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King's College (Taunton)
Encyclopedia
King's College is a coeducational, secondary boarding school in Taunton
, Somerset
, England. It is an independent school
of 430 pupils aged 13 to 18, including about 300 boarders. The head of the school is currently Richard Biggs, who started his first academic year in the winter of 2007.
Benjamin Disraeli stood for MP in Taunton, and many of his early political appearances took place on what is currently the school's 1st XI cricket Pitch. After the Italian invasion of Ethiopia
in 1936, Emperor Haile Selassie I fled In exile to Bath. DuriNg his stay in thE UK many of his younger children went to Kings College, and the Emperor himself distributed the awards at the end of every Academic year. The school Purchased Pyrland Hall in the 1950s which now houses the King's Hall School
co-educationaL prep school
. Many of the boarding housEs still hold trophies related to now defunct activities on which is it inscribed that that particular prize was handed out by Haile Selassie. A portrait of the Emperor once hung in the main school building. Before the General Election
in 1964, the Prime Minister
, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, addressed a public meeting at the school.
The School became co-educational in the very early 1970s (in that it admitted females into the Sixth Form). It currently has seven boarding houses: Bishop Fox, King Alfred, Woodard (After Nathaniel Woodard
) Tuckwell (after William Tuckwell
, Meynell, Taylor and Carpenter. All these houses, plus Neates, which no longer exists, were male boarding houses until the early 1990s, when Meynell converted to become the first all female boarding house. Taylor house was later founded as a female boarding house. Carpenter became a female boarding house in the mid 1990s. Until the conversion to full coeducational status, Sixth Form girls were assigned to one of the male boarding houses but lived in separate accommodation.
The transition to full coeducational status caused some controversy amongst the male students at the time, particularly amongst those in the boarding houses that were becoming female boarding houses. Students, who had developed a bond to their boarding houses over a number of years, were moved to other houses and many who went through the transition still consider their 'first' house to be their only house. In July 2006, two members of staff accompanied a small group of pupils who had recently left the school on a charity trip to India
to construct a house for an Indian family.
In 2007, the school choir took part in a choral competition on the BBC
programme Songs of Praise
and came first, and in the same year the senior rugby team were victorious in the The National Schools 7's
.
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England. It is an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
of 430 pupils aged 13 to 18, including about 300 boarders. The head of the school is currently Richard Biggs, who started his first academic year in the winter of 2007.
History
Kings College Taunton was founded in 1880. The building was designed by C.E. Giles and built between 1867 and 1869. A new chapel followed in 1903 designed by W. E. Tower. It has been designated as a Grade II listed building.Benjamin Disraeli stood for MP in Taunton, and many of his early political appearances took place on what is currently the school's 1st XI cricket Pitch. After the Italian invasion of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
in 1936, Emperor Haile Selassie I fled In exile to Bath. DuriNg his stay in thE UK many of his younger children went to Kings College, and the Emperor himself distributed the awards at the end of every Academic year. The school Purchased Pyrland Hall in the 1950s which now houses the King's Hall School
King's Hall School
King's Hall School is a co-educational prep school that provides day and boarding facilities. The school is located within the parish of Cheddon Fitzpaine, just north of Taunton, Somerset, in the West of England...
co-educationaL prep school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
. Many of the boarding housEs still hold trophies related to now defunct activities on which is it inscribed that that particular prize was handed out by Haile Selassie. A portrait of the Emperor once hung in the main school building. Before the General Election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
in 1964, the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, Sir Alec Douglas-Home, addressed a public meeting at the school.
The School became co-educational in the very early 1970s (in that it admitted females into the Sixth Form). It currently has seven boarding houses: Bishop Fox, King Alfred, Woodard (After Nathaniel Woodard
Nathaniel Woodard
Nathaniel Woodard was a priest in the Church of England. He founded 11 schools for the middle classes in England whose aim was to provide education based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith...
) Tuckwell (after William Tuckwell
William Tuckwell
William Tuckwell , who liked to be known as the "radical parson", was a Victorian clergyman well-known on political platforms for his experiments in allotments, his advocacy of land nationalisation, and his enthusiasm for Christian Socialism...
, Meynell, Taylor and Carpenter. All these houses, plus Neates, which no longer exists, were male boarding houses until the early 1990s, when Meynell converted to become the first all female boarding house. Taylor house was later founded as a female boarding house. Carpenter became a female boarding house in the mid 1990s. Until the conversion to full coeducational status, Sixth Form girls were assigned to one of the male boarding houses but lived in separate accommodation.
The transition to full coeducational status caused some controversy amongst the male students at the time, particularly amongst those in the boarding houses that were becoming female boarding houses. Students, who had developed a bond to their boarding houses over a number of years, were moved to other houses and many who went through the transition still consider their 'first' house to be their only house. In July 2006, two members of staff accompanied a small group of pupils who had recently left the school on a charity trip to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to construct a house for an Indian family.
In 2007, the school choir took part in a choral competition on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
programme Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise
Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional Christian hymns. It is a widely watched and long-running religious television programme, one of the few peak-time free-to-air religious programmes in Europe Songs of Praise is a BBC Television programme based around traditional...
and came first, and in the same year the senior rugby team were victorious in the The National Schools 7's
The National Schools 7's
The National Schools Sevens is an English rugby union sevens tournament, held in association with Rosslyn Park F.C., that has evolved into the world's largest rugby tournament with some 7,000 boys and girls aged 13 - 19 competing annually...
.
Notable students
Former students of King's College, Taunton are referred to as 'Old Aluredians'.- Arthur BondArthur James F. BondArthur James F. Bond, R.S.M.A. was an English artist who worked in oils, watercolour and etching.-Life and work:Arthur Bond was born June 1888 in Devonport, Devon, England. His father, Richard Bond was the Vicar of St James' Church, Devonport and the family lived in the large vicarage adjacent...
- Artist - Jos ButtlerJos ButtlerJoseph Charles Buttler, commonly known as Jos Buttler, is an English cricketer who plays for Somerset County Cricket Club. He is a right-handed batsman who also plays as a wicket-keeper...
- Cricketer, Somerset County Cricket Club - Charles ChingCharles ChingCharles Ching was a judge in Hong Kong.Born Charles Arthur Ching into an intellectual family in Hong Kong, Ching was educated in Hong Kong and England...
- Judge - Geoffrey CoxGeoffrey CoxCharles Geoffrey Cox, QC, MP , is a British politician and barrister. A member of the Conservative Party, he is currently a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Torridge and West Devon.-Early life:...
QCQueen's CounselQueen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
- ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament - John KeeganJohn KeeganSir John Keegan OBE FRSL is a British military historian, lecturer, writer and journalist. He has published many works on the nature of combat between the 14th and 21st centuries concerning land, air, maritime, and intelligence warfare, as well as the psychology of battle.-Life and career:John...
- Military Historian - Henry LittonHenry LittonHenry Litton CBE, GBM is a retired judge in Hong Kong.Born into a Eurasian family in Hong Kong, Henry Litton excelled in school during his early years in England and was educated in King's College, Taunton and Merton College, Oxford, where he graduated with honors in jurisprudence.After passing...
CBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
- Judge - Jonathan MeadesJonathan MeadesJonathan Turner Meades is a British writer on food, architecture, and culture, as well as an author and broadcaster. He is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society and a Distinguished Supporter of the British Humanist Association.-Education:Meades was born in Salisbury Wiltshire, and...
- Author and Broadcaster - Geoffrey Rippon, Baron Rippon of HexhamGeoffrey RipponGeoffrey Frederick Rippon, Baron Rippon of Hexham, PC, was a British Conservative politician. He was Chairman of the European-Atlantic Group....
PCPrivy Council of the United KingdomHer Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
- ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament - Juno TempleJuno Temple-Early life:Juno Temple was born in London, and is the daughter of producer Amanda Pirie and film director Julien Temple. She grew up in Somerset, England and attended Enmore Primary School, Bedales School, and King's College, Taunton...
- Actress - Roger TwoseRoger TwoseRoger Graham Twose played 16 Tests and 87 One Day Internationals for New Zealand in the mid-1990s.Born in England, Twose moved to play in New Zealand in 1991-92, as it became clear he would struggle to ever force his way into the England side...
- Cricketer - Sydney Curnow VosperSydney Curnow VosperSydney Curnow Vosper RWS, RWA was a painter and etcher of landscapes and figure subjects. His later work has a close association with Wales and Brittany...
- Artist - Tom VoyceTom VoyceThomas Michael Dunstan Voyce is an English rugby union footballer who plays at wing or fullback for Gloucester and England.-Biography:...
- Rugby Player, Gloucester Rugby - Tom WebleyTom WebleyThomas 'Tom' Webley is an English cricketer. Webley is a left-handed batsman who bowls slow left-arm orthodox.Born in Bristol before moving to the village of Corfe Mullen in Dorset, Webley had been educated at King's College, a boarding school in Taunton, Somerset. In 1999 he first appeared for...
- Cricketer - Dominic WoodDominic WoodDominic Simon "Dom" Wood is an English entertainer, magician and presenter of radio and television, best known as one half of the double act Dick and Dom, with the other being Richard McCourt....
- CBBCCBBCCBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
Presenter