Meet the Headmaster
I’m immensely proud and honoured to join a school that promotes a lifelong love of learning and provides unrivalled opportunities for pupils. King’s is an outstanding school with a rich history dating back to 1880. What sets it apart today is its vibrant and dynamic family community, inspiring pupils to fulfil their potential and make a real difference in the world around them.
I hope our website conveys a sense of the spirit of this wonderful school and that it convinces you to come and see us. I look forward to meeting you soon.
Michael Sloan
Sixth Form Years
In my view, the Sixth Form years are the most exciting period in a person’s education. Students study subjects of their choice for the first time and in greater depth. Students can follow their own lines of thought while working closely with teachers and peers.
There is no other time when there is so much potential for being influenced by new ideas. Often students arrive with one career in mind and leave with a completely different plan, having been inspired by an experience or a person at school.
Oliver Ellsworth, Head of Sixth Form
Fantastic Facilities
King’s College is an enriching environment in which to spend the Sixth Form years, both in and out of the classroom. We have inspirational teachers who are experts in their field, love their subject and are committed to their students. Classes are small, there are voluntary drop-in clinics for students who want more individual attention and a well-stocked academic library.
We believe A-levels offer the right balance between specialisation and depth, and are the best path to university entry. King’s students meet their personal tutor on a weekly basis for pastoral and academic support, and study in a dedicated Sixth Form Centre that opened in 2023.
Oliver Ellsworth, said, "As our Sixth Form expanded, we needed more room, so to have a purpose-built, creatively designed academic and social space is a huge boon. The building facilitates adult and university-style working practices and provides an environment for productive, mind-expanding conversation. Even though the building was planned before the pandemic, it is exactly what we need to boost the collaborative and social aspects of the best possible Sixth Form learning experiences after all that independent study."
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Social Experience
King’s offers Sixth Formers a fantastic social experience. Whether boarders or day pupils, students are allocated to a house where they have their own study space and common rooms. This quickly becomes the base of their social life, and the extensive programme of activities, sports and the Sixth Form social club provide opportunities for meeting new and interesting people.
At the end of the two years, a committee of leavers organise the magnificent Leavers’ Ball to celebrate everyone's time at King's.
Academic Life
Work in the Sixth Form is academically rigorous and we set high expectations for all our A-level pupils. We teach traditional subjects in small classes of roughly 12 to 16, and our teachers are well qualified specialists, enthusiastic and dedicated to promoting excellence within their subjects.
We place an emphasis on independent learning whilst providing close support for pupils' encouragement. This independence is developed by tutors in class and by a study skills programme.
We believe in moving beyond the boundaries of the prescribed A-level syllabus.
Tutor Support
Sixth Form pupils each have their own tutor to support them through two challenging and exciting years of study. Tutors act as academic advisor and help with UCAS applications, career guidance and a main point of contact for all pastoral and academic concerns.
Extended Learning
There is a significant programme of academic activities outside the classroom which brings greater breadth and depth to work inside it.
Sixth Formers are encouraged to choose an extended project (EPQ) to increase their enjoyment of the subjects and enhance their university application. In addition, there is a programme of academic activities and events to stretch and widen the horizons of ambitious candidates and academic high-flyers. All enthusiasms are catered for by departmental societies, speakers and events.
Subject Choice
At A-level, pupils usually choose to study three subjects, but some take four. Careful advice is given from the outset to ensure that choices match the requirements of popular courses at prestigious universities and suit the individual in question. Pupils are encouraged to take the extended project in addition to their three main A-levels.
Subjects include art and design, biology, business studies, chemistry, product design, drama and theatre studies, economics, English literature, geography, history, Latin, mathematics and further math, modern languages, music, music technology, photography, physical education, physics, psychology and BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport.
Outside the Classroom
Pupils play a wide range of sports, take part in plays and perform in diverse musical groups, with further opportunities to gain leadership skills in the school’s CCF section and travel the world on academic and sports excursions.
We are keen that pupils who leave our Sixth Form should be well prepared for university and life beyond. We have an extensive life-skills programme, which includes Leiths cookery, wine tasting and other domestic arts, finances, etiquette and public speaking. Senior pupils are invited to alumni events where they often make very useful professional contacts and arrange holiday work placements.
Futures
We have an excellent programme of careers and UCAS application support and guidance. Detailed, specific advice in the Sixth Form ensures that pupils make wise and appropriate choices about their future.
A carousel of weekly meetings informs their decisions and we have an excellent record of students achieving places at institutions of their choice. Guidance is provided from the initial selection of A-level choices right through to possible changes of direction after they receive their final results.
University Destinations
Mr Mack, our Head of Futures ensures a regular programme of activity and support is in place, including Career Breakfasts that give pupils the opportunity to meet people from different professions and explore their options and interests in more depth.
Each year, students access the most desirable courses at the most desirable universities. They seem keen to recruit from the school and many students study at Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, LSE and other Russell Group universities. Although it remains a small group, some King’s pupils move on to American and European universities.