King's school, Canterbury??

[Yasmin2013]

Anyone got any views on the school and their pastoral care?

Also, is anyone going to their sixth form open morning this Saturday?

I know someone who's son goes there - its fab apparently.

Husbands family went there. My niece left last year. It is an amazing school- very creative with fantastic music and drama. Pastoral care was very good. My DD is going there.

We went there last month for the open day 13+. Liked it very much, it feels more like the university rather then the school but if you are going for 6th form your child should be fine. There are some things that put us off a bit but in terms of academic it is very good and Drama around every corner they say.
The boy who was showing us around told that during Rugby/football matches with the other schools there are always few Ambulance cars by to take someone ( and there is always someone!!!) to the hospital.
He mentioned that there are boys who were not caught with the drugs and some who were so silly that were caught so it is the child's responsibility I think overall.

We've seen the School House and it is quite old, but there is Linacre House and the one who is near it which is very nice but getting fully booked at first come basis. If you have a son it might be useful, I can't tell about the girls Houses.

Pastoral care seem to be fine but the Housemaster of Linacre house told us that if the student wants to go out to town after lessons he can and what is he doing there they can't tell. But there is so much learning that they just don't have any free time during the week.

Another thing is that Canterbury is full of tourist and they can easily go in and out into the school if they'd like and we didn't like that.

There is a very good system of checking the prep so it is always done in time.
We applied although to have a second choice school and going to make a second visit in a few weeks to choose a house.

My DS's old prep was a big feeder for Kings so we know lots who are/were there. All different types, some super clever some just above average, the quirky, the sporty, arty and incredibly musical only one wasn't happy. I've never heard any criticisms of the pastoral care.
With regard to Milly's comment I'm afraid ambulances at rugby are very much the norm now, go and stand at Radley during a match!
Drugs I'm afraid are a problem in all boarding schools, it goes with the territory, few routinely screen their pupils.
Most boarding schools situated in towns will let their children into town as would many parents of day children these are 13 yr olds after all.
Tourist can go into the school but I doubt any will do any harm, tourist can go into my DS's school although only on a guided tour. But few boarding schools are locked it's not logistically possible and they are schools not prisons. I frequently walk around schools (for work) and have walked round my DS's school in the middle of the day and although unknown am rarely stopped. If you smile look like you know where you're going and look official few challenge you Boarding houses are of course usually locked.
Canterbury is a city not a town it's very civilised with lots of history, the countryside is very close by and beautiful there's two universities there so lots of students and for me the best thing so near to the sea no one in the right mind would describe it as a hot bed of crime.

Thank you for your responses everyone, we're going to visit them tomorrow, daughter is v excited but nervous as she has been in an all girls school for a long while!

Good luck! I'm sure you will like it. Our DS was very excited and was happy that he is going to boarding school. Forgot to say art is great there.

Thank you Milly, you were right, my daughter was of course nervous at first but when she walked in it was all gone, she totally 'fell in love' with the school but I do suspect it was with the boys haha but we definitely did like it and everyone was v friendly which is always nice.

It was my local public school - know lots of people who have been and been very happy although knowledge is a bit out of date.

With respect to the rugby however, Kings Canterbury have played my son's school and their first team (6th form - a couple of years ago) played so badly and with such lack of skill that the match was called off for safety reasons. I think the standard of their rugby is a serious cause for concern and it clearly is not a "rugby" school - I can only speak of the one match my DH witnessed and DS played in but I think the school has a bit of a reputation for this.