Welcome to Kingston Grammar School
Ranked 8th best 11-18 independent co-educational day school in the UK (Sunday Times Parent Power 2023), at Kingston Grammar School we aim to live out our motto of ‘Work well and be happy’ in all that we do. Located in the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, with 22 acres of sports grounds overlooking the River Thames and Hampton Court Palace, we believe in achieving excellence with integrity, without compromising individual wellbeing or our core values of aspiration, respect and engagement. Our aim has always been to produce happy, well-adjusted young adults who want to make their world a better place, and we hope that an education at KGS is a significant step towards this.
I take great pride in being Head Master of such a thriving and well-regarded school, with its long history stretching back almost 500 years and wonderful legacy. I look forward to welcoming you here soon so you can see for yourself what makes Kingston Grammar School so special.
Stephen Lehec, Head Master
It’s great to be at KGS
Work Well and Be Happy
At KGS, we aim to live out our motto of ‘Work Well and Be Happy’ in all that we do. What helps make KGS such a holistically successful school is that our motto, Bene Agere Ac Laetari – which broadly translates as Work Well & Be Happy – is able to be applied to everyday life by the whole school community. It means you try your absolute best and enjoy an enormous sense of fulfilment in the process, whilst knowing that there are people to support you when times get hard.
We believe in achieving excellence with integrity, without compromising on individual wellbeing or our values and encourage and foster personal ambition alongside the development of social conscience. We provide support to each individual, whilst developing their own sense of self-reliance. Most importantly, we aspire for our students to become the leaders of a better, kinder world.
Each of these aims is underpinned by our core values of aspiration, respect and engagement.
Aspiration: We want to equip our students with the skills and confidence they need to pursue their chosen ambitions and pathways.
Respect: We hold dear the notion that every member of the KGS community should have respect for themselves, for other people and for the world in which we live whilst embracing the concept of kindness, in all its facets.
Engagement: We actively encourage our students to fully embrace all the opportunities available to them, including those they are familiar with and may well excel in, and those that are new and require a determined effort.
Our flourishing co-curricular programme forms an important part of each student’s education at KGS, providing opportunities to take responsibility, work as part of a team, face new challenges and acquire new skills. The varied programme adds breadth and depth to their own interests, with an overall aim of developing their character. More than 100 individual clubs are on offer, including Duke of Edinburgh, Young Enterprise, Technology Challenge, Debating, Music and Chess.
Academic Results
A Level
1%
A*/A grades
1%
A*-B grades
GCSE
1%
Grade 9 – 7
1%
Grade 9
School History
Kingston Grammar School was founded by Royal Charter on 1st March 1561 on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I, although before this the School can trace its roots back to the 13th century. Originally named Queen Elizabeth School, in 1904 it became Kingston Grammar School and, in 1978, became fully co-educational. In 1961, HM Queen Elizabeth II visited the School on the 400th anniversary of the Royal Charter and again in 2005 to open the Queen Elizabeth II building.
Admissions
We accept applications for 10+ deferred entry, 11+ entry and 16+ entry, with entrance assessments and interviews taking place in the Autumn term.
10+ Deferred Entry
Our 10+ deferred entry examination is for pupils in Year 5 at the time of the assessments. It offers the opportunity to secure an 11+ place a year early whilst continuing their primary education at their current school. Examination papers are taken in English and Mathematics, which are broadly in line with age-appropriate National Curriculum levels. Those that perform strongly in all these papers will be invited for interview; however, not everyone interviewed will be offered a place.
Application Deadline – October 2023
Examinations & Interviews – January 2024
Offers Posted – February 2024
Acceptance Deadline –March 2024
Start at KGS – September 2025
See www.kgs.org.uk/admissions or email enquiries@kgs.org.uk for further details.
11+ Entry
Examination papers are taken in English and Mathematics. If successful in these papers, candidates will be invited for a one-to-one interview with a member of staff which will either be of a general nature, or with an English or Mathematics focus (depending on the weaker subject). Not everyone interviewed will be offered a place.
Registration Deadline – October 2023
Examinations – November 2023
Interview Decisions – November 2023
Interviews Held – January 2024
Offers Posted – February 2024
Acceptance Deadline – March 2024
Start at KGS – September 2024
See www.kgs.org.uk/admissions or email enquiries@kgs.org.uk for further details.
16+ Entry
There are up to 50 places available for 16+ entry in September 2024. Once registered we will request a copy of the candidate’s most recent school report and a reference from their current school to include predicted GCSE grades. Candidates will be asked to complete a personal statement; further instructions about this will be sent once a candidate has been registered.
In order to cope with the demands of an academically rigorous Sixth Form programme, students must have a sound base across all their GCSE or IGCSE subjects and excel in those they wish to study at A Level. For those wishing to study Art & Design, Music or Drama, additional submissions are required. Details can be found at www.kgs.org.uk/admissions
As a minimum, students must achieve at least Grade 7 (equivalent to A grade) in four separate subjects, with a minimum Grade 6 in Mathematics and English GCSE or IGCSE. Please also note that a minimum of Grade 7 is required in those subjects, or closely related subjects, that students wish to study for A Level with the exception of Mathematics, where students will require a minimum Grade 8 at GCSE, and Further Mathematics where students will require a Grade 9 at GCSE.
Registration Deadline – October 2023
Interviews Held – November 2023
Offers Posted – December 2023
Acceptance Deadline – December 2023
Start at KGS – September 2024
See www.kgs.org.uk/admissions or email enquiries@kgs.org.uk for further details.