Kingston Grammar School
Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
About Kingston Grammar School
Kingston Grammar School is a leading day school for boys and girls aged 11-18 in South West London. Founded in 1561, it is one of the most successful co-educational schools in the country, and has a long tradition of developing individual talent and encouraging high aspirations. Students are bright and enthusiastic; their joy in life and spirit of curiosity makes education here a real pleasure.
At KGS we seek to equip students with the skills and confidence they need to innovate, not replicate and the results at GCSE and A Level place us in the top 1% of secondary schools in the country. In the unusual year of 2021, 71% of all GCSE grades were at 8/9 and 43% of all grades were at 9. For A Level last year, 74% of grades were A*-A and 35% were at A* or equivalent.
We believe that education should be holistic - strong both academically and pastorally - and should produce happy and engaged students who will make a positive difference to the world around them now and in the future. Students are encouraged to support each other throughout their time at KGS, either in the academic, pastoral or co-curricular sphere. We are rightly proud of our pastoral provision and it is widely acknowledged to be one of the best in any school in the UK.
Our co-curricular programme plays a central part in this. The opportunity to engage in an extraordinary range of trips, expeditions and activities allows pupils to develop their self-awareness, skills and competence in all sorts of ways and contributes significantly to the rounded individuals they become.
For many, the world outside the formal academic curriculum will provide the key to their future lives. The book Physical Education and Sport in Independent Schools (2012) by Malcolm Tozer contains a survey of the number of sporting internationals to have come from Independent Schools since 2000. Kingston Grammar School is ranked equal fifth, and third for Olympians – quite an achievement for a school of our size.
You will also find a strong tradition of theatre, art and music here, with Old Kingstonians making their mark on the stage, in performance and in all aspects of the design world. For all our pupils, whatever their skill or ambition, the opportunities we provide both inside and outside the curriculum are enriching and empowering. Staff give generously of their time to support and make possible all these ventures.
The School's position in the heart of Kingston upon Thames benefits from excellent transport links. With easy accessibility to the metropolitan diversity of central London,and its wealth of cultural opportunities, students benefit from what our urban location offers.
Our 22-acre sports grounds and boat house on the River Thames, opposite Hampton Court Palace, is the home of KGS Sport. We are particularly renowned for our success in hockey and rowing and as a school we are ranked fifth for producing sporting internationals, and third for Olympians.
Our aim has always been to produce happy, well-adjusted young adults who want to make the world a better place, and we hope that an education at KGS is a significant step towards this.
For more information about Kingston Grammar School please visit our School website at www.kgs.org.uk
Location
“Without exception, those spoken to feel that this is a kind school where unkindness is never acceptable.”
- ISI Inspection Report (2017)The high levels of achievement derive significantly from the impact of a culture of all-round accomplishment for all pupils that is so effectively promoted by senior leadership and governors. Pupils are determined to live up to the school motto, 'Work well and be happy', and in this they are conspicuously successful.
- ISI Inspection Report May 2017The quality of the pupils' personal development is excellent.
- ISI Inspection Report May 2017The quality of the pupils' academic and other achievements is excellent.
- ISI Inspection Report May 2017