Issuu

Our Contribution in Numbers

£1.6m

£1.6 million awarded in bursary support in 2023/24

Approximately

20,124

hours spent volunteering in 2023/24 by our pupils and staff

2,650

King’s has worked with 2,650 young people in the last year

“Opening new possibilities via a range of experiences, interaction with other schools, trips they would not normally go on, motivational workshops, teamwork, leadership. Students gained confidence and are excited about future projects and opportunities in general as a result.”

– JITKA ZENATOVA, RICARDS LODGE HIGH SCHOOL

“Our pupils love working with older students who are so positive in their approach, their enthusiasm for learning and the way they communicate and carry themselves. The children value the whole relationship with King’s and ask us all week: “Are King’s coming on Friday? When are we going to King’s?”

– ANIA KENNEDY, HEADTEACHER OF ST MARK’S PRIMARY

£1.33m

Net public benefit is in the order of £1.33 million

Every Friday afternoon during term-time over 450 King’s pupils take part in partnership initiatives.

120

partner school pupils attended GCSE academic support classes taught by King’s staff in 2024

£2m

Over £2m spent on community support 65 50+ 30 years

Over the last 30 years the partnership network has developed and grown

“Partnerships like this encourage us to learn from each other. Students from both schools enrich their lives, widen their opportunities, develop their cultural connections and make friends.”

– JOANNE LARIZADEH, PRINCIPAL OF HARRIS ACADEMY WIMBLEDON

over 50 initiatives that benefit both young and old in our local area.

teachers involved in community partnerships

Partnerships

PETER HATCH, DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS AND OUTREACH:

“The Partnerships and Outreach programme is founded on four principles – sustainability, impact, mutual benefit for all stakeholders and a commitment to challenging disadvantage. It reflects a strong belief in the benefit of educational partnerships and a longstanding commitment to sharing our resources with the local community. We firmly believe that community engagement empowers our young people to go out into the world with the determination to make a purposeful contribution to society at large.”

From STEM and Sports to Modern Languages and Creative Arts, our partnership and outreach programme aims to inspire, enrich and empower King’s and partnership pupils across primary, special and secondary schools as well as extending beyond the classroom into the wider community.

Partnerships in action

St Mark’s Primary School

King’s has worked in partnership with St Mark’s Primary School in Mitcham for more than 25 years. Initiatives range from King’s students offering English, Maths, Science, History and Geography support to large groups, small groups and individual children every Friday afternoon to running sports sessions, musical events and design initiatives.

Ania Kennedy, Headteacher of St Mark’s, and Cheryl Seabrook, the school’s Inclusion Manager, outline the impact the partnership has had on thousands of pupils over the years:

“Our partnership benefits everybody. We are in the heart of Mitchum town centre,

in one of the most deprived wards in the country. Around 40% of our children are in receipt of free school meals and the same percentage are on the special needs register.

One of the most impactful things is when the King’s students mentor our children one-to-one. Our parents really value these opportunities and they increase the aspirations that they have for their children.”

Academic Enrichment

STEM

Our STEM partnerships are dedicated to igniting curiosity and nurturing talent through a variety of engaging projects. In maths, sessions are fun and interactive with targeted support to help students develop strong numerical and problem-solving skills. Our science initiatives include captivating laboratory demonstrations, rocket building and robotics projects. These help to prepare primary school pupils for the study of science at secondary school and gifted key stage three students are introduced to a range of experiments which go beyond the curriculum. In computing, our projects teach essential digital skills and in-depth coding workshops. We also have focused projects that support children with complex needs through tailored educational activities.

Robotics with Pelham Primary School

Each Friday afternoon a group of Sixth Formers change wording to support pupils in years 4,5 and 6 at our partner school, Pelham Primary School. Sixth form pupil, Blythe said,

“We are teaching them VEX code, which is a type of block-based coding, very similar to Scratch coding, and then they apply this knowledge to coding real-live robots. The children code small robots that react to their environments, and I love seeing the creative ways they apply this, for example making the robots have a dance battle, or navigating the robot through a maze using its various sensors.”

Academic Enrichment

Junior Aspirations

Throughout the academic year, gifted and talented Year 5 pupils from our primary schools participate in extension classes at King’s. These classes cover a diverse range of topics in Science, English, and Maths. From exploring haiku poetry to conducting flame tests, the primary students have eagerly engaged with their peers from King’s, learning new skills each week. The culmination of this enriching experience is a graduation ceremony at the end of April, made possible by the generous sponsorship of our parents, The Friends of King’s.

Senior Aspirations

The senior aspirations project for students from partnership schools aims to inspire future first-generation university scholars in years 9, 10, and 11. The programme includes university outreach days and extension work at King’s in various subjects. Students will participate in drama workshops before attending performances at the Globe Theatre and the West End. They engage in academic workshops across the curriculum, a trip to Parliament, science workshops in collaboration with Imperial College and pathways workshops on higher education and degree apprenticeships. Students will visit King’s College London and Royal Holloway University of London to get an introduction to university study.

Academic Enrichment

“The Wimbledon Independent-State Schools Partnership is a great example of the strong partnerships that exist between many independent and state schools. Programmes such as this allow students and teachers from both sectors to learn from each other in a relationship that brings mutual benefit to all participants. We are extremely proud of the programme and of the large numbers of pupils and colleagues at King’s who show such a deep and abiding commitment to supporting the programme’s continued growth and impact.”

– LORD DEIGHTON

Modern and classical languages

Our Modern and Classical Languages partnerships aim to broaden students’ linguistic abilities and cultural understanding through a variety of immersive projects. Our activities include supporting younger pupils in learning Spanish and French, introducing students to Chinese language and culture, teaching English as an Additional Language and engaging with Latin.

Humanities and social sciences

Our partnerships in the humanities and social sciences include a variety of projects designed to promote educational development and social awareness. We engage students in exploring historical topics and collaborate with local schools to educate young learners about climate change. This initiative features a presentation event where students propose solutions to climate issues. Our Model United Nations project provides opportunities for students to develop public speaking, leadership, and organisational skills while addressing global issues.

English

Our English projects are designed to foster a love for reading and creative writing and support oracy and literacy. In our Book Clubs, participants are trained to lead small group discussions with Year 4 pupils, encouraging them to become enthusiastic readers and articulate their ideas. The Writers in Residence project supports Year 8 students in writing their own mini novels, guiding them from concept creation through to the final printed and bound copy.

Creative arts

Our Creative arts partnerships aim to inspire and develop the artistic talents of young people through a variety of innovative projects. Pupils from our partner schools enjoy opportunities to explore their creativity and enhance their skills in various dramatic, artistic or musical disciplines. These activities include creating multi-sensory, story-driven worlds, art workshops, learning and performing jazz and blues, and choral rehearsals. Students also engage in physical theatre, drama productions, music composition and set design for our annual community production that takes place at the end of the spring term.

Drawing together art with primary school children

King’s students collaborate with local primary schools to develop and exhibit creative works in the atrium of Cannizaro Park from June to September. King’s pupils not only contribute to the creation of the artwork but also play a key role in organising the event, showcasing the vibrant and imaginative pieces produced by the young artists.

Creative arts

Community production

We stage an annual community production, funded by the Friends of King’s, with King’s pupils working alongside peers from local schools to present a show. In 2024 an ambitious two-term collaboration between King’s and eight partnership schools – Bond Primary School, Coombe Girls’ School, Cricket Green School, Harris Academy Wimbledon, Perseid Special School, Raynes Park High School, Ricards Lodge High School and Wimbledon College – culminated in a production of The Time Machine. It involved more than 150 actors, singers, musicians, composers and backstage technicians, with props and puppets crafted by pupils from King’s and Bond Primary School.

MICHELLE GILLIGAN, FRIENDS OF KING’S CHAIR

“As well as fostering a keen sense of community, we raise money for King’s bursaries and the school’s partnership and outreach programme. Since our launch in 1976 we have raised more than £1.5 million to enrich the education of students and ensure that the school continues to play an active part in the life of the local community. More than 300 members of the King’s community were happy to give their time in 2023-24.”

Creative arts

Open Doors

Our community partnerships programme extends beyond term time through projects like our annual Open Doors initiative. Supported by The Friends of King’s, Open Doors is a project for pupils from four local primary schools – run by older pupils from King’s and three partnership schools. It takes place in the first week of July and has two parts. The first is a series of Art, Music, Dance and Drama workshops, concluding with a performance in the school theatre at the end of the week, while the second is a summer games programme leading up to a sports tournament.

King’s Arts

In June 2023 we launched a new initiative, King’s Arts, a five-day celebration of culture and the arts. We opened our doors to our local community so we could celebrate the uplifting and transformative power of the arts together. Our partnership schools were at the heart of this celebration and a concert, featuring a massed choir made up of 100 pupils from King’s and six of our partner schools, performing alongside alumni and King’s pupils, was for many, the highlight of the week.

Sport

Our sports partnerships promote confidence, physical fitness, teamwork and leadership through a variety of activities. We provide young people with opportunities to develop their athletic skills and foster a love for sports. King’s pupils get to assist with swimming lessons, organise a variety of PE activities as well as coaching sports such as cricket, netball, football, squash and tennis. Our coaching sessions adopt innovative methods for ensuring activities are fun and engaging. We also combine physical activity with academic support through rugby and maths mentoring.

“This is not only a great experience for the children, but also a fantastic creative outlet and brilliant teaching experience for me and the other students who help run the sessions.”

– KING’S PUPIL

Intergenerational

Our wider community partnerships aim to foster connections and provide valuable support to local residents. For example one of our projects involves teaching ICT skills to local residents, helping them navigate the digital world and providing a one-to-one support for elderly people with their use of technology. We also work with two local churches to help maintain their churchyards, contributing to the upkeep of these important community spaces.

Friendship hour

Students warmly welcome local elderly people to join them for an afternoon of tea, sandwiches, and delightful conversations. This intergenerational gathering aims to foster connections between young and old, creating a space where stories, experiences, and wisdom can be shared. It not only provides a chance for the elderly to enjoy a pleasant outing but also allows students to learn from the rich life experiences of our guests.

Partnerships in action Harris Academy Wimbledon

King’s and Harris Academy Wimbledon (HAWI) have worked together since 2018. Recent initiatives include Science workshops at King’s for Year 8 HAWI pupils, “preparing for university success” sessions for HAWI Year 11s and an after-school Latin club run by King’s students. Teachers from both schools share best practice.

The Sixth Form Partnership with HAWI launched in 2022, enables Sixth Formers from both schools to work together on

a range of initiatives including community projects on Friday afternoons. The projects, jointly led by King’s and HAWI Sixth Formers, range from football coaching to leading book clubs to working on the annual community production at King’s. “It’s my favourite part of the whole week,” said a HAWI pupil. Pupils from both schools take part in a number of other joint initiatives together - HAWI Sixth Formers attend the annual UCAS fair at King’s, while those applying for Oxbridge and Medicine access interview practice and support.

“When Harris Academy Wimbledon opened in 2018 we developed links with King’s from the start. We were in temporary accommodation for the first two years but our partnership gave our students the opportunity to enjoy the fantastic facilities at King’s, to work together and to gain an insight into a different school environment.

All the projects we’ve done with King’s have been very positive. Our Year 8 students particularly enjoyed the Science sessions at King’s, the experiments and being stretched and challenged. King’s students have run our Latin Club for Years 8 and 9 and as part of the Friday afternoon programme they come and run our Fun Football. We didn’t have our own Sixth Formers initially and it was really inspiring for our youngest pupils to have Year 12 and Year 13 role models from King’s.

Our Sixth Formers are very enthusiastic about working with the King’s students and being able to talk about their subjects together.”

– JOANNE LARIZADEH, PRINCIPAL

OF HAWI, TALKS ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF HER SCHOOL’S PARTNERSHIP WITH KING’S.

“The partnership with King’s has provided our students with a lot of opportunities to develop their cultural capital, especially at events such as the theatre and houses of parliament trips.”

– DANIELL EKPOFFIONG, RAYNES PARK HIGH SCHOOL

Bursaries

ANTONY BERRY, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT:

“I have witnessed first-hand the profound impact of bursaries. These financial aids have the power to transform lives, opening doors that would otherwise remain closed. These students have gone on to achieve remarkable things in their academic pursuits and professional careers and make a great contribution to UK life and the economy. The generosity of our community, coming together philanthropically, plays a critical role in our success.”

1,023

people have donated funds for bursaries since 2000

Pramoth’s story

Pramoth Ragavan

Pramoth was awarded a 100% bursary at King’s from the age of nine to 18. He is now studying for a Master’s in Mathematics at the University of St Andrews and is aiming for a career in Finance, Computational Mathematics or Technology.

“The King’s community shaped me as a person”

“It’s almost impossible to imagine my life without King’s. It has been a core part of my life – and still is. Being part of the King’s community shaped me as a person. I met so many positive role models along the way and the bulk of my friends today are people I went to King’s with. Some of the teachers from King’s are still the people that I look up to the most. For a long time after leaving, I wanted to be

a teacher because I spent years thinking what wonderful people. Look at what they’ve done for me. I’d like to do this for someone else”.

Without a bursary I would never have been able to go to Kings. Now my mum contributes £20 a month to bursaries herself. My parents want to do whatever they can because the bursary meant so much to them, as it did to me. One of my goals once I graduate and get a job is to do the same. Opening access to good schools to as many people as possible is such a good thing. If you’re in a position to help, it’s a nice way of paying back. Helping other people, contributing to the education of children who wouldn’t be able to go to the school otherwise and breaking those generational wealth barriers is a fantastic thing to do.

Anonymous

M achieved 45 points in the IB, the maximum score possible, read History at the University of Oxford and now works in Fintech in the US.

King’s was an anchor for me. It was somewhere I felt safe, somewhere I knew people and had friends. It was a lifeline at the time and has grown further in significance with each passing year. I have always been naturally ambitious but King’s intensified my ambition. Being awarded a bursary was hugely motivating and made me a better student. I wanted to show that I had earned it and was doing well and that the school had made a good investment. That was very important to me.

“King’s was an anchor for me. It was somewhere I felt safe, somewhere I knew people and had friends. It was a lifeline at the time and has grown further in significance with each passing year”

At a societal level bursaries are transformational and at an individual level they are enablers. They enable a child to have a better education. In my case, the King’s bursary both inspired and enabled me to think bigger, reach higher and run faster than would ever have been possible elsewhere. The most enabling thing for me – even more than the money – was that sense of someone that I didn’t really know and who didn’t owe me anything taking a punt on me. I found that very inspiring and reassuring. I’d like to enable other children to have the opportunity that I had.

£9.23m

Donors have given and pledged more than £9.23 million for bursaries at King’s in the last 24 years.

Laura’s story

Laura Trosser

Laura attended King’s on a 100% bursary from the age of 16 to 18. One of the first cohort of girls in the sixth form, she took the IB and then studied Comparative Literature at Harvard. After doing a Master of Fine Arts degree at LAMDA, she is now a professional actor.

King’s had a massive impact on me. My experience was really shaped by the staff and the level of pastoral care. I felt really cared for. The teachers had the capacity to look after you that extra bit, especially at that important time in your life when you’re considering your next steps.

Going to Harvard would never have crossed my mind before but King’s changed my perspective on everything. It gave me confidence and opened the doors that led to me going to America for four years – travelling more, engaging with the arts more and feeling more secure in myself. I can’t claim to be the world’s most successful actor yet but King’s gave me the confidence to give things a go.

“Going to Harvard would never have crossed my mind before but King’s changed my perspective on everything”

At my Harvard interview I remember being asked “what are you most proud of from the past year?” My answer was that I was proud of making the most of all the opportunities at King’s. I loved doing the IB, took part in every play, staged Caligula at the Edinburgh Fringe and did two weeks’ teaching in Zambia. When I applied to King’s it seemed such a far-fetched idea so once I was there I thought: “I’ve got two years in this amazing place. I have to do everything wholeheartedly” – and I did.”

Charities

SHELLEY WILLIAMS, HEAD OF CHARITIES:

“Fundraising for charity at King’s educates pupils and enables them to become more knowledgeable about the world around them.

Our pupils are socially minded young people who seek to give back and make a difference and every pupil in the junior and senior school is involved in fundraising in some form. Charitable giving continues after pupils leave school. Our young people are caring, thoughtful individuals who want to give back to society and they carry on doing that throughout their lives.”

£30k

Pupils raised over £30,000 for charity in 2023/24.

Our whole school charity is launched on Make a Difference Day in October, when pupils raise money through activities like karaoke, busking and tug of war, attend talks by experts and reflect on how they can give back to the community and to society.

Local charities

King’s is very much part of our local community and works with a number of local charities, including Wimbledon Guild, Streets Kitchen, Wimbledon Food Bank and Wimbledon Dons Local Action Group. The school’s 2023 Christmas Gifts Appeal was in aid of Wimbledon Guild and pupils donated and delivered Christmas presents to families living in poverty in and around Merton.

Global charities

We proudly support many charities who work in the UK and internationally. This year we fundraised for:

International charities

As well as the Obera Schools’ Project, we also collaborate with WeSeeHope to support vulnerable children in Kenya and Shoes to Share, a charity that provides quality used sports shoes to aspiring athletes globally.

Obera Schools’ Project

Junior School teacher Andrew Baker founded the Obera Schools’ Project in 2005 to develop primary schools in Obera, a remote part of south-west The money we’ve raised over the last 19 years has helped to complete infrastructure projects at three different schools, including 28 classrooms, two libraries, a computer suite and a water bore hole.

Mr Baker, who was awarded the MBE in 2023 for services to education and the community in Obera, started the project after working as a volunteer teacher at Obera School 40 years ago.

£405k+

raised for Obera since 2005, aiding primary schools in SW Kenya

A Long History of Social Impact

1829

King’s College School founded by donations.

£100,000 pledged by donors to establish the junior department of the newly established King’s College London, originally occupying the basement of the university on the Strand.

1912

The Junior School opens - King’s becomes a grantaided school and takes up to 10% of pupils from local elementary schools referred to as the Surrey Scholars Scheme.

1970s

King’s establishes its own bursary scheme.

1831

Opening of the School with 85 pupils.

1897

£30,000 raised, half of which was from two former pupils of the School, allowing the School to open in a new building, on Wimbledon Common, with 181 pupils.

1945 King’s receives independent status. The school continues with the Surrey Scholars Scheme. In 1954, at its peak, there were 103 scholars in the senior school, approximately 24% of pupils at that time.

1976

The Friends of King’s (the school’s parents’ association), raise £30,000 for the School in the first five years of being established.

1979 150th anniversary celebration philanthropic drive raises over £500,00 for buildings and bursaries

Early 1990s

School introduces an innovative Friday afternoon timetable dedicated to fostering partnership activities and other co-curricular activities

2023

King’s teacher Andrew Baker award MBE for services to education for the Obera Schools’ Project.

1981 School adopts the government Assisted Places Scheme, which runs alongside bursary scheme until 1997.

2003

King’s teacher Heather McKissack MBE sets up the Wimbledon independent-state schools partnership for which she received an MBE.

2024 and onwards

We are in the process of establishing the King’s College School Bursaries Foundation, with the aim of raising a further £29 million by 2029, the school’s 200th anniversary.

DR ANNE COTTON, HEAD

“At King’s, we care deeply about our contribution to our communities. We are continually looking to develop our work with our partner schools and the local community. Likewise, we are committed to widening access to the school through our bursaries programme, which offers a transformational education to talented young people from all backgrounds.”