Junior King’s, Canterbury
A well-established day and boarding prep school for boys and girls. Rich in history yet awash with up-to-date facilities and innovative teaching.
WHAT? WHERE?
The Junior offering of the oldest school in England, Junior King’s Canterbury, is a day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3 – 13. This school is brilliantly positioned – and we don’t just mean because the Michelin starred, Fordwich Arms, is just up the road. The immediate setting is rural, yet you’re near the vibrant town of Canterbury, plus it’s an easy commute into London and you’ve got the Kent coastline in the other direction.
Within the neighbouring surrounds of Sturry, it is an oasis of calm as you have the River Stour running around the periphery. There is also a sense of gravitas as you enter through the wrought-iron gates with a tree-lined avenue leading the way to the main school. If you are going on appearances alone, it’s ticking a lot of boxes.
The school sits in 80 acres of stunning ground which is a lot of space for the approx. 380 pupils at this well-established school. Founded back in 1929, it was opened by Rudyard Kipling as he was good friends with the former owners, Lord and Lady Milner. As well as the original 16th century Manor House building there’s the stunning Barn Theatre (in the old tithe barn) and even the Nursery has been designed to fit in sympathetically, with a high beam ceiling.
With such a high number of pupils moving from the prep to the senior school, parents are very aware of what they are buying into here. A seamless educational journey from those very Early Years right through to A-Levels, should you wish. And for those who want their children to linger in childhood that little while longer, it does provide an elongated education within a Junior School environment before moving onto the next stage.
FACILITIES
The school and surroundings are steeped in history yet the school prides itself on its swish facilities and innovative teaching yet still no room for complacency as there are continual plans to update and evolve the school. You will be hard-stretched to find a school with better facilities in the local area.
The two-storey Herbert Music School, with individual practice rooms as well as a vast performance space, was opened in January 2016 and still feels brand-new. A stand-alone medical centre in the school ground was launched in 2022 and there’s a library with 16,000 books plus extensive Art, Science and DT classrooms on campus. A covering for the existing outdoor pool is coming later this year which means swimming can be enjoyed all-year round, plus it will be opened up to the local community.
For those who are looking for a one-stop-shop for your children from an early age, you will be delighted to hear that plans are underway to expand their Nursery provision ensuring a more seamless journey throughout the school.
The boarding facilities are due to be extended as the demand for flexi-boarding is steadily increasing for local families and with a strong international community, this is one of the main attractions.
Junior King’s also has a wonderful Nature Trail and is an accredited Forest School with another piece of land assigned for this purpose so good to know if you have a budding Sir David Attenborough in your midst.
However, even though the buildings are remarkable, what went down well with Muddy was how homely the environment still felt. Pupils refer to their ‘rooms’ rather than ‘classrooms’ and the teaching ethos of ‘we are not going to teach you – we are going to learn together’ supports that nurturing and homely scenario that you find throughout the school.
Part of that homely attitude can be attributed to the catering team who cook all the food on-site and has inadvertently upset a few parents when their children have told them that they prefer school food to their parents’ cooking. Maybe it’s down to the fact that the team were serving up 1,000 pancakes for Shrove Tuesday as well as a medley of Welsh cakes for St. David’s Day.
SPORT
Let’s be honest, Junior King’s has a great reputation in this department and it’s easy to see why – the school boasts a sizeable 22 acres of land dedicated to just sport including the usual rugby, football, hockey, lacrosse, cricket, athletics, and rounders. The U13 boys’ football team recently qualified for the IAPS Football National Finals and both the U13 and U11 won the Golden Ball trophy for the Molten League plus the U13 boys’ hockey team recently qualified for the IAPS Hockey National Finals.
You will also find a lofty number of 11 tennis courts (including 2 grass), a new astro-turf, grass athletics track with event facilities, state of the art sports hall and 24 practice cricket wickets. Wow, I feel puffed out just writing about it all.
If you have a sporty kid on your hands, they will be well looked after at Junior King’s. It was heartening to hear however that all kids are encouraged to play – and the school also has D (for Development) and E (for Emerging) teams so everybody gets to have a go – if they want.
Plus, there are sports like Rowing and Fencing on the agenda too and they had some outstanding new champions in Fencing recently with bronze, silver and gold medallist winners in the British Schools’ Team Fencing Championships (U11 and U13 categories) so whatever the sporting urge, it can be nurtured here as Junior King’s prides itself on supporting children with individual talents in sport as well as music.
The children are encouraged to try a variety of different sports and the boys get to play football, rugby and hockey as well as cricket (mixed with the girls) so you may find that they aren’t as polished as some other local schools who invest in hockey over rugby or vice versa. However it does expand their sporting horizon and encourages them to sample everything.
And it doesn’t stop sporting greatness with former Junior King’s pupil, Huw Jones, currently playing for Scotland and taking part in the memorable win over Wales in the Six Nations Tournament.
MUSIC AND ARTS
The Music School runs a staggering 400 one-on-one weekly instrumental lessons given by a team of 28 music teachers. There’s choirs and opportunities galore for the musically minded – with the Chapel Choir being only open to the Y6 – Y8 pupils. The dream here for many choristers is to sing in the candlelit Christmas service at Canterbury Cathedral.
Canterbury, with its cathedral and musical tradition, is of course the perfect place to hone these talents. And the school regularly offers masterclasses and workshops with professional musicians to encourage talent at the school, and there are 20 ensembles that rehearse every week.
The school also has many pupils in national musical ensembles such as the National Youth Girls’ Choir, National Youth String Orchestra, National Youth Choir, National Children’s Choir and attendance in London Music Schools.
Regardless of talent, there is a lot of fun along the way too with the annual House Singing competition being a very important calendar feature at Christmas with all four school houses taking on their own version of one song for those all-important house points.
DRAMA
Drama takes place in the Barn Theatre (in the old tithe barn) and there is a dedicated Creative Arts programme at the school and the older years (7&8) also take part in King’s Week, the annual Arts Festival held each year since 1952 at The King’s School in Canterbury.
The Year 5&6 Play is a big highlight of the Spring term and nobody thought that last year’s Wizard of Oz could be topped but Matilda, complete with a swing on stage, managed to wow the parents and pupils alike. Every pupil takes part with the backstage roles as integral to the performance as the main characters on stage so everyone is included.
Year 3&4 also take part in their own theatrical productions and as you might expect, there are opportunities to do Speech & Drama exams working with LAMDA and Trinity. And thanks to the proximity of amazing local theatres like The Marlowe and The Malthouse (part of the senior school), pupils can be part of touring productions and two girls (Year 5 and Year 6) recently performed at the Marlowe Theatre for Les Misérables.
All Pre-Prep pupils (from Nursery to Year 2) participate in Dance classes as a way of encouraging co-ordination, creativity and performance skills so the aspiring actors out there can be spotted from an early age plus there is a Nativity show (of course) as well as a Summer Show so you get to clap your child on many different occasions.
DT & ICT
There’s a smart, well-used DT department, including a 3D printer and laser cutter that the pupils love. Anyone showing a particular proficiency for this subject can do an extension – like take up textiles from Y5 on Wednesday and Saturday.
Junior King’s is constantly assessing what are the jobs for the future and determining how it can provide the necessary skills for its pupils to help them succeed in whatever profession they decide upon so while academia is hugely important, it is also good to provide solid foundations for the more practical thinkers as well.
All pupils enjoy one hour a week of ICT, starting with coding but also touch-typing from Y3 upwards – an invaluable skill for the next generation that you don’t see on the curriculum as much as you’d think.
BOARDING
Currently around 20% of pupils board, which they can do from Y5 and the total tally stands at 50 boys and 27 girls. Flexi-boarding has really taken off in the last few years plus weekly boarding options for the London based parents.
We were shown round by Mrs Hutchings ,the Head of Boarding, who has been part of the school since 2000 (both her kids have gone through both Junior and Senior King’s) and she is a big hit with the pupils for her fun yet calming approach to life.
There are options of dorms or two-bed rooms (depending on age group) and many of the bedrooms and living spaces have just been remodelled and repainted. Boarding pupils were asked to help with the interiors so they feel that they have input on their home away from home.
As you can imagine in this day and age, there are all the appropriate safeguarding issues in place when it comes to mobile phone usage and all phones are collected 15 minutes before bedtime and stored with the housemaster or housemistress until the following morning.
The housemaster to the boy boarders is also the PE teacher and there are footballs and golf bags galore and we spotted two air-hockey tables and some games consoles too. No one’s getting bored here anytime soon.
Weekends for boarders are also fun-packed – with regular activities arranged – everything from an amazing local skate park to cultural trips to London plus the benefit of that pool come the Summer. 30 bikes have also been ordered so boarders can enjoy cycling around the campus for those long summery evenings.
The school is also doing a big push on flexi-boarding which is a great way to introduce pupils to boarding and help parents out if they have to travel, with a wonderful childcare option. Pre-booking is advised but it has been a welcome tonic for families who needed a more flexible approach in this area.
ACADEMIC RESULTS
Maximum class size in reception is 18 and there is capacity for three form entry from Year 5, which remains at the same capacity as pupils go up through the school plus that is when streaming comes in too so your children feel that they are at the right pace. There is movement within those sets so your children don’t feel pigeon-holed.
One of the unique features of this school is that as many as 85 percent of pupils go up to the senior school at Year 9. The rest will go to other independent schools and highly ranked state grammar schools. Entrants from the Junior school must still take Year 8 exams.
There is a constant line of communication between Junior King’s and its Senior school – which includes progress reports on each child that is interested in moving onto the Senior school – so sending your little one here is a huge advantage if the next level is the route you’d like to take for your child.
Keeping this figure in mind, it’s perhaps not surprising to learn that there’s a large intake in Y7. About a quarter of the year this year join after leaving Primary schools or Preps in the hope they will obtain a place at The King’s School, Canterbury. Those that don’t go onto the Senior school have historically gained places at Tonbridge, Eastbourne, Benenden and Harrow.
Scholarship programmes are in place for the Senior School and this year, 26 of its Years 8s were recognised with a 13+ Scholarship, Exhibition, or place on the Excellence Programme for Art, Music, Drama, Dance, DT and Sport at The King’s School Canterbury as well as awards given by other independent schools. Later in the year, 13+ Academic Scholarships are taken.
It’s important to note that Junior King’s is one of the few independent schools in the area that has Saturday School (compulsory from Year 5) which is surprisingly embraced by pupils party due to the fact that they come into school in games kit, take part in the ‘more fun’ Humanities and creative subjects and have non-compulsory games from midday onwards so it’s not a traditional school-day.
It can be Marmite for some parents though who want more of a leisurely start to their Saturday rather than scrabbling around for sports kit but others embrace the child-free time to get jobs done – one to consider before you commit in any case!
THE HEAD
Emma Károlyi has been Head for the past six years including those Covid years where Junior King’s was commended for how quickly they responded to online learning so she has successfully navigated those unexpected challenges that have been presented along the way.
Mrs. Károlyi cut her teeth as a deputy head at a prep school in Scotland before taking the helm at Junior King’s where she moved with her family in 2017. She has a son and daughter who both attended The King’s School, Canterbury where her husband also teaches French and leads the UCAS programme so furthering the strong ties. Plus, she is still in the classroom teaching Latin to the older age groups so has a strong presence in the school.
She is smart, approachable and calming with plenty of good humour too. In fact, our interview is conducted with Mrs. Károlyi dressed as the Queen of Hearts in honour of World Book Day. It’s worth knowing that the school staff turnover is very low as one of her aims is to create an ‘ethos of kindness where the well-being of both our students and staff is of utmost importance because if they are happy, our students will have the courage to grab every opportunity that comes their way.”
Mrs. Károlyi also tells me that she thinks that one of the unique selling points of Junior King’s is that they ‘help pupils find their niche at the school and allow them to fly with it’ which is a hugely encouraging attitude to have in place and contrary to my expectation of Junior King’s where I assumed it was more results driven – although they do achieve those results – but it certainly doesn’t seem to be overly pushy.
LITTLIES
There’s been a big turnaround at the Pre-Prep with Camilla Webster joining as Head of Pre-Prep and Nursery in September 2023 having come from Head of Pre-Prep and Lower School at Old Buckenham Hall School in Suffolk. It was a tough role to fill as her well-loved predecessor left after 20 years at the school but she has been a breath of fresh air with plenty of new initiatives already in play with a whole new focus on outdoor learning personally led by Mrs Webster.
Classrooms have been refreshed and are now natural and neutral spaces with hessian pinboards where children and teachers can pin ‘wow’ work for that immediate sense of pride plus they can take them home on the same day to show off their work at home.
The ethos is very much to put children are put at the centre of the learning as there are child-led activities throughout the classroom plus teachers have more time to devote to the children rather than focusing on making elaborate wall displays. Aesthetically it works too as there is less clutter on the walls, teachers are encouraged to bring plants from home for that additional homely feel and there is an overall sense of peace and calm throughout the Pre-Prep and Nursery. Not a bad achievement when you have 85 enthusiastic children in your care!
Little ones can start here in the term they turn 3 at its Little Barn Nursery but Webster is also looking at ways that they can welcome children who are younger. They have the staff and space to take up to 24 kiddies in anyone session but there’s usually way less than this – only 8 the day we visited but it’s normally somewhere around 18.
The little ones are encouraged to do at least 3 sessions per week to get familiar with the setting and have an established routine. With specialist teachers on hand offering Dance, Music, French and Outdoor Learning – why wouldn’t they want to stay longer? Plus, they are now invited to play in the Pre-Prep space if they would like to do so the move away from Nursery, when it comes, does not feel that daunting and unfamiliar.
Pre-Prep has its own dedicated space in the school which works well as they then flow into Junior House from Year 3 upwards with a new sense of purpose. Pupils wear school uniform from an early age and eat lunch in the main dining hall helping them into the young little adult era supporting them with table manners etc…
After-school activities and Late club have also had an overhaul thanks to Webster who recognizes that parents may have children at the Prep School who are finishing later. She has identified that there needs to be extensive and engaging wrap-around care to fit with the siblings’ schedules so the structure has been revitalized with specialist clubs run by specialist teachers including Mindfulness, Construction and Story Writing until 6pm each day.
The free Toddler/Parent sessions at the Pre-Prep on select mornings to support the local community and widen the knowledge of their Nursery offering is another initiative led by Webster. The complimentary JKS refill mugs, coffee, biscuits and crudites with music and storytelling sessions have been a big hit so it’s no wonder that the sessions are now currently over subscribed.
USP & QUIRKS
Pupil voice is a big part of Junior King’s community and they have five groups that meet regularly including School Council, Catering Committee, Arts Council and Sports Council as well as a new Eco Committee which is responsible for introducing food waste bins in the school playgrounds which will be used for composting.
We also hear good things about the social side of things for Parents with a very energetic Burns’ Night (one of Mrs. Károlyi’s favourite nights of the year) recently taking place in the Dining Rooms with reels, sword dancing and the catering team serving Haggis and all the trimmings. Summer and Winter parties are also held at the school and in Canterbury so lots of different ways to connect with other parents.
WHAT ELSE?
There’s a big international element to this school – more diversity than you’d get in your average Kent prep which is a wonderful thing. This reflects the city of Canterbury – lots of families relocate to this area from abroad or London as there are great commuting links.
This diversity is encouraged with a selection of bilingual books in the library and special events like International Day. There’s even a club for parents to help talk them though the intricacies of teaching phonics to their kids – which is complicated enough for us parents, and even more so when English is not your first language.
WRAP AROUND CARE
Children are dropped off between 8am and 8.30am coming straight into the library to choose a book. It is a staggered drop off from 8am and it is a 6pm final departure time for day children if you need to stretch it out and if you have little ones in tow, they can use the Adventure Playground.
FEES
The fees for 2023/2024 are as follows:
Boarding – £10,165 per term
Day (Years 4 to 8) – £7,225 per term Day (Year 3) – £5,890 per term
Pre-Prep (Nursery to Year 2) – £4,320 per term
Mornings only – £3,040 per term
Means-tested bursaries available from year 7 for up to 100 per cent of the boarding fee.
WORD ON THE GROUND
It’s always important to get the parents’ viewpoint too so I quizzed a friend of mine who has two children at Junior King’s and what she particularly liked about the school was that it ‘celebrates every child’s talents regardless of what they are good at and not just traditional stuff like sport or music plus it is great for allowing children to mature and grow in confidence before hitting the senior school stage’ and she also applauded the ‘excellent management and lines of communication with staff.’
We always like to ask the pupils too and Junior King’s presented two pupils from each year group from Year 3 upwards to chat to us which was refreshing to get a wide cross-section of chatty children.
One Year 4 pupil told us that she loved the school because it had ‘taught her to be good at netball and she never thought she would be good at sport’ and another Year 8 student said that she felt that ‘the teachers really care for you as a person and how you progress’ plus the school’s lasagne got a lot of love along the way too.
Interestingly, a few pupils were appreciative of the fact that Canterbury Cathedral plays a big role in their life as it is a ‘very impressive building with an amazing ceiling’ and they are all relishing the school trips back in their lives post Covid. Popular ones include the infamous Year 6 trip to France, a Classics trip to Sorrento, the annual skiing trip and the Hockey/Football tour to the Netherlands with Eurodisney as part of the itinerary.
THE MUDDY VERDICT
GOOD FOR: Parents looking for a supportive and nurturing environment where kids could pretty much explore and excel in anything that they wanted to do as the range of activities on offer is endless. Plus they have the facilities and staff to help your child hone their academic skills as well and prep them for the next step into King’s School, Canterbury if that was right path for them.
NOT FOR: Hard to think of a flaw here but the price point of the fees might prohibit some people when comparing the cost to smaller independent schools in the area. And on that subject – it’s not a tiny school so it may not suit those who would thrive in a smaller setting but do note that the school is split into three sections so that can be easier to process if you or your child is daunted by its scale!
DARE TO DISAGREE? Oh be my guest! Go see for yourself by booking a personal tour and this can be arranged in conjunction with a visit to the Senior School (you just need to contact the Registrar to arrange) plus they also host an Open Morning every Term.
Junior Kings Canterbury, Milner Court, Sturry, Canterbury CT2 0AY, Tel: 01227 714000, junior-kings.co.uk
Open in Google Maps