King's School, Rochester

The King's School
Motto Disce aut discede
("Learn or leave")
Established 604 AD[1]
Type Independent day and boarding school
Cathedral school
Religion Church of England
Principal Jeremy Walker
Chairman of the Governors Dean of Rochester
Founder (refounded) Henry VIII
Location Boley Hill
Rochester
Kent
ME1 1TE
England
51°23′15″N 0°30′06″E / 51.3874°N 0.5016°E / 51.3874; 0.5016Coordinates: 51°23′15″N 0°30′06″E / 51.3874°N 0.5016°E / 51.3874; 0.5016
Students 700
Gender Coeducational
Ages 3–18
Houses 5
Colours Blue, black and white
Former pupils Old Roffensians
School Song "Carmen Roffense"
Website kings-rochester.co.uk

The King's School, Rochester is an English independent school in Rochester, Kent. It is a cathedral school and, being part of the foundation of Rochester Cathedral, the Dean of Rochester serves as chair of the school's governing body[2][3]. The school claims to be the second oldest continuously operating school in the world, having been founded in 604 AD.[1] [lower-alpha 1]

History

The cathedral school in Rochester was founded in 604 AD, at the same time as the cathedral. It was refounded by Henry VIII in 1541 during the English Reformation when the monastery in Rochester was dissolved.[1] It is the second oldest school in the United Kingdom after The King's School Canterbury.[4] The current principal is Jeremy Walker, who also acts as the senior school headmaster. Roger Overend is the preparatory school headmaster and Catherine Openshaw is the headmistress of the nursery and Pre-Preparatory school.[3][lower-alpha 2]

Site

The school is housed in a variety of buildings around Historic Rochester (the school also uses Rochester Cathedral for school services);

Senior School[5]

Satis House

A 16th century town house rebuilt as an 18th-century Georgian house, it was taken over by the School in 1950 and purchased outright in 1968. It had originally been built for Richard Watts who had entertained Queen Elizabeth there in 1753: asked for her verdict on her stay, the Queen had answered, ‘satis’, 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 Senior School Library.

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. At the entrance are the Parker Memorial Gates (after Reverend William Parker, Headmaster 1913-35) which were dedicated in 1955.

The Cheetham Memorial Building

This was opened in 1909 by Dr 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.

The Laboratory and Lecture Theatre

The building was opened in 1952 and was the School’s first new building for nearly 40 years. Further adjacent science laboratories for chemistry and physics were opened in 1959 and the biology wing in 1980.

The College

Built in 1640, this was the Deanery from 1661 to 1961. The building was home to Rochester Theological College (founded by Bishop Christopher Chavasse) from 1961 until its closure in 1970. It then became in part the King’s School Sixth Form Centre with the Senior School History and Geography Departments.

Mackean House

This was built in 1840 and later named after the last Canon of the Cathedral to live there; Canon William Herbet 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 2nd Prebend. During WW2 the house was used for ARP purposes and is now used by the Senior School English, 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. 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 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 in 1967. It is regularly used to host school productions, assemblies and other events. It is due to be renovated in mid 2018.

Bob Doubles

Named after a method of change ringing on five bells. This is the school's café and tuck shop and occupies the former stables of Prior Gate’s House.

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 1861.

Preparatory School[5]

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 general teaching. 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[5]

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.[6] In 2017 the building got upgraded and now houses Armadilla Pods for music lessons.[7]

Houses

Senior School[8]

House Colour Inception Origins
Crick Dark Green 1951 Thomas Crick – Dean of Rochester (1943–1958)
Parker Pale Blue ???? William Parker – Headmaster of the School (1913–1935)
School House Purple ???? School Boarding House (senior and preparatory school)
Storrs Cerise (Red) ???? John Storrs – Dean of Rochester (1913–1928)
Whiston Gold (Yellow) ???? Robert Whiston – Clerk in Holy Orders and Headmaster of the Cathedral Grammar School (1842–1877)

Preparatory School[8]

House Colour Notes
St William's Dark Green
St Nicholas' Pale Blue
St Andrew's Gold
St Peter's Cerise
St Justus' Orange Now unused
St Margarets Purple Now unused

Prep-Preparatory School[8]

House Colour Notes
Hippos Dark Green
Zebras Pale Blue Previously known as 'Snakes', but it is reported that some children were scared of snakes it was changed to 'Zebras'
Giraffes Gold
Tigers Cerise


Headteachers

Senior School

Headmaster Years as Headmaster Duration
Rev. Robert William Whiston 1844–1877 33 years
John Langhorne 1877–1893 16 years
Rev. John Bennett Lancelot 1893–1901 8 years
Rev. Thomas Frederick Hobson 1901–1910 9 years
Rev. Richard Frederick Elwyn 1910–1913 3 years
Rev. William Parker 1913–1935 22 years
Rev. Ernest William Davies 1935–1957 22 years
Rev. Canon Douglas Vicary 1957–1975 18 years
Roy Ford 1975–1986 11 years
Ian Robert Walker 1986–2012 25 years
Jeremy Walker[3] 2012–2018 6 years
Roger Overend (interim) January-April 2019 4 months
Ben Charles 2019-

Preparatory School

Head Years as Head Duration
Chris Nickless ????-2001 ?? years
Roger Overend[3] 2001-2018 17 years
Tom Morgan 2018-

Pre-Preparatory School

Head Years as Head Duration
Anita Parkins[9] 1990-2009 19 years
Sarah Skillern[10] 2009−2016 7 years
Catherine Openshaw[11] 2016−present

Old Roffensians

Notable visitors

In 2014 Olympic Gold Medallist Lizzie Yarnold visited the school in order to present prizes at the Prep School prize giving service. In 2016 Nigel Blackman, the renowned British author, visited the School to celebrate World Book Day and to show children his collection of fossils and to share his knowledge on dinosaurs.[14] In 2017 Axel Scheffler, the famed illustrator, was invited to celebrate World Book Day there.[11]

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Shishi Middle School in China claims a foundation c. 142 BC but this is disputed owing to a gap in its functioning. The King's School, Canterbury was founded in 597 AD.
  2. ↑ Note that Jeremy Walker took over as principal from Ian Walker in 2012, the same surname has caused some confusion.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 "King's School Rochester: History". 28 September 2006. Archived from the original on 30 January 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2011.
  2. ↑ "About Us | King's Rochester". www.kings-rochester.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Staff and Governors | King's Rochester". www.kings-rochester.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
  4. ↑ Page, Anne. "Rochester, King's School". Of Choristers – ancient and modern. Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 At the Heart of Historic Rochester - A Brief Guide to Buildings and Places. The Old Roffensian Society LTD. 2016. pp. 4–13.
  6. ↑ "Pre-Preparatory School". Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  7. ↑ "Encapsulated in Music Inside our New Pods". 9 January 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 "King's Rochester: Pre-prep Pastoral Care". Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  9. ↑ "King's prep school head's farewell after 20 years". Kent Online. Retrieved 2018-04-24.
  10. ↑ "Farewell to a much loved Headmistress". 8 July 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  11. 1 2 "Gruffalo illustrator visits King's Rochester". 2 March 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  12. ↑ Snoo Wilson (4 August 2013). "Dinsdale Landen". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  13. ↑ "Matt Walker player profile". Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 November 2007.
  14. ↑ "Author Nigel Blackman celebrates World Book Day with our Pre-Prep pupils". 7 March 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
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