King's School, Rochester
| Motto | disce aut discede (learn or leave) |
|---|---|
| Established | 604[1] |
| Type | Independent (cathedral school) |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Headmaster | Dr Ian Walker |
| Chairman of the Governors | The Dean of Rochester |
| Founder | (refounded) Henry VIII |
| Location | Boley Hill Rochester Kent England |
| Students | 600 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Ages | 3–18 |
| Houses | 5 |
| Former pupils | Old Roffensians |
| School Song | Carmen Roffense |
| School Chaplain | Mr Father John Thackray |
| Head of School | Alex Fenner |
| Website | www.kings-school-rochester.co.uk |
Coordinates: 51°23′15″N 0°30′06″E / 51.3874°N 0.5016°E
The King's School, Rochester is an independent school in Rochester, Kent. It is a cathedral school, and being part of the foundation of Rochester Cathedral, the Dean of Rochester Cathedral serves as the chair of the school's governing body. It claims to be the second-oldest school in the world, having been founded in 604 AD.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
The cathedral school at Rochester was founded in 604 AD, at the same time as the cathedral, and was refounded by Henry VIII in 1541 during the Protestant Reformation, when the monastery at Rochester was dissolved.[1] It is the second oldest school in the United Kingdom after The King's School Canterbury[citation needed]. The current King's Head Master is Dr Ian Walker, with Mr Kevin Jones as the Senior School Headmaster, Mr Roger Overend as the Preparatory School Headmaster and Mrs Sarah Skillen as the Pre-Preparatory School Headmistress.
[edit] Site
The school is housed in a variety of buildings around the Cathedral precincts including Main School, Davies Court, Mackean House, the School Hall and Old St. Margaret's, an ex workhouse, which houses the Maths and Classics Departments).
The Preparatory School is situated close-by and is predominantly a campus of buildings surrounding the Paddock, which is a space used as a cricket/rugby field. A larger sports ground, commonly known as "the Alps" is located about a mile away.
The School's administrative offices are housed in Satis House, which reputedly gained its name from a comment by Queen Elizabeth I who stayed there as a guest of its owner, Richard Watts. As she left, Watts asked the queen if she had been comfortable during her stay. She replied: "satis", which in translation means "enough" or "satisfactory".
[edit] The Houses
Within the Senior School there are currently five houses:
| House | Colour | Inception | Origins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crick | Green | Thomas Crick - Dean of Rochester (1943-1958) | |
| Parker | Blue | William Parker - Headmaster of the School (1913-1935) | |
| School House | Purple | School Boarding House (Both Senior & Preparatory School) | |
| Storrs | Red | John Storrs - Dean of Rochester (1913-1928) | |
| Whiston | Yellow | Robert Whiston - Clerk in Holy Orders and Headmaster of the Cathedral Grammar School (1842-1877) |
In the Preparatory school, there are currently four houses, though there were previously six:
St. Williams St. Nicholas St. Andrews St. Peters (The now defunct fifth and sixth houses were St. Margarets and St. Justus)
In pre-prep the houses are Tigers (Red), Zebra (Blue), Hippos (Green) or Giraffes (Yellow).[2]
[edit] Order of St. Justus
The Order of St Justus, which is incorporated within England’s Rochester Cathedral Foundation, and governed by Head Master of King's School Rochester Dr. Ian Walker, is a foundation set up with the intention to build a King’s University of Bangladesh and a King’s School, Dhaka, in Bangladesh. Links have been established and land identified for the site, and the school is in the early stages of possible development.
[edit] Old Roffensians
- John Selwyn Gummer, formerly Conservative cabinet minister.
- Pete Tong, BBC Radio 1 disc jockey.
- Matthew Walker, professional cricketer.[3]
- Harold Stephen Langhorne, Brigadier-General in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps of the British army.
- G. R. S. Mead, author and member of the Theosophical Society.
- Dinsdale Landen, actor[4]
- Peter Rogers, film producer
- Edwin Arnold, poet, author
- Richard Dadd, artist
- David Clive King, author
- Rufus Muller, tenor.[5]
- Simon Shackleton, musician from Lunatic Calm
- Howard Saunders, musician from Lunatic Calm
- Sir Cecil Wakeley, surgeon
- Christopher Gabbitas, professional singer with The King's Singers
[edit] School Headmasters
| Headmaster | Years as Headmaster | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John Langhorne (MA) | 1877-1893 | 16 years |
| John Bennett Lancelot (MA) | 1893-1901 | 8 years |
| Reverend Thomas Frederick Hobson (MA) | 1901-1910 | 9 years |
| Richard Frederick Elwyn (MA) | 1910-1913 | 3 years |
| William Parker (MA, BD) | 1913-1935 | 22 years |
| Ernest William Davies (MA) | 1935-1957 | 22 years |
| Canon Douglas Vicary (MA, BSc) | 1957-1975 | 18 years |
| Roy Ford (MA) | 1975-1986 | 11 years |
| Dr. Ian Walker (BA, PhD, LTh, ABIA, FCollP, FRSA) | 1986-Present | 25 years |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "King's School Rochester: History". September 28, 2006. http://www.kings-rochester.co.uk/History.aspx. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
- ^ King's Rochester: Pre-prep Pastoral Care
- ^ "Matt Walker player profile". Cricinfo. http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/22274.html. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
- ^ "Dinsdale Landen". The Independent (London). 2003-12-31. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dinsdale-landen-549174.html.
- ^ "Rufus Muller biography". http://www.rufusmuller.com/home.htm.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Rochester, Kent
- Independent schools in Kent
- Educational institutions established in the 7th century
- 604 establishments
- Schools with Combined Cadet Forces
- Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
- Education in Medway
- Co-educational boarding schools
- 7th-century establishments in England
