Junior Kings Canterbury

[bloemen]

Hi are there any parents with children at JKC who are happy to share their opinion of the school whether good or bad.

We've visited the school and really like it and all it has to offer. I like the idea of a school that goes through to 18 if required. This would be the initial aim. We have been offered places for our children.

This is part of a move down from London so any insight into the culture of the school, pastoral services, sports offering and the demographic of the parents would be good. Of all the schools we have visited Kings seems very diverse and international which is important to us.

Thanks in advance to anyone that replies.

Bump

Hello! Our children began at JKS recently after a move from London and they are thriving. There are plenty of opportunities for parents to feel part of school life and to get to know the other families. The children are in a wonderful environment and their timetable is full and varied, including lots of sport and generous outdoor playtimes. There are some very characterful and committed staff who seem to genuinely care about the children’s education and well-being. There is certainly an international feel, particularly in the upper school (years 7 and 8) because there is a higher proportion of boarders from overseas. We made the choice based on the beautiful site, balanced, high-quality curriculum and friendly feel, and we haven’t been disappointed.

@CustardArt thank you for the response. It's nice to hear such a positive review. Our children are very different one sporty/arty distinctly average in everything else, the other quite academically gifted in maths and science. Do you think the school meets the needs of the child or is there a leaning towards intellectual ability at the cost of all else? I got the impression the school catered to the strengths of the child whatever they may be but it would be good to hear from a parent whose child(ren) go to the school. Thanks in advance. B

Hello again.

So far we have an impression that matches yours!

The curriculum comes across very well and there are many children excelling academically, but there doesn't feel to be a 'hot house' atmosphere. Talents in other areas - sport, art, drama, DT - are definitely celebrated. You can probably pick that up from the school’s social media - and maybe you can see the weekly newsletter online?

Feel free to PM me if more is helpful.

Oh also - have you visited the Senior School as well as JKS? If not, it’s worth making a visit as it has a very particular character. We visited twice before making our decision - it really helped us.

Recently joined. It feels very grounded, some very academic children who thrive but definitely not a hothouse. Great sports too. I understand it is getting quite full in the older years.

I don't agree with private education but I was forced to send my child to a private school in Canterbury, I'd choose St Edmunds in a heartbeat. This is based on years of my children having friends and team mates from both schools and my adult son running a club with kids from both. My, and his, perception is that St Ed's is a happier, more relaxed environment and the kids are more confident and cheerful and better mixers. I generally found I preferred having them home. Just my impression of course, but it's another viewpoint.

Sorry- I meant to say "IF I was forced...."!

Hello
An update on Junior Kings school (Canterbury) - a review for anyone who might find it useful.
We’ve had our children there since nursery. They’ve had a wonderful time in pre prep (great school plays and kind teachers) but not so much in the middle school, so we’re actually moving them away.
The main reasons:
a) We were disappointed that there was only limited sport in pre prep, so when our children went to year 3, we found they were sadly lacking compared to children who had just joined the school from elsewhere. There is then a culture of whichever children are in the A team tend to hang out together and exclude others in B & C teams and there is hardly ever any change in the children who are in the A team.
b) They do have a good standard of education and some good teachers, but not enough to ensure getting into the top universities.
c) There are a lot of parents with money but not always class.
d) A lot of parents are very controlling and stop their children mixing. A friend of ours son went through the whole school from nursery to senior kings sixth form, and worryingly left without having made any friends. Part of the problem is a huge influx of international children.
e). They are not very good at dealing with bullying. The teachers response is just “to keep them apart”. There’s no real conflict resolution.

Like many parents we were impressed with the nice buildings and the charming teachers.

While we’re sure many of these issues are the same at many schools - we think we’ve found another school which will bring our children up to be happier and more rounded individuals, engaging well with a wider variety of children.

Hope this helps.

You wish your children to engage with a “wider variety of children” while complaining about an apparent lack of “class”?

@Jenny02 "b) They do have a good standard of education and some good teachers, but not enough to ensure getting into the top universities.
c) There are a lot of parents with money but not always class."

Interested to hear more about these two points in particular....