King's School, Bruton
Encyclopedia
King's Bruton is an independent fully co-educational secondary day and boarding school based in Bruton
, Somerset
, England. It was founded in 1519 by Richard FitzJames
, and received royal foundation status around 30 years later in the reign of Edward VI
. It is a member school of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
.
Girls have attended the school's sixth form
since the 1960s before King's became fully co-educational in the late 1990s. It has three girls houses: Wellesley, Priory and Arion, with Old, New, Blackford and Lyon making up the boys' houses.
In September 1999, the Hobhouse Science centre was opened with a fully equipped observatory. The school enjoys a purpose built theatre, sports hall and fitness suite and exceptional sports surfaces for rugby and cricket as well as an all weather pitch for hockey.
The Basil Wright Building was opened in September 2008 and houses the Headmaster's, Bursar's and Registrar's offices.
England Rugby coach Brian Ashton was formerly a history teacher and sports coach at the school. King's School Bruton once owned a copy of the Magna Carta
dating from 1297 which it sold to the Australian Government in 1952 for £12,500.
Old House was the original school building, later New House was built as an extension for school rooms and Old House was the headmaster's house. The Memorial Hall was built in the 1920s to commemorate the members of the school who died in World War I
. Blackford and Lyon were built and were funded by beneficiaries such as James Blackford and James Lyon.
Bruton
Bruton is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the River Brue seven miles south-east of Shepton Mallet, just south of Snakelake Hill and Coombe Hill, ten miles north-west of Gillingham and twelve miles south-west of Frome in the South Somerset district. The town has a...
, 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 was founded in 1519 by Richard FitzJames
Richard FitzJames
Richard FitzJames was a medieval Bishop of Rochester, Bishop of Chichester and Bishop of London.FitzJames was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University in 1481 and 1491....
, and received royal foundation status around 30 years later in the reign of Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
. It is a member school of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
.
Girls have attended the school's sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
since the 1960s before King's became fully co-educational in the late 1990s. It has three girls houses: Wellesley, Priory and Arion, with Old, New, Blackford and Lyon making up the boys' houses.
In September 1999, the Hobhouse Science centre was opened with a fully equipped observatory. The school enjoys a purpose built theatre, sports hall and fitness suite and exceptional sports surfaces for rugby and cricket as well as an all weather pitch for hockey.
The Basil Wright Building was opened in September 2008 and houses the Headmaster's, Bursar's and Registrar's offices.
England Rugby coach Brian Ashton was formerly a history teacher and sports coach at the school. King's School Bruton once owned a copy of the Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
dating from 1297 which it sold to the Australian Government in 1952 for £12,500.
Old House was the original school building, later New House was built as an extension for school rooms and Old House was the headmaster's house. The Memorial Hall was built in the 1920s to commemorate the members of the school who died in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Blackford and Lyon were built and were funded by beneficiaries such as James Blackford and James Lyon.