Kingswood Admission Information Summary

KEY CONTACTS

PRINCIPAL & HEADMASTER Andrew Gordon-Brown E: agordonbrown@kingswood.bath.sch.uk T: 01225 734202

SENIOR DEPUTY HEAD & VICE PRINCIPAL John M Davies E: johndavies@kingswood.bath.sch.uk T: 01225 734214

DEPUTY HEAD PASTORAL Jamie Matthews E: jamiematthews@kingswood.bath.sch.uk T: 07436 167397

DEPUTY HEAD ACADEMIC Dr Rachel McIlwaine E: rachelmcilwaine@kingswood.bath.sch.uk T: 01932 734200

DEPUTY HEAD CO-CURRICULAR John W Davies E: jwdavies@kingswood.bath.sch.uk T: 01225 734219

DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Hannah Drew E: hdrew@kingswood.bath.sch.uk T: 01225 734326

ADMISSIONS OFFICE E: admissions@kingswood.bath.sch.uk T: 01225 734210

OUR MISSION

To be a co-educational day and boarding school that inspires, challenges and prepares pupils to be global citizens.

WE AIM:

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To be a caring, inclusive, balanced co-educational community committed to the development of the full potential of each individual

OUR VALUES

Ÿ Learn with passion, perseverance and positivity

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To maintain excellent standards in all academic, cultural and sporting activities

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To work with and in the communities we serve

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To uphold Christian values in practice as well as in theory, whilst welcoming all in a spirit of openness and respect

Ÿ Show compassion and kindness by taking initiative to do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can

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To encourage pupils to think critically and develop a personal philosophy to guide them throughout their lives

Ÿ Have courage to take risks, to take responsibility and to stand up for your beliefs

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To be a great place to work, inspiring and empowering our people to work collaboratively as they seek to move the school forwards

Ÿ Demonstrate honesty and integrity

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To safeguard the school for current and future generations through solid governance, clear-sighted leadership, sound financial performance and environmental best practice

Ÿ Respect yourself, other people and the world we live in

About Kingswood

Kingswood School was founded in 1748 by John Wesley for the sons of Methodist ministers. Having welcomed girl pupils for 50 years, Kingswood is a leading co-educational day and boarding school for children from nine months to 18 years old. Situated on a magnificent 200 acre site in Lansdown, Bath the school offers an education of depth and breadth, where every child can ignite their potential.

Academic rigour, strength in the arts and sport, traditional values and outstanding pastoral care combine with a forward-thinking, can-do approach to create a truly transformational education. With boarding at the heart of the school, day and boarding pupils can benefit from the full school days, enormous range of activities and facilities and the strong knit community. Many day pupils use our flexi and casual boarding arrangements and it is not unusual to see day pupils increase their boarding time as they grow older, to allow them the freedom to engage in their passions and as a bridge to Higher Education and beyond.

Pastoral Care

Kingswood’s pastoral care has been recognised by parents and our latest ISI Inspection as excellent, and is led by our Deputy Head Pastoral, Mr Jamie Matthews, with the support of our Head of Boarding, our Heads of Lower School, Middle School and Sixth Form, House Parents and Tutors. Each pupil joins a house, Westwood for Year 7 and 8, and one of six Senior Houses from Year 9, where they are cared for by a House Parent. A tutor system, with dedicated members of staff supporting smaller groups of pupils, helps all to develop across academic, co-curricular and personal fields. Our on site counsellors are available for pupils who may look for additional support, which can be arranged via House Parents, tutors or the Health and Wellbeing Centre.

Kingswood is firmly based on the Methodist principles of our Founder, John Wesley but caters for pupils of the Christian faith, other faiths or no faith. All pupils are expected to abide by the school ethos of kindness and care, and to attend our Chapel services for the opportunity to meet and reflect as a community, under the guidance of our Chaplain Rev. Katy Thomas.

The School Day

Kingswood School runs a two weekly timetable, allowing for a balanced mix of subjects in formal lessons, tutorials, sport and activities.

All pupils register at 8.20am, although day students can arrive slightly before this, before joining a morning Tutorial, Chapel Service or Assembly. Teaching runs from 9.00am to 4.20pm, with breaks for Quarter (morning break), Lunch, Afternoon break and Tea. All pupils take part in afternoon activities from 4.35pm to 5.30pm, when day pupils can depart, school transport leaves and our boarders go to supper. Many pupils choose to stay for supper and prep.

Our boarders have free time after supper before prep and further time for relaxation. Device-free time and lights out vary by year group.

Term Dates

The Autumn term runs from early September to mid December. The Spring term runs from January to the end of March. The Summer term runs from mid April to early July. Specific dates change per year but the dates for the academic year 2023/2024 are as below:

AUTUMN TERM: 6 September to 15 December

Half Term: Friday 20 October (5pm) to Monday 6 November

SPRING TERM: 9 January to 22 March

Half Term: Friday 9 February (5pm) to Monday 19 February

SUMMER TERM: 16 April to 6 July

Half Term: Friday 24 May (5pm) to Monday 3 June

Uniform

Pupils wear school uniform during lessons and school outings, and school sports kits for games and fixtures. Boarders are encouraged to wear home clothes in the evening and at weekends. Our Sixth Form are required to wear smart office wear during the school day, and school sports kit for games and fixtures.

School Meals

Our boarders enjoy breakfast and supper in our main Dining Hall, choosing from cooked choices, cereal, toast and fruit in the morning and two hot courses in the evening. All pupils in Years 7-11 take lunch in the main Dining Hall, while the Sixth Form use the Sixth Form dining room, all choosing from three hot meal options, including vegetarian options, as well as soup, salads, pudding and fruit.

Pupils bring a healthy snack for Quarter (morning break) and are provided with Afternoon Tea. Quarter snacks for boarders are provided and boarders have access to kitchens in their houses for additional snacks.

Co-Curricular

Kingswood offers over 100 different co-curricular activities and this is a critical part of our broad and balanced offering. In the lower years, we encourage pupils to take part in three or four activities each week, while allowing time for prep and free time with friends. As pupils move up the school, they continue to discover and develop their passions through this varied programme.

As a full boarding school, our weekends offer additional opportunities for activities, such as our fixtures, Duke of Edinburgh expeditions or organised trips and socials.

Boarding

Kingswood offers full and weekly boarding to nearly 200 pupils from Year 7 to Year 13. In Years 7 and 8, pupils are in Westwood House with their full year groups, moving to one of four Senior Boarding Houses in Year 9. There are typically between 30-40 boarders in each house, joined by day pupils. The majority of

our boarders are full boarders, remaining on site at weekends, with pupils taking part in a range of fixtures, trips, activities and time to relax with their friends.

Flexible and Casual Boarding

In recognition of the needs of busy families, Kingswood offers flexible boarding packages of up to three nights a week. These can be booked via house parents, and pupils can expect to have an allocated bed. Additional fees are charged at the end of each term. Pupils are also welcome to board for occasional nights on a casual basis, with camp beds available for a reduced fee should boarding house capacity not allow for an allocated bed.

Day Pupils

Day pupils join Westwood in Year 7 and 8, our Lower School boarders, to enable the year group to best settle into life at Senior School. In Year 9, day pupils progress to the Senior Houses, made up of four boarding and two day houses.

Transport to School

Kingswood operates several bus routes around Bath and encourages parents where possible to use this service, for the environmental benefits and to ease congestion around Bath and our school site. The school also operates a minibus service between the Senior School and the Prep School in the morning for Year 3 and upwards. Route details and booking can be completed via the School website.

Medical care

Kingswood is fortunate to have a well-equipped Health and Wellbeing Centre which is staffed

during term time by a team of dedicated and qualified medical personnel. The team have a wide range of experience and are committed to supporting the pupil’s physical and mental health needs throughout their school journey.

There are twice weekly GP clinics run onsite for boarders and a weekly physiotherapy clinic for all pupils alongside access to Counselling and a confidential mental health support service provided by ‘Off The Record’. The Health and Wellbeing Centre staff also liaise closely with external agencies, as needed, and the Royal United Hospital (RUH) is close by in case of an emergency.

The Health and Wellbeing Centre includes treatment and consulting rooms, sitting areas, and bedrooms to stay in if students are unwell. The team are available in the Health and Wellbeing Centre to support students throughout the day.

Inspections

Our most recent inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in 2022, saw Kingswood awarded an ‘Excellent’ rating in both the quality of pupil’s academic and other achievements and the quality of pupil’s personal development. Inspectors praised the ‘self-confidence, self-discipline, self-esteem, and resilience’ of our pupils and were particularly impressed with their ‘mature and strong awareness of what is right and wrong’ as well as their ‘excellent appreciation of non-material aspects of life’.

You can read the full report here.

School Policies

These are available on the Kingswood website. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Jamie Matthews.

ACADEMIC CURRICULUM

A Kingswood education is based on a liberal arts curriculum, which we believe is still the best way to prepare young people for the modern world.

We seek to hold in tension the traditional and the contemporary. We believe that ‘traditional’ subjects such as Mathematics, Science, English, History and Latin should continue to form the backbone of a strong modern education. In addition, we seek to embrace contemporary changes in the curriculum, which is why you will find subjects such as Computing, Psychology and Economics on offer. You will also find a strong emphasis on learning languages at Kingswood. We believe that language learning is excellent for the mind, as well as for developing our pupils’ sense of their place in a big world.

Years 7 and 8

The first years of senior education support pupils to secure foundational knowledge for GCSE and beyond, and to develop the skills that will serve them well in the future. Pupils follow a wide curriculum, following the national curriculum in terms of content but with more flexibility for allocation of time. Pupils will study English, Maths, Science, two modern foreign languages, (with Latin added in Year 8), History, Geography, RPE, Life Skills, Art, DT, Drama, Music, Computer Science and PE/Games.

Year 9

An element of choice is introduced so that pupils can shape their programme: pupils keep English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, one Modern Foreign Language, Computer Science, History, Geography, RPE, Life Skills, PE/Games but

build in two options from a second MFL, Art, DT, Music, Drama, Latin, Mandarin or our Kingswood designed Global Goals course.

Year 10 and 11

Our pupils take an average of 9 i/GCSEs, combining core subjects (English, English Literature, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, one Modern Foreign Language) with a choice of options from Art, Computer Science, DT, Drama, EAL, second Modern Foreign Language, Geography, History, Latin, Mandarin, Music, Physical Education and RPE. Pupils also continue with PE, Life Skills and Activities.

Sixth Form

Kingswood students can pick from 23 A Levels and a BTEC for their post 16 education. Most pupils undertake three subjects, although some may start with four. Those students taking Maths may also choose Further Maths as a fourth option.

Further details of the curriculum can be found here.

Students are also able to take part in the Extended Project Qualification, language courses and the wider Enrichment programme which includes visiting speakers, Life Skills, UCAS and careers advice.

The full list of A Level subjects can be found here.

Careers

Kingswood’s Career Guidance Programme includes access to online career information resources, career planning lessons, skills workshops, oneto-one career guidance meetings and a wide range of events and activities, including career seminars, attendance at careers fairs and, in the Sixth Form, a work experience week.

The J.O. Heap Library houses a well-stocked careers library where students are able to access a wide range of publications.

Pupils take part in a number of tailored activities which are designed to provide a smooth transition from one year to the next, and address the academic choices which they are required to make at key moments during their school career including: GCSE, A Level and all post 18 options, including apprenticeships and higher education. Ultimately, the programme aims to equip students with the tools they will need to make their own choices after their school career and subsequently during their adult working life.

Study Support

The Study Support department seeks to underpin the learning of all pupils who have Specific Learning Difficulties or those who are developing their study skills, such that all pupils at every academic level within Kingswood reach their full potential. The department aims to build self-esteem in pupils, fostering independence by providing effective strategies both to address any difficulties and to move on from them with confidence.

The Study Support department also liaises with academic and pastoral staff, advising and guiding them so that the individual needs of pupils on the Study Support department’s register receive support whenever and wherever possible. The department also works closely with parents, carers and outside specialists as appropriate. The Study Support department looks beyond the pupils on its register and offers learning support to all pupils within the School. Parents are encouraged to make an appointment with the Head of Study Support to discuss their child’s needs early in the application process.

ADMISSIONS

We recommend a visit to Kingswood on a personal tour or for one of our school open days to fully experience our warm, inclusive and busy community.

Open Mornings usually take place in the Autumn term, providing an ideal first visit; families are shown around by current pupils, with the opportunity to speak with staff. Click here for further information.

Personal visits are available throughout the year, and there is the opportunity to meet with the Principal, Senior Management Team or Admissions Department should you wish.

Please contact: hjennings@kingswood.bath.sch.uk to arrange a personal visit.

ADMISSIONS

PROCESS

REGISTRATION

As a first step, please complete our online registration form and pay our registration fee.

- UK APPLICATIONS:

The Kingswood Admissions process includes assessment papers, interviews, references from your child’s current school and where possible, the opportunity for team activities.

Year 7 Entry Process

External applicants are screened following receipt of school references. Successful applicants are invited to two days of assessments in January. On the Friday, pupils are interviewed by senior staff, and take part in a team building activity before returning the following day to sit entrance papers in English, Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning.

Kingswood Prep School candidates will complete their interviews on a separate day but undertake entrance assessments on the same day as external candidates.

Year 9 Entry Process

Two days of assessment are held in February, with pupils undertaking entrance papers in English, Maths, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Science and a Modern Foreign Language, as well as interviews with Senior Staff and the opportunity for taster activities.

Year 12 (Sixth Form) Entry Process

Applicants are invited to Kingswood in November, where each pupil will be interviewed by a member of the Senior Staff and the Heads of Department of their predicted A Level subjects. Scholarship applicants will be invited to sit scholarship papers on this day.

Pupils are required to secure a minimum of 666655 at i/GCSE, as well as any specific subject grade requirements as detailed in the Sixth Form Curriculum booklet, to progress to the Sixth Form.

YEAR 7 TIMELINE

October Registration Deadline

December Invitation to Assessment Day

January Interview and Team Activity Day Assessment Papers

End January Offers made March Acceptance deadline

YEAR 9

TIMELINE

January Registration Deadline February

Interview and Team Activity Day Assessment Papers Offers made March Acceptance deadline

YEAR 12 TIMELINE

Registration Deadline November Interview Day Scholarship Assessments December Offers made Acceptance deadline

October

ADMISSIONS PROCESSINTERNATIONAL APPLICATIONS:

Families are very welcome to contact the Director of Admissions to discuss their applications.

International applicants will follow a similar process and timeline to UK candidates.

Applicants for Years 8 and 10 may be considered throughout the year, depending on place availability.

Year 7 Entry Process

Applicants will sit entrance papers in English as an Additional Language, Mathematics and Non-Verbal Reasoning. They will be interviewed by a member of the Senior Management team.

Year 9 Entry Process

Applicants will undertake papers in English as an Additional Language, Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning, and be interviewed by a member of the Senior Management team.

Year 12 (Sixth Form) Entry Process

Those international candidates not undertaking i/GCSEs will sit entrance papers in the three subjects chosen for A Level and an English as an Additional Language paper. They will be interviewed by a member of the Senior Management team.

International Applicants completing i/GCSEs will be expected to meet the same entrance requirements as UK applicants: 666655 at i/GCSE, as well as any specific subject grade requirements as detailed in the Sixth Form Curriculum booklet, to progress to the Sixth Form.

YEAR 7 TIMELINE

October Registration Deadline September to January Assessment Papers

End January Offers made March Acceptance deadline

YEAR 9 TIMELINE

January Registration Deadline September to January Assessment Papers and Interview February Offers made March Acceptance deadline

YEAR 12 TIMELINE

October Registration Deadline September to November Interview Day Scholarship Assessments

December Offers made Acceptance deadline

Please contact the Admissions office on 01225 734210 or admissions@kingswood.bath.sch.uk for further details.

SCHOLARSHIPS, SPECIAL TALENT AWARDS & BURSARIES

Awards are made where particular excellence in academic or other special talent, has been demonstrated and in recognition of potential.

All those offered Academic Scholarships and Special Talents will be expected to sign a statement of acceptance, confirming the expectations of Academic Scholars.

Awards are typically between 5% and 15% of the basic fees. Further financial support can be applied for via a bursary and pupils may apply for both a scholarship and bursary.

Year 7 academic scholarships are awarded based on the results of entrance assessments, while Year 9 and Year 12 scholarship applicants will sit specific scholarship papers.

Special talent awards are available for pupils in Year 7, 9 and 12, across Art, Drama, Design Technology, Music and Sport. Applicants will be invited to Kingswood for interviews and assessment.

Bursaries

Kingswood School seeks to provide financial assistance towards the costs of fees where it is felt an individual would particularly benefit from a Kingswood education, and where there is a proven need for such financial assistance. The value and number of bursaries will be varied according to the strength of applications and the number of bursary holders already within the School. Bursaries are not available for pupils attending Kingswood Preparatory School unless there are exceptional circumstances.

For further information, please see our Scholarships and Bursaries Booklet.

HM Forces & Foreign & Commonwealth Office Discount

A 10% discount is available for boarding pupils in Year 7 and 8, rising to 20% in Year 9 and above, for members of His Majesty’s Regular Armed Forces and the Foreign and Commonwealth office.

Sibling Boarding Discount

A 10% discount on basic fees is offered for subsequent boarding siblings.

FIND US

Both Kingswood Senior School and Kingswood Prep School are a short walk away from each other on Lansdown Road. The School is within walking distance of the city centre of the World Heritage City of Bath and sits in over 200 acres of beautiful landscape.

HOW TO FIND US

Enter the following into your GPS: Lansdown Road Bath BA1 5RG

By Road

From M4 (Junction 18)

Follow signs to Bath. Through the village of Pennsylvania to roundabout. Take 3rd exit to Bristol (A420). Take next left turn, follow signs to Lansdown Park & Ride. Pass Lansdown Race Course on your right and continue approx 1 mile to Lansdown. Entrance to Kingswood School will be found on your right.

From A4 (Chippenham)

Follow signs to City Centre (London Road). Turn right towards Lansdown (follow signs to M4). Kingswood will be found on your left past St Stephens Church and immediately after the turning to Hamilton Road.

From A367

From A367, take 2nd exit off Churchill Bridge roundabout onto Broad Quay (A367), sign posted Long and Short Stay. At Queen Square follow signs to Chippenham (A4). Turn left on to Gay St. then follow road in to George St and turn left into Lansdown Rd. Kingswood will be found on your left past St Stephens Church and immediately after the turning to Hamilton Road.

By Rail

Kingswood is only 1.5 miles/2.5 kms from Bath Station. London to Bath by Intercity takes 1.5 hours.

By Air

The nearest airports are; Bristol (approx. 20 miles/32 kms), Heathrow (approx. 90 miles/145 kms) and Gatwick (approx. 110 miles/177 kms).

Kingswood School

Kingswood Prep School