The King's School, Rochester, is a
private 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 ...
all through 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
Rochester, Kent
Rochester ( ) is a town in the unitary authority of Medway, in Kent, England. It is at the lowest bridging point of the River Medway, about east-southeast of London. The town forms a conurbation with neighbouring towns Chatham, Kent, Chatham, ...
. It is a
cathedral school
Cathedral schools began in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education, some of them ultimately evolving into medieval universities. Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, they were complemented by the monastic schools. Some of these ...
and, being part of the foundation of Rochester Cathedral. The school claims to be the second oldest
continuously operating school in the world, having been founded in 604 AD.
[
]
History
The cathedral school in Rochester was founded in 604 AD, at the same time as the cathedral. It was refounded 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 during the
English Reformation
The English Reformation began in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away first from the authority of the pope and bishops Oath_of_Supremacy, over the King and then from some doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church ...
when the monastery in Rochester was dissolved.
It is the second
oldest school in the United Kingdom after
The King's School Canterbury.
Leadership
The current principal is Ben Charles, who also acts as the senior school headmaster. Kellie Crozer is the headmistress of the Pre-Preparatory and Preparatory Schools.
Site
The school is housed in a variety of buildings around Rochester (the school also uses
Rochester Cathedral for school services).
Senior school
Satis House
A 16th-century town house rebuilt as an 18th-century Georgian house, the school took it over in 1950 and purchased it outright in 1968. It had originally been built for
Richard Watts who had entertained 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 ...
there in 1573: asked for her verdict on her stay, the Queen had answered, "''satis''" (from the
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 ...
' for "enough"), hence the name of the house. Above the entrance portico is a 1578 bust of Watts who represented Rochester in Parliament between 1563 and 1571. At Satis House are the office of the principal of King's Rochester, administrative offices and the Sixth Form Centre.
Main School
The oldest building in use which was specifically built for the school. It was completed in 1742, the tower and additional classrooms were added in 1880 and the building extended with porches either end in 1913. During
WW2 the building was commandeered for ARP purposes. The wooden roof which had served as the school's assembly hall was removed in 1976. In 1985, it became the Design and Technology Centre.
Cheetham Memorial Building
This was opened in 1909 by
Richard Glazebrook, director of the
National Physical Laboratory. It originally consisted of a science laboratory and an art room and now contains two computing suites.
The Venerable Samuel Cheetham was Archdeacon of Rochester from 1882 until his death in 1908.
Laboratory and lecture theatre
Bachelor's Masonry
Mackean House
This was built in 1840 and later named after the last canon of the cathedral to live there, Canon William Herbert Mackean (1877–1960), Canon of Rochester 1925–58. The headmaster's study and the senior school were housed there until both were relocated Satis House in 1986. The property is marked on early maps as the house of the second prebend. During World War 2 the house was used for ARP purposes and is now used by the senior school English, geography, PE, economics and business studies departments.
Davies Court
Opened in 1982 by the Archbishop of York and named after Ernest William Davies (headmaster 1935–57), it houses the school's art, religious studies and language centres (French, Spanish, German and Russian). Memorial gates at the entrance from the Vines were dedicated in 2006.
Old St Margaret's
Originally a Richard Watts charitable school (as per the plaque on the façade explains), this is the oldest building in the towns of the Lower Medway in continuous educational use. As a Church of England primary school, St Margaret's, it was taken over by King's School in 1960 and purchased outright in 1968. It is used by the senior school mathematics, history and classics departments. Parts of the building and outbuildings house the offices of the school's
Combined Cadet Force which celebrated its centenary in 2011.
School hall
This was opened and dedicated by the
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 ...
in 1967. It is regularly used to host school productions, assemblies and other events.
King's Rochester Sports Centre
A joint venture with Medway Council, the King's Rochester Sports Centre was officially opened in June 2014 and provides among its modern facilities, netball and tennis courts and a gymnasium which are also available to the general public. The school also has a ''boathouse'' by
Allington Lock near Aylesford on the
River Medway which opened in 1984. The school has a long rowing tradition with the King's School Rochester Boat Club being founded in 1961.
Preparatory School
Source:
The main building was opened in 1958, extended in 1984 and with a new wing added in 1992. The part of King's Rochester was called the Junior School until 1989.
St Nicholas House
The late Victorian former vicarage for St Nicholas Church, was purchased in 1946 and used as the Junior School until the new buildings were opened in 1958. From 1958 until 1974 it was a boarding house and now contains Preparatory School administrative offices. Adjacent to St Nicholas House was a wartime decontamination shelter which had been converted to Junior School changing rooms. An additional floor and gabled roof were added in 2000 and opened that year in memory of David Dann (King's Scholar 1942–52) and a Governor of the school, to provide additional music facilities.
Rookwood
Previously used as a Junior School boarding house, as the first site of the Pre-Preparatory School (opened in 1988) and for the Nursery School and is now used for extra support lessons. From 1946 to 1961 it was the Headmaster's house.
St Ronan's
Built in 1908, acquired in 1948 and now used as a supplementary boarding house until boarding capacity at School House was increased in 1972 and now houses the Music Department.
The Pavilion
Situated above a bank on the west side of the paddock. The original building was created in 1905. An extension to the north, later called the Colours Room, was added in 1920 in memory of Major Maurice Miskin (1903–10), who was killed in action in 1918. The 25m Rifle Range immediately to the south and used by the Combined Cadet Force was built in 1926.
Conference Centre
Opened in 2006, the Conference Centre consists of a small hall on the ground floor and a basement used as a dining hall for the Preparatory and Pre-Preparatory Schools.
Pre-Preparatory School
Chadlington House
King's Rochester Pre-Preparatory School was opened in 2000 and named Chadlington House after Old Roffensian life peer Peter Gummer (
Lord Chadlington). This modern building also now houses King's Nursery School. In 2017 'Armadilla Pods' were constructed in the grounds for music lessons.
Houses
Senior School & Prep School
Headteachers
Senior school
Preparatory school
Pre-preparatory school
Notable alumni
*
Charles Andrews, organist
*Sir
Edwin Arnold, poet and author
*Sir
Derek Barton, Nobel Prize-winning chemist
*
James Hadley Chase, thriller writer
*
Michael Brown, Archdeacon of Nottingham
*
Richard Dadd, artist
*
Edward Mortlock Donaldson, World War II flying ace
*
Christopher Gabbitas, singer with the
King's Singers
The King's Singers are a British a cappella Choir, vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College, Cambridge, King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six Choir of King's College, Cambridge, chor ...
*
Michael S. K. Grant, IT professional and resident of the
BCS
*
John Griffiths, Warden of
Wadham College, Oxford
*
John Gummer, former
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
cabinet minister
A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...
*
Peter Gummer, Baron Chadlington,
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
peer
*
J. L. Joynes Sr., clergyman and schoolmaster
*
Richard Keen, lawyer and Conservative Party politician
*
David Clive King, author
*
Dinsdale Landen, actor
*
Harold Stephen Langhorne, Brigadier-General in the
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
*
Geoffrey Lees, cricketer and educator
*
G. R. S. Mead, author and member of the
Theosophical Society
*
Tris Osborne, Labour MP for
Chatham and Aylesford
*
Ian Parmenter, Australian television presenter and author (''
Consuming Passions'')
*
Peter Rogers, film producer
*
Simon Shackleton, musician from ''
Lunatic Calm''
*
John Storrs, Dean of Rochester
*
Pete Tong,
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
disc jockey
*
Sir Cecil Wakeley, 1st Baronet, surgeon
*
Matthew Walker, professional cricketer,
Kent Cricket coach (2017–present)
*
Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester
*
Michael Wilkes,
Adjutant-General to the Forces
*
Mimi Webb, Singer
*
Douglas Wilson, Bishop of Trinidad
See also
*
List of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom
*
List of the oldest schools in the world
This is a list of wiktionary:extant, extant schools, excluding universities and higher education establishments, that have been in continuous operation since founded. The dates refer to the foundation or the earliest documented contemporaneous ref ...
References
;Footnotes
;Citations
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kings School, Rochester
KingsSchool
Private schools in Medway
Educational institutions established in the 7th century
604 establishments
Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Co-educational boarding schools
Boarding schools in Kent
7th-century establishments in England
Choir schools in England
Church of England private schools in the Diocese of Rochester