Transitioning from Junior King’s to The King’s School Canterbury
The Process Step 1 Registration Register your child with The King’s School during the Autumn Term of Year 6. Note: There is no registration fee for pupils already at Junior King’s at the start of Year 6.
Step 2 Academic Profile A Head’s reference and recent CAT scores will be requested from Junior King’s to support the application.
Step 3 Experience Day In February of Year 6, pupils are invited to attend an Experience Day at The King’s School. This includes: - An assessed piece of creative writing - A one-to-one interview with a senior member of staff - A variety of team-building activities -
Step 4 Offers In March of Year 6, those successful in the process will receive an offer of a place. Offers made are unconditional, but subject to continued academic progress and positive contribution to the school community. Any pupil not receiving an offer at this point will benefit from continued academic review between the two schools and support to sit King’s Entrance Examinations in Year 8. Open and ongoing dialogue between the two schools enables offers to be made with confidence and well in advance of Years 7 and 8. By extending offers in Year 6, we remove timetable constraints and create space for deeper inquiry, broader exploration, and the development of wider knowledge. This approach enhances each pupil’s readiness for the senior school curriculum and supports a more seamless academic transition.
Step 5 Scholarships Families may consider a scholarship application. The deadline to apply will be in the December of Year 8.
Year 8 Taster Day When your child is in Year 8, they will be invited to an overnight event at the Senior School. This is designed to help incoming Shell pupils get to know the School, their future peers and the teachers they will be interacting with when they join in Year 9. Pupils arrive late afternoon on a Sunday and, over the following 24 hours, they will take part in a variety of fun lessons and activities led by King’s staff. Parents return the following day to meet Housemasters, Housemistresses and key members of staff. There is also a day-only option with pupils arriving on the Monday morning. Details for all events will be emailed nearer the time. We do hope you can join us.
Upcoming Events Drama Taster Day Sport Taster Day Sunday 17 January 2027
Sunday 21 March 2027
We are excited to repeat our popular Drama Taster Day for pupils in Years 5-8 again.
An invitation for pupils in Years 5 & 6 to join us for a sports masterclass day at King’s.
A wonderful opportunity for your child to spend an afternoon with our team at the Malthouse Theatre, culminating in a Drama and Musical Theatre Showcase for parents, followed by a reception with refreshments.
An opportunity for your child to participate in a wide selection of sports before choosing one to enjoy an afternoon masterclass with the King’s head of that particular sport.
Deadline for sign up: Friday 1 January 2027
Deadline for sign up: Friday 5 March 2027
Scan here to register for one of our Taster Days
Choral Taster Day Buzzin’ for King’s Sunday 31 January 2027
Thursday 10 June 2027
An invitation for singers in Years 5-8 who currently have 1:1 music lessons to join us for a special day of singing, music-making and discovery.
A University Challenge style quiz for Year 5 & 6 pupils. With a round robin group stage followed by a knockout finale, everyone gets plenty of questions! A brilliant competition with a range of questions across lots of different categories.
The day will include a series of singing sessions, giving pupils the opportunity to meet other young singers and experience music at King’s, culminating in the unique opportunity to sing Evensong alongside our Crypt Choir, in the atmospheric setting of Canterbury Cathedral. Deadline for sign up: Friday 15 January 2027
The quiz begins at 10:00am, with a lunch break at noon, followed by the final rounds in the afternoon until 3:30pm. This is a school sign up so encourage your school to make a team! Teams should be made up of 4 players. Deadline for sign up: Thursday 27 May 2027