School Description
Responses taken from Ofsted Parent View
Learn more about the opportunities at Kings, meet the Principal and get to know the college.
1. Student-centred ethos
- Highly personalised approach to learning and pastoral development
- Friendly and empowering college community — on a human scale
2. Exceptionally small classes and personalised attention
- Just 4 – 10 in a class at GCSE and A-level
- Maximum contact time with subject specialists
3. Outstanding exam results
- Outstanding ‘value-added’
- 39% exceeding predictions by 2 or more grades
- 2019 45% A*A at A-level
- A* 75% above national average
- 2019 GCSEs 82% Grades 9 – 4 (A* – C)
4. Personalised study plans
- Two-year and one-year intensive programmes
- Flexibility to combine courses e.g. A-levels with GCSE resits
- Resit and Retakes
- EPQ and Trinity Arts Award
5. Support and personal development
- Extensive personal tutor and pastoral care team
- Wide range of extra-curricular activities
- Engagement in work experience projects and research
6. Leading university destinations
- 86% A-level students with offers from Top 20 universities
- Extensive and individually tailored support for university degree selection and application
- Full UCAS guidance
- Specialist preparation for additional university assessments including: UCAT, BMAT, TSA, LNAT, Personal Statements and Interviews
- Work experience and research opportunities
- Make the most of your talents and achievements whatever your ambitions including: Oxbridge, Medicine, Law, Art and Design; the choice is entirely yours and we will support and guide you every step of the way.
7. Global reach and opportunities
- Develop a global outlook for your future
- Assess opportunities for further study in the UK or overseas
- Share ideas and concepts with students from across the globe
Kings has an extensive enrichment programme through which students can learn new skills, develop existing hobbies and interests and add to their UCAS applications.
We know that getting into a good univeristy is more than about just good grades.
Activities vary throughout the year, making the most of relevant opportunities, and are detailed in a monthly enrichment calendar. These include:
· Sport and fitness clubs
· Creative clubs
· Academic Clubs
· Duke of Edinburgh's Award
· Student Council
· Model UN
· Kings Business Enterprise
· The Kings Community Award
· National Citizen Service
· Work Experience and Volunteering
· Trinity Arts Award
· Academic visits and weekend excursions
· Lecture programme and guest speakers
We post our monthly activities programme on our Facebook page. Click the link below to view this month's events at Kings Oxford.
SPECIALIST ART & DESIGN COURSES
Our Flagship School of Art and Design, Oxford
• An Approved Centre to deliver the UAL Level 3 and 4 Diplomas in Art and Design.
• Art and Design Foundation
• Fast-track Art and Design pathway
• A-level Art and Design
Discover King School of Art and Design, Brighton
• UAL Approved Centre for UAL Diploma in Art and Design
• Excellent facilities for painting, illustration, photography, fashion graphic design, and fine art
Discover Kings School of Art and Design, London
• Well-equipped art school within Kings main college
• Safe, friendly neigbourhood with easy access to central London
UNIVERSITY PLACES
All students benefit from a structured and personally tailored University Application Programme. They are supported throughout the whole process by our team of experienced expert academics and counsellors. Students’ choice of university may be influenced by a range of factors and are encouraged to explore their opportunities in detail.
This year's confirmed places include:
Arts University Bournemouth, Bath, Birkbeck, Birmingham, Bristol, Brunel, Cambridge, Cardiff, City, Dundee, Durham, East Anglia (UEA), Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Goldsmiths, Kent, Kings College London (KCL), Kingston, Lancaster, Leeds, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, New College of the Humanities, Nottingham, Queen Mary, Reading, Royal Holloway, Sheffield, SOAS, Southampton, Surrey, Sussex, University of the Arts London (UAL), University College London (UCL), University for the Creative Arts (UCA), Warwick, York and more.
I have been teaching since 1994, mainly mathematic) but also IT, Computer Science and PSHE. I have been an examiner for NFER and AQA and am an ISI inspector. I have worked predominantly in boarding schools in the independent sector, including Shiplake College, Downe House and Wellington College. I have run departments and boarding houses, including setting up the boarding and pastoral systems in Eton's state boarding school, Holyport College. I was Deputy Head (and DSL) in the Mill Hill School Foundation, after which I was a member of the Senior Leadership Team and Director of Boarding at Heathfield School.
Who/what inspired you to become a teacher?
I was a distinctly average student during my school years and I have to admit that I did not particularly enjoy my educational experience. Until I was taught by someone that I could identify with and look up to. My experience of learning mathematics had consisted of large amounts of copying things into my book from the board and then trying to memorise largely unexplained algorithms and spurious rhymes (cross the sign, change the sign etc). However, when I was taught mechanics at A and Further Maths level by ‘Coxie’, I began to understand what I was actually trying to do and how it all pieces together. Mr Cox, aka ‘Coxie’, was an ex Royal Navy officer with a flash sports car and some awesome banter, he was a hero to most of us boys for these things alone; but it was his no nonsense approach to mathematics (cut out the BS, as he would say) that struck a chord with me, He simplified everything and related it to what we had learnt earlier, so progress was obvious and understandable. He was incredibly patient, gave of his time freely and genuinely cared about his pupils. He also had a very balanced view of teaching and would genuinely enjoy some of the pranks we played on him while at the same time working us hard. An absolute allrounder that made learning pleasurable and enabled us to reach our potential.
What achievement are you most proud of as Head?
I am most proud of giving our students and staff a very genuine ‘voice’. Even though our student council is still in its early stages those involved are already producing some exciting ideas of how we can move the school forward. Also after having one to ones with all the staff have a long list of ideas and suggestions that are surprising in their simplicity and how much of an impact they would have on the school. I have used Surveys and suggestion boxes (physical or on a computer) before but nothing has produced the amazing result I have seen from the one to ones. Watch this space!
What does a successful school look like to you?
I want every person leaving Kings Oxford to be prepared for life in the 21st century.
And why?
We are living in times of great change. We are seeing traditional jobs disappearing and new jobs and work opportunities appearing in unpredictable ways. We need to be enabling our students not only to cope with this uncertainty but to flourish. They need the resilience and wellbeing to seek their own successful path in life and to be happy. It is in preparing our students for this that we do them the best possible service.
What is the most important quality you want every child to have when they leave your school? And why?
It is the love of learning, combined with the understanding and appreciation of different cultures. As a global citizen, treating others as they would themselves like to be treated.
Please give 5 words to describe the ethos of your school.
Caring, Inclusive, Ambitious, Exciting, Personalised
This school is independently managed and its admission criteria may be selective. There is no set catchment area as pupils are admitted from a wide variety of postcodes and, in the case of boarding schools, from outside the UK. Contact the school directly or visit their website for more information on Admissions Policy and Procedures.
24/7 Customer Service: [email protected]
