The King's School Canterbury
11+ Admissions Guide 2026

The King's School, Canterbury is a co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 13 to 18. It traces its origins to 597 AD, when Augustine founded his monastery in Canterbury, making it the oldest school in the country. The school was re-founded in 1541 as part of the reformed Canterbury Cathedral, and today it operates as a charity overseen by a board of governors, with the chairman and four board members drawn from the Canterbury Cathedral Foundation. The school is home to thirteen boarding houses, including a girls' house built in 2016, as well as three houses for day pupils. It aims to provide a 21st-century education that is firmly rooted in this long and continuous history, combining academic study with a broad range of co-curricular pursuits. The school welcomes pupils of a wide range of needs and abilities. Over a hundred pupils receive support for special educational needs and disabilities, including dyslexia and dyspraxia, and tailored support is also available for those with particular gifts and talents in areas such as sport, music, and drama. A number of pupils speak English as an additional language, and dedicated support is on hand for them too.

For shell, removes, and fifths, smartphones must be handed in daily and collected after 4.50pm, with exceptions for trips, fixtures and certain weekends. Sixth form pupils carry smartphones but will have phones confiscated if seen using them for no good reason outside of houses. Boarders hand in phones during prep and overnight. School encourages but does not require non-smartphones. Incoming shells will receive school-owned laptops.