A Letter from the Head
It is a privilege to join King’s as Head of the Foundation and to be part of such a supportive and engaged school. From the earliest days, the generosity and warmth of the Vigornian community have been striking, and the welcome extended has been deeply appreciated. We are especially grateful for the financial commitment of our supporters, whose donations help sustain our bursaries, enrich our programmes, and ensure that every pupil can access the full King’s experience.
King’s continues to progress across all areas of school life. Our academic, co-curricular, and pastoral programmes remain strong however this past year has brought significant pressures across the independent school sector. Rising operating costs, changes in policy, and the introduction of VAT on school fees have created a challenging landscape for schools and, most importantly, for families. Many households are having to make difficult choices about their children’s education, and we are very aware of the uncertainty this can bring. In this context, the support of our community has been more important than ever, allowing the School to respond with care, flexibility, and determination.
King’s School Worcester Charitable Trust Accounts to July
I am especially grateful to our OVs who generously share their time and expertise - whether at the Careers Extravaganza, in mentoring Sixth Form students, or simply by visiting and sharing their experiences. Your support, alongside that of the Friends of the School who contribute to our Bursary Programme, helps us offer an inclusive and welcoming environment where every pupil can reach their potential. I would also like to thank the King’s School Worcester Charitable Trust and Trustees for overseeing these generous contributions, and our Alumni Team for keeping our Vigornian community connected.
Independent schools face challenges, but King’s has shown resilience and careful stewardship. This stability allows us to continue offering a rich and engaging curriculum while preparing thoughtfully for the future.
I am looking forward to working with staff, pupils, and the wider King’s community to build on this strong foundation. My focus will be on ensuring that every pupil is supported and inspired, and I am excited about what we can achieve together in the years ahead.
Ben Charles
From the Chair of the Charitable Trust
As Chair of the Charitable Trust, I would like to begin by offering my sincere thanks for the continued loyalty and generosity shown to The King’s School Worcester. Your supportthrough donations, legacies and advocacy - plays a vital role in sustaining the School’s ambition to provide an outstanding education to talented young people, irrespective of financial circumstance.
This year, the Development Trust has changed its name to the Charitable Trust. This change reflects our commitment to clarity and purpose. By aligning our name more closely with our charitable objectives, we aim to strengthen understanding and support within the Vigornian community and beyond. At a time when the independent sector faces significant challenges, we want to ensure nothing stands in the way of sustaining the opportunities offered by King’s for all prospective pupils.
This past year has been marked by exceptional pressure across the independent school sector. Rising operating costs, policy changes and the introduction of VAT on school fees have combined to create a challenging environment for schools
and, most importantly, for families. Many households are facing difficult decisions about their children’s education, and we are acutely aware of the uncertainty this brings. In this context, your support has been more important than ever, enabling the School to respond with compassion, flexibility and determination.
Gifts to the Bursary Programme continue to make a profound difference. They do far more than offset fees; they safeguard opportunity. Your generosity ensures that able pupils can access the academic, pastoral and co-curricular richness that defines King’s, while relieving pressure on families striving to remain part of the School community. In doing so, you help preserve the breadth, diversity and vitality that are central to our ethos.
We are grateful for the many ways in which you contribute - from direct financial support to legacy commitments, from attending events to championing the Trust within your networks. Each contribution strengthens a collective effort that sustains current pupils while securing opportunity for those who will follow.
Looking ahead, the Trust is focused on strengthening and expanding the Bursary Programme so that it remains resilient in an increasingly uncertain landscape. We are exploring new partnerships, funding approaches and engagement opportunities, and we value the perspectives and encouragement of our supporters as we shape this work.
Total Cumulative Donations to the Charitable Trust
I would also like to recognise the dedication of the King’s Alumni and Business Development Team. Their commitment to building meaningful relationships with OVs and Friends of the School continues to underpin the Trust’s success and enables so much of this work to happen.
My thanks extend to my fellow Trustees, whose careful stewardship, insight and generosity of time guide the Trust’s direction. Their efforts, alongside the commitment of our donors, ensure that the Charitable Trust remains a powerful force for inclusion and aspiration.
At a time when access to independent education is under increasing strain, your support helps families stay, helps pupils thrive and helps King’s remain true to its mission. We are deeply grateful for your partnership.
Thank you for standing with us as we continue to open doors to King’s - and to the futures it makes possible.
Nick Clark
From the Head of Alumni and Business Development
The 2024/25 academic year has once again highlighted the strength, loyalty and generosity of the OV community, particularly as independent schools and many King’s families continue to navigate a period of sustained financial pressure. Echoing the Head’s and Chair’s reflections, OV support has been instrumental in helping the School preserve access, opportunity and stability during a challenging time for the sector.
Across the year, OVs from a wide range of professions and generations gave their time to careers and mentoring initiatives for current pupils and fellow alumni. The third annual Careers Extravaganza marked another step forward, bringing together an exceptional breadth of expertise and offering practical guidance, reassurance and inspiration at a time when young people - and their families - are thinking carefully about future pathways and value in education.
Reunions and events remained at the heart of our work. The 121st OV Dinner was a particularly special occasion, bringing together OVs in celebration of shared heritage and ongoing connection. We were also delighted to see the continued growth of VigFest, our summer party in the School gardens, which returned for its second year and is already gaining strong momentum as a relaxed and inclusive way for OVs to reconnect.
The OV community has also continued to play a vital role in advancing the work of the The King’s School Worcester Charitable Trust. As economic pressures and policy changes affect families’ ability to sustain independent education, alumni generosity has helped ensure that bursary support remains robust. The Open the Door Bursary Campaign, launched in 2018, now stands as a powerful example of collective impact,
having raised over £3.2 million and supporting multiple pupils through transformational educational journeys.
This year we were especially pleased to see the introduction of a new 100% bursary provided by an OV, enabling a child to join King’s at Lower Fourth. This kind of commitment illustrates the direct and lasting impact alumni can have - not only easing financial pressure on families but opening opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.
We are equally grateful for the growing number of legacy pledges made by members of the Vigornian community. Several legacies received and committed during the year will play an important role in strengthening the long-term sustainability of the Bursary Programme, ensuring that future generations of pupils can benefit from the same life-changing opportunities.
OV support also continues to extend beyond financial giving. Through mentoring, work experience opportunities, advocacy and engagement, OVs help sustain the experience of today’s pupils while reinforcing the School’s resilience for the future. In a year when many families are carefully weighing educational choices, that visible, practical support has made a meaningful difference.
On behalf of the Alumni Team, thank you for your continued commitment to one another and to King’s. Your involvement - in whatever form it takes - ensures that the Vigornian community remains connected, forward-looking and capable of opening doors for the next generation: King’s for Life.
Hannah Sparrey
The Importance of Donating to King’s
King’s thrives because of a community that believes in opportunity, inclusion, and excellence. Every donation, legacy, and act of advocacy helps ensure that talented young people can access the exceptional education King’s provides - no matter their financial circumstances.
Independent schools are facing an unprecedented period of financial pressure. Recent government policy changes, including the introduction of VAT on school fees, the removal of business rate relief, and increased employer National Insurance contributions, have created unavoidable and immediate cost increases across the sector. At King’s, these pressures have led to a significant rise in school fees. While necessary to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the School, this comes at a time when many families are already facing rising living costs. As a result, some families who have long been part of the King’s community now face sudden and unanticipated financial strain, and decisions about pupils’ futures are being made now.
Your support remains critical. Gifts to the Bursary Programme provide targeted, practical assistance, allowing children to
remain at the School they know and love. At a moment when pupils’ education, wellbeing, and sense of belonging are at stake, your generosity helps preserve King’s as a place of stability, care, and opportunity - ensuring no child is denied the transformative experiences that King’s offers.
Bursary support does more than offset fees: it safeguards potential. Contributions allow pupils to access the full breadth of King’s academic, pastoral, and co-curricular life, relieve pressure on families, and protect the diversity and vitality that define King’s.
Your gift matters. Every contribution - whether financial, practical, or in advocacy - is part of a collective effort that keeps families in King’s, helps pupils thrive, and ensures the School can continue to deliver an inclusive, inspiring, and life-changing education. At a moment when decisions about pupils’ futures are being made, your support can make all the difference.
Thank you for standing with King’s, and for helping open doors to opportunity and possibility for generations to come.
Thank you
We are grateful to everyone who has supported The King’s School Worcester, whether through volunteering their time, expertise, advice or by donating to the King’s School Worcester Charitable Trust. The following people made a gift to the Trust between 1st August 2024 and 31st July 2025. Several people have asked to remain anonymous. Whilst all care and attention has been taken in drawing up this list, we apologise for any errors or omissions. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you feel that you have been omitted or are recorded incorrectly.
Mr P Prestage S 1941-1949
Mr M C Joyner Cr 1944-1952
Mr D R Mills H 1944-1953
Major A Hargrave S 1944-1948
Mr R F J Spier S 1945-1955
Mr L D Jones Ch 1947-1954
Mr E Rippier Cr 1947-1954
Mr D W Blundell Ch 1948-1955
Dr P. J. Bulman Cl 1948-1955
Mr D C Daniels Cr 1951-1956
Mr M J Potter Cr 1951-1958
Dr D R W Bryer CMG H 1951-1962
Mr D Head Cl 1952-1958
Mr C Reynaud S 1952-1958
Mr A M Kemp Cr 1953-1960
Mr D T Howell S 1953-1961
Mr D M Robertson Ca 1954-1962
Dr P Grout Ch 1954-1963
Mr D G Wright Cr 1954-1961
Professor N Boyle Cr 1954-1963
Revd. M Loveless Cr 1954-1964
Mr D A Sheffer Ca 1955-1960
Mr D S Baker Cr 1955 - 1961
His Honour C Hodson S 1955-1965
Mr D Seabright W 1955-1964
Mr D Williams Ca 1956-1959
Mr P W McIntosh W 1956-1965
Prof R A Houlbrooke Ca 1957-1960
Dr M R Young Ca 1957-1967
Mr D Wolfendale W 1958-1968
Mr A G Sadler Br 1959-1969
Mr R A Fry Br 1960-1967
Mr S M Dimmick Ca 1960-1970
Dr G H Harper Cl 1960-1963
Mr M J Page Cr 1960-1965
Mr S Webb CBE H 1960-1969
Mr M St J Pimley H 1961-1971
Mr K Robinson S 1962-1968
The Right Hon Sir S Tomlinson H 1963-1970
Mr A E Reekes Ch 1964-1969
Mr J R Foley Cl 1964-1974
Mr P S Smith H 1964-1969
Mr S M Bagnall Br 1968-1975
Mr M K J Hardyman Cl 1968-1975
Mr M J Annable Cl 1968-1978
Mr C T O'Donnell Cl 1970-1977
Mr J R Slater S 1970-1976
Mr J Tyson Ca 1972-1974
Mr P Burgoyne Cr 1972-1977
Mr I J C Smith Cr 1973-1978
Mr G M Nicholas Ca 1976-1981
Mr J GordonCumming W 1976-1987
Mr A W Underwood S 1977-1988
Mr Z Win H 1978-1980
Mr R S McClatchey H 1978-1983
Dr A R Green W 1978-1985
Mr J P C Sitch Ch 1979-1981
Mr S Jevons Ch 1979-1986
Mrs K L Brooks Co 1979-1981
Mr D S Jackson Cl 1980-1982
Mrs E J Elliott Co 1982-1984
Dr C J J Preston W 1983-1992
Mr C J Goodman K 1984-1989
Mr J R Fawcett Br 1985-1994
Mr D W Gibbs W 1986-1993
Mr C T Nelson Cr 1989-1996
Dr T E Wall Cr 1989-1999
Mr M W Checketts W 1989-1994
Mr N J Briggs W 1990-1993
Mrs R J GarrodWaters Co 1991-1993
Mrs L Collins Cl 1995-1997
Mrs E H Heighway S 2006-2008
Mrs C Furber Staff
Mrs A J Iddon Staff
Mr S Le Marchand Staff
Mr R P Mason Staff
Dr R McLavertyHead Staff
Mrs P Stevens Staff
Mr R N G Stone Staff
Mrs J Best Parent
Mr and Mrs R Cartwright Parent
Mr and Mrs C Graham Parent
Mr J Halford Parent
Mr M Pountney Parent
Mr and Mrs A Powell Parent
Col H Cunningham Friend of the School
Mr C Lindner Friend of the School
The 1541 Society
The 1541 Society is a special group of people who have supported the King’s School Worcester Charitable Trust in a major way through volunteering their time and expertise, donating to Trust funds or by making a legacy pledge to the King’s School. We have been delighted to welcome new members to the Society during the year, some of whom have advised us that they have remembered the School in their Will.
1541 Society Members
Mr C J W Allen
Mrs K Armstrong
Mr R M Atkins
Mr J G Bartholomew
Mrs C S Bawden
Mr D R Bell
Mrs J Best
Mr D W Blundell
Mr A W Booton
Professor N Boyle
Mr L R Bryer
Mr I Butterworth
Mrs J Butterworth
Mr M R Chand
The Revd. Prebendary G Chapman
Mr N W Clark
Mr N R Cleobury
Mr M D G Coley
Mr J A Comyn
Mrs V Comyn
Mr L D Connell
Mr S R Coulter
Mrs L J Crow
Ways
Col H Cunningham
Maj R J Cunningham
Prof S M Darlington MBE
Mr K Duddy
Mr M R Dudley
Dr P Dyer
Prof A D Edwards
Mr J R Foley
Mr N C Garland
Mr C W Garrad
Mr J S Greenwood
The Right Revd. Dr M Gretason
Mrs G Halford
Mr T W Halford
Mrs T Harley
Mr G A Harris
Dr P C Hassan
Mr M D Haworth
Mr D R Head
Mr T D R Hickson
Miss P Hope
Mr D T Howell
Prof A L Jameson
Mr S Jevons
Online – you can set up a regular donation or give a one-off gift by visiting www.ksw.org.uk/ alumni/support-kings/donate/ By phone or email – if you would like to discuss your giving with us, please call the Alumni Team on 01905 721737 or email alumni@ksw.org.uk
Trustees for the year to July 2025
Nick Clark, H 88-90 (OV, Parent, Chair of the Trust)
John Attwater
Bill Ballard (Parent, Governor) (Resigned 25 April 2025)
Katie Beever (Staff, Parent)
Lewis Bryer, Cl 78-87 (OV, Parent) (Resigned 3 March 2025)
Hugh Carslake (Parent, Former Governor)
Tom Dupernex, Os 89-99 (OV)
Hannah Edwards (Parent)
John Foley, Cl 64-74 (OV, Parent)
Laurie Green, Cl 65 – 70 (OV, Parent, Former Governor)
Wendy Hobbs BEM (Appointed 10 October 2024)
Donald Howell, S 53-61 (OV, Former Governor)
Mr R D Jones
Mr A S Kazerooni
Mrs M Keyes
Mr T H Keyes
Mrs D E Long
Mr T E A Mackie
Mr L Matthews
Mr R S McClatchey
Sir G J Mulcahy
Mr G M Nicholas
Mr J A J Palmer
Mr J Panter
The Revd. D D J Payne
Mr M St J Pimley
Mr S Pitt
Mr J H Points
Mr J L Potter
Mr M J Potter
Mrs E Pountney
Mr M Pountney
Mr J A Preston
Mrs P A Preston
Mr G Probert
Mr A E Reekes
Mr D M Robertson
Mr D Seabright
Miss L M Sheen
Mr D A Sheffer
Mr E J B Simpson
Mr J R Slater
Mr I J C Smith
Mr P S Smith
Mr J J Snewin
Mr R F J Spier
Mrs P Stevens
Mr R F Subiotto
Mr N C Tithecott
Mr G Titmuss
Mrs S J Titmuss
The Right Hon Sir S M Tomlinson
Mr A W Underwood
Mr L G Wadley
Dr S J Walker
Mr S Webb CBE
Mr J P Weston CBE
Mr R J Wilkes
