international school. King's Ely is a member of the

Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference The 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 United ...

. The school has produced a number of notable alumni, including, Edward the Confessor, King of England,

Lord Browne of Madingley Edmund John Phillip Browne, Baron Browne of Madingley, (born 20 February 1948) is a British businessman. He is best known for his role as the chief executive of the energy company BP between 1995 and 2007. This period has been described as ...

, erstwhile chairman of British Petroleum, and James Bowman, countertenor. King's Ely has featured in the local news for its sports results, and it has produced a bronze medal-winning

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

athlete, Goldie Sayers, who won a Bronze Medal for

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Much of the senior school uses the historic

monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic life plays an important role ...

buildings of the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

, and major school events and twice-weekly services are held there. One of the boys' boarding houses, School House, is claimed to be the oldest residential building in Europe. In its entirety, the school has over 1,000 pupils. It has a small campus, with other parts in buildings near the city centre. All King's Ely sections share resources such as sports facilities and the refectory in the Monastic Barn (unless in Sixth Form where pupils eat in the Bishop's Palace).

History

General History

King's Ely is one of seven schools established, or in some cases including this one, re-endowed and renamed, by King

in 1541 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The school has its origins in the religious house founded in Ely by St Etheldreda in 673 AD. Before 1720 it was called the Ely Cathedral Grammar School. The school became co-educational in 1970, and in 1973,

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

came to the school to celebrate the anniversary of the monastery. The school keeps a strong link with the

by which it is overshadowed. A teaching institution has been on the site since 970, making it the seventh oldest school in the United Kingdom. An article in ''

The Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication ...

'' 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 servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
and Indian Civil Service examination, an exhibition at
Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges 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 ...
, 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 oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, c ...
, and a second at
Peterhouse Peterhouse is the oldest constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Today, Peterhouse has 254 undergraduates, 116 full-time graduate students and 54 fellows. It is quite o ...
."

A Roll of Honour in School House lists 24 Old Eleans who were killed during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. In his

memoirs A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in 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 Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most famous universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collectively, in contrast to other British universities, and more broadly to d ...

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 Female (symbol: ♀) is the sex of an organism that produces the large non-motile ova (egg cells), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females a ...

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

Kidnapping

In November 1999, a 14-year-old pupil was

kidnapped Kidnapped may refer to: * subject to the crime of kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically ...

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 River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...

, as a 20 ft length of cable, ropes ties, handcuffs and a 56lb weight were found in the gang's vehicle. The parents of the boy received mobile phone calls demanding £250,000, which the police were able to trace. The men were found guilty of false imprisonment and blackmail and sentenced to custodial terms of 11–12 years.

Abolition and later Reintroduction of Rugby Union

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

Saturday school

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

Renaming and Re-Branding

In March 2012 the school changed its name from 'The King's School' to 'King's Ely' so as to distinguish the school from the six other

King's Schools King's Schools is a private Christian school, Preschool through 12th grade, located in Shoreline, Washington. 98% of the graduates of King's High School go on to higher education. History King's was founded in 1950 by Mike and Vivian Martin. Ori ...

established or renamed by

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 best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...

in 1541.

List of Known Headmasters and Principals

16th Century * Ralph Holland (c1541 - 1562) * James Speight (1562 - 1596) * John Lucke (1596 - 1598) 17th Century * Mark Holdred (1598 - 1604) * William Pamplin (1605 - 1609) * Daniel Wigmore (1609 - 1619) * William Hitch (1619 - 1664) * Charles Chadwick (1664 - 1674) * Richard Peachey (1674 - 1681) * Stephen Hutton (1681 - 1690) * William Silvertop (1690 - 1699) 18th Century * Edmund Tenant (1699 - 1725) * Henry Gunning (1725 - 1763) * William Irwin (1763 - 1776) * Caesar Morgan (1776 - 1790) * Richard Jeffreys (1790 - 1793) 19th Century * Stephen Stephens (1793 - 1816) * George Millers (1818 - 1833) * Solomon Smith (1833 - 1834) * Office Vacant (1834 - 1838) * William Keating Clay (1838 - 1843) * David James Stewart (1843 - 1848) * James Henry Henderson (1848 - 1852) * John Ingle (1852 - 1861) * John Chambers (1862 - 1870) * Richard Winkfield (1870 - 1894) 20th Century * Frederick William Hawes (1894 - 1904) * Edward Henry Blakeney (1904 - 1918) * Thomas James Kirkland (1918 - 1941) * Geoffrey John Cross (1941 - 1947) * William Brown (1947 - 1955) * Benjamin Edward Noble Fawcett (1955 - 1969) * Hubert Ward (1970 - 1992) 21st Century * Richard Youdale (1992 - 2004) * Sue Freestone (2004 - 2019) * John Attwater (2019 - )

Notable Buildings

The Porta

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

The Monastic Barn

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

Visitor 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 inter ...

's Feast.

Prior Crauden's Chapel

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

The Queen's Hall

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

The Infirmary

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

School House

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

Prior's House

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

Old Hereward Hall

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

Hereward Hall

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

Bishop's Palace

The

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

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

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

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 more ...

, and then as a home for disabled children until its closure in the 1980s. Following this the palace was purchased on a 99 year lease by the Sue Ryder Care organization, although the palace went up for sale again in 2010. Later that year King's Ely took over the lease and had the palace refurbished to be used as the school's Sixth Form Centre. It was opened by the

Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester 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, as well ...

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 1974 in the United Kingdom, and became a registered charity in 1978. Its primary objective is to act as an umbrella organisation for local groups involved in the planting, care and conservation of trees throughout ...

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

in 1541 and Queen's Scholars at the request of

in 1973. 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 particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private s ...

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

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 ...

on the new school and introduced the first scholars. The

bowling Bowling is a target sport and recreational activity in which a player rolls a ball toward pins (in pin bowling) or another target (in target bowling). The term ''bowling'' usually refers to pin bowling (most commonly ten-pin bowling), thoug ...

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. Tankards are usually made of silver or pewter, but can be made of other materials, for example wood, ceramic, or leather. A tankard m ...

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

Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The cathedral has its origins in AD 672 when St Etheldreda built an abbey church. The prese ...

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 one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...

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).

Houses

Boarding houses

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

Day houses

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

Curriculum

The school follows the standard curriculum of

(or

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

) 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 aut ...

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 branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

, politics, film studies, classics,

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analy ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

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 au ...

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.

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, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). ...

, Arts Award,

Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...

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 (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

Ensemble, Chapel Choir, Christian Union,

Chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

, Concert Band,

Contemporary Dance Contemporary dance is a genre of 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 strong popularity in ...

Club,

Cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

, Dance Club, DaVinci 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 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and young ...

(Bronze, Silver, and Gold),

Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir Ely or ELY may refer to: Places Ireland * Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely * Ely Place, Dublin, a street United Kingdom * Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England ** Ely Cathedral ** Ely Rural District, a ...

, Ely Scheme,

Equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

, Football,

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

Gym A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational ...

nasium, History Café,

Hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

, 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 facin ...

, King's

Barbers A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...

, 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: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

Netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

Percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

Ensemble,

Pilates Pilates (; ) is a type of mind–body intervention, 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". It is practiced worldwide, es ...

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 at ...

, Rugby,

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

Club, Spikes

Cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

Group, Squash,

Strength and Conditioning Strength may refer to: Physical strength * Physical strength, as in people or animals *Hysterical strength, extreme strength occurring when people are in life-and-death situations * Superhuman strength, great physical strength far above human ...

, String Orchestra,

Swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

Tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball c ...

, The Big Thinking Club,

Theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

Masterclass,

Yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-conscio ...

, and

Zumba Zumba is a fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance. It was founded by Colombian dancer and choreographer Beto Pérez in 2001, and by 2012, it had 110,000 locations and 12 million people taking classes weekly. Zumba is a ...

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. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commer ...

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, ...

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

, squash,

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

, 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 rounded end wooden, plastic, or metal bat. The players score by running arou ...

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

cross country running 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 earth, pass through woodlands and open ...

, among others. British

Javelinist Goldie Sayers began the sport whilst at King's.

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...

and

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring 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 intercepting ...

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, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...

* 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 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is t ...

and

(Reinstated in 2019) * Girls -

Summer Term * Boys -

and

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball c ...

* 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, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explora ...

, where pupils do activities such as

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...

, cross-country, dance,

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...

, keep fit,

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

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 The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU; gd, Aonadh Rugbaidh na h-Alba) is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. Styled as Scottish Rugby, it is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873. The SRU oversees the national league ...

player Jim Thompson.

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 State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in pa ...

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. It believes that tennis can provide "physica ...

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 independent school in the British public school tradition, for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, in the town of Eastbourne on the south coast of England. The College's headmaster is Tom Lawson. Overv ...

Bradfield College Bradfield College, formally St Andrew's College, Bradfield, is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) for pupils aged 11–18, located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire. It is not ...

, and

Wycombe Abbey , motto_translation = Go in faith , established = 1896 , type = Independent boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Headmistress , head = J. Duncan , chair_label = Chair ...

Cricket

Cricket is taught as a major sport from years 3-13. The school's Cricket Festival is a week of matches against all levels of competition at amateur, club, and school levels, ending with the 1st XI v. Old Eleans Match and the Old Eleans v. King's Ely Staff match The King's Enzymes is a Cricket Team made up of Old Eleans, parents, staff, and current pupils which hosts friendly internal and external games during the Summer Term against Pupil Teams, Staff Teams, and other Cricket Clubs. The team was launched in the 1990's by the then Head of Biology but eventually fizzled out until it was revived in 2022.

Athletics

Athletics is taught both as part of the

Physical Education Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explora ...

curriculum and as a Games option. Several notable athletes have attended the school, including

Medalist Goldie Sayers.

Rowing

The school has its own boat club which is affiliated to

British Rowing British Rowing, formerly the Amateur Rowing Association (ARA), is the national governing body for the sport of rowing (both indoor and on-water rowing). It is responsible for the training and selection of individual rowers and crews represent ...

(boat code KSE) and its own boat house which is next to

Cambridge University , 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 ...

'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 W ...

. 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 Holme Pierrepont is a hamlet and civil parish located south-ea ...

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. The event is held at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont (Nottingham) with occasional championships held at the Strathclyde Country Park. The championships originall ...

the women's J16 quad sculls won the national title at the 2017 British Rowing Junior Championships. In 2021 the club came second place in the J18

Double Scull A double scull 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") are long, narrow, and broadly ...

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 The Royal Windsor Horse Show is a horse show held annually since 1943 for five days in May or June in Windsor Home Park.

, 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 ...

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, brass, and percussion famil ...

. 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 Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact def ...

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 some Western liturgical calendars on 29 September, a ...

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 that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

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 spelled Candlemass), 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 commemorating the presenta ...

St. George's Chapel, Windsor St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is both a Royal Peculiar (a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch) and the Chapel of the Order of the Gart ...

and in

Evensong Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset focused on singing psalms and other biblical canticles. In origin, it is identical to the canonical hour of vespers. Old English speakers translated the Latin word as , which becam ...

St. Paul's Cathedral, London St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

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 dance studio is a space in which dancers learn or rehearse. The term is typically used to describe a space that has either been built or equipped for the purpose. Overview A dance studio normally includes a smooth floor covering or, if used f ...

, a Black Box Studio, and the Hayward Theatre where productions are held. The Junior School has its own Drama Studio and productions are either held in the Morbey Hall or the Hayward Theatre. The department is active throughout the year with: rehearsals every evening and most weekends, Theatre Masterclasses run by professional practitioners brought in from external acting troupes, Drama and Dance clubs such as the Acting Techniques Club and the

Armchair Theatre ''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 Canad ...

Club, academic rehearsals, and Technical Theatre Clubs. The department regularly has former pupils entering the performing-arts industry and has a growing number of candidates auditioning for Theatre Schools. Drama is taught to all pupils in years 3-9 and optionally from year 10 onwards. In 2019 84% of pupils earnt a grade 9-7 at

. For the past 5 years 100% of pupils have achieved 100% A*-B at

and in 2015 100% of pupils achieved an A* grade. Each year the department's shows include: A musical theatre production, contemporary and classical studio pieces, academic showcases,

open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether t ...

nights, Trinity Speech and Drama showcases, and attendance at the

Edinburgh Fringe Festival The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

. Recent productions have included:

Made in Dagenham ''Made in Dagenham'' is a 2010 British comedy-drama film directed by Nigel Cole and starring Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Miranda Richardson, Geraldine James, Rosamund Pike, Andrea Riseborough, Jaime Winstone, Daniel Mays and Richard Schiff. I ...

, Education Education Education,

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

Lord of the Flies ''Lord of the Flies'' is a 1954 novel by the Nobel Prize-winning British author William Golding. The plot concerns a group of British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves. Themes ...

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 beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his co ...

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, ...

Arabian Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

, Grimm Tales,

Around the World in 80 Days ''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (french: link=no, Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is an adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in French in 1872. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employ ...

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific exp ...

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...

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 original ...

Seussical ''Seussical'' is a musical comedy by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, based on the many children's stories of Dr. Seuss, with most of its plot being based on ''Horton Hears a Who!'', ''Gertrude McFuzz'', and '' Horton Hatches the Egg'' while ...

Electra Electra (; grc, Ήλέκτρα) is one of the most popular mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, '' Electra'' by Sophocles and '' Electra'' by Euripides. She is also the centr ...

, The Electra project,

Into The Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

, Grease, Whistle Down The Wind, We Will Remember Them,

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' (often colloquially known as ''Joseph'') is a sung-through musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. Th ...

, The Cagebirds, Iphegenia in Orem,

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 als ...

Wendy and Peter Pan ''Wendy & Peter Pan'' is a play by Ella Hickson, adapted from the original play and novel ''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' by J.M. Barrie. The play is a re-telling of the classic children's story which features Wendy Darling as ...

Emil and the Detectives ''Emil and the Detectives'' () is a 1929 novel set mainly in Berlin, by the German writer Erich Kästner and illustrated by Walter Trier. It was Kästner's first major success and the only one of his pre-1945 works to escape Nazi censorship. T ...

Medea In Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the ...

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...

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

', 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, and normally includes Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force sections. Its aim is to "provide a ...

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 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and young ...

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

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, ...

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 planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over ...

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

slacklining Slacklining refers to the act of walking, running or balancing along a suspended length of flat webbing that is tensioned between two anchors. Slacklining is similar to slack rope walking and tightrope walking. Slacklines differ from tightw ...

, and an assault course. The competition is named in memory of Kit Martin-Doyle who was one of the founders of the Ely Scheme Outdoor Education Program. In 2015 the competition along with the wider Ely Scheme Initiative was the subject of an article by The Telegraph as an example of the benefits of outdoor education initiatives. Ely The Gallery

King's Ely Junior

The school has its own junior school, which is separate from the senior school, although shares many of its facilities. It has around 357 pupils from Year 3 (approximately 7) to Year 8 (aged 13). The junior school has its own faculty of staff, own administration and management and a self-contained block of classrooms. This was complemented in 2003 by a new building which contained classrooms and other facilities, primarily for Year 7 and 8 pupils. The majority of Year 8 pupils can expect to transfer into King's Senior School. The Head of the junior school is R Whymark. Like many independent schools, the junior school has a house system, with each pupil belonging to one. It forms an integral part of life at the school and there are frequent inter-house events in sports as well as the arts. All boarding pupils in Priory and Walsingham (Choir) House are also affiliated to a day house for everyday school activities, such as house meetings and competitions. Walsingham House was previously known as Choir house until September 2021 when its name was changed to reflect the fact that it no longer housed just choristers but also other boarders.

King's Ely Acremont

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

King's Ely International

King's Ely International was started primarily as a link school, so that students who had little English–speaking ability could accustom themselves to the language before going on to the senior school or another English-speaking public school, normally in the sixth form. The centre offers both two and one-year

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 A cafeteria, sometimes called a canteen outside the U.S., is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or sch ...

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 politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

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 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 Public school may refer to: *State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government *Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England and ...

, 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 t ...

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

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 , type = Non-ministerial government department , seal = , seal_caption = , logo = Charity Commission for England and Wales logo.svg , logo_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , ...

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, 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 identified ...

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 (

), and

STEM Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushr ...

. 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,

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as well as extensively in

mainland Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent 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 ...

. 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. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

) and has produced a number of

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s. Ely Cathedral Girls' Choir was established in 2006, comprising twenty girl choristers drawn from both the Junior School and the Senior School, in Years 7-11 (ages 11–16). The girl choristers sing two Evensong per week, and do full weekend duties once or twice a month. Since September 2010, the girls' choir has been directed by Sarah MacDonald. There are six permanent Layclerks who sing Alto, Tenor, and Bass for both top lines. They are supplemented by additional singers on Sundays and for major feasts, and there are also a number of Sixth Form Choral Scholars who are also pupils at King's Ely. The cathedral appointed its first female layclerk in January 2019. In his

, 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 served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005. He previously held cabinet posit ...

he director of music He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
purposely 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 is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the cit ...
. The "Ely Sound" was harsher than King's, more flexible, more vigorous, always excellent in enunciation."

Old Eleans

Old Eleans (Former pupils of the school) are organised under the Old Eleans Club which holds events during the year for Old Eleans to meet and remain involved with the school. These include an annual black-tie dinner, a drinks event in the spring, the Old Elean vs Staff Cricket Match, the Old Elean vs King's Ely XI Cricket match, a Netball match, a

day, a barbeque, and a Rowing event. The Old Eleans club helps to raise donations for the school having recently donated a Lightweight Double Rowing shell, donating £10,000 to the School's Harship Fund, and supporting the creation of a garden designed by Chelsea Award Winner

Kamelia Zaal Kameliya Vladimirova Veskova ( bg, Камелия Владимирова Вескова; born 10 January 1971), better known mononymously as Kamelia, is a Bulgarian singer, actress and TV presenter. Early years Kamelia was born on 10 January ...

. Many Old Eleans participate in the Enzymes Cricket Team.

Notable Old Eleans

Politics

Richard FitzNeal Richard FitzNeal ( c. 1130 – 10 September 1198) was a churchman and bureaucrat in the service of Henry II of England. Life In 1158 or 1159 Nigel, Bishop of Ely paid Henry II to appoint his natural son, Richard FitzNeal, as the king's tre ...

, Lord High Treasurer, 1156–1196 * Sir

Antony Buck Sir Philip Antony Fyson Buck (19 December 1928 – 6 October 2003) was a British Conservative politician. Early life and career The son of Arthur F. Buck, a farmer and agricultural merchant, and his wife Laura (née Fyson), a founder member o ...

, QC, Conservative MP * Tom Hunt, serving Member of Parliament for Ipswich * Thomas Willett, first mayor of

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. * Syed Iftikar Bokhari, Pakistani politician and cricketer * Desmond Crawley, British diplomat * Sir Guy Pilling, British colonial administrator and Governor of St Helena

Royalty and nobility

* Edward the Confessor,

King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Baili ...

, 1042–1066 *

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Businesspeople

, former CEO of British Petroleum *

Tonye Cole Tonye Patrick Cole (born 11 January 1967) is a Nigerian businessman, he is the co-founder and former Group Executive Director of Sahara Group an energy conglomerate with operations spanning the entire energy chain in Nigeria and neighbouring We ...

, Nigerian businessman

Writers

* Harry Sidebottom, author and historian *

Patrick Collinson Patrick "Pat" Collinson, (10 August 1929 – 28 September 2011) was an English historian, known as a writer on the Elizabethan era, particularly Elizabethan Puritanism. He was emeritus Regius Professor of Modern History, University of Cambridge, ...

, historian * Aschlin Ditta, television and film writer * Andrew Taylor, author

Scientists

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

Journalists and television presenters

* Matthew Amroliwala,

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

Music

* 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 ( ...

and former Ely Cathedral chorister

Actors, directors and producers

Ed Blum Ed Blum is the director and producer of '' Scenes of a Sexual Nature'' (2006), a low budget British movie starring Ewan McGregor and Sophie Okonedo, filmed entirely on Hampstead Heath Hampstead Heath (locally known simply as the Heath) is ...

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, ...

, known for the film ''

Scenes of a Sexual Nature ''Scenes of a Sexual Nature'' is a 2006 British comedy-drama film directed by Ed Blum and starring an ensemble cast which includes Ewan McGregor, Adrian Lester, Eileen Atkins, Andrew Lincoln, Gina McKee, Sophie Okonedo, and Hugh Bonneville. The ...

'' * Dick Everitt, Television and film producer, with credits including ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based ...

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

Alan Yentob Alan Yentob (born 11 March 1947) is a BBC presenter and retired British television executive. He stepped down as Creative Director in December 2015, and was chairman of the board of trustees of the charity Kids Company from 2003 until its coll ...

, television executive, producer and

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's ''Imagine'' series

Artists and designers

* Aubrey Powell, designer, noted for designing

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are c ...

's ''

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'' 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 Naturalism of Bastien-Lepage and ...

, Painter

Armed forces

* Donald Kingaby, World War II flying ace *

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Alwyn Thomas Lavender Covey-Crump, author of ''Alphabetical Glossary of Naval Terms and Abbreviations.''

Sportspeople

Oliver Jarvis Oliver Jarvis (born 9 January 1984) is a British professional racing driver currently racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Mazda Team Joest. Jarvis won the 2022 24 Hours of Daytona with Meyer Shank Racing. Early life ...

, 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 endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...

* 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 and Director of

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, 2005 World Karting Champion, and former British

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and GP3 racing driver * Goldie Sayers, Olympic medallist –

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

Scottish Rugby Union The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU; gd, Aonadh Rugbaidh na h-Alba) is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. Styled as Scottish Rugby, it is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873. The SRU oversees the national league ...

player in the

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Others

* Dr 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 Independent 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 independent schools in the Diocese of Ely Ely, Cambridgeshire Schools with a royal charter

History

General History

Kidnapping

Abolition and later Reintroduction of Rugby Union

Saturday school

Renaming and Re-Branding

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

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 Junior

King's Ely Acremont

King's Ely International

Fairstead House

Fees and charitable status

School finances

Scholarships

Ely Cathedral Choir

Old Eleans

Notable Old Eleans

Politics

Royalty and nobility

Businesspeople

Writers

Scientists

Journalists and television presenters

Music

Actors, directors and producers

Artists and designers

Armed forces

Sportspeople

Others

See also

Notes and references

External links