King's College (Taunton) A GSG School
- King's College (Taunton)
South Road
Taunton
Somerset
TA1 3LA - Head: Richard R Biggs MA BSc
- T 01823 328204
- F 01823 328202
- E [email protected]
- W www.kings-taunton.co.uk
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 13 to 18.
- Boarding: Yes
- Local authority: Somerset
- Pupils: 470; sixth formers: 200
- Religion: Church of England
- Fees: Day £23,880; Boarding £35,370 pa
- Open days: See school website and social media channels.
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- Ofsted report: View the Ofsted report
- ISI report: View the ISI report
- Linked schools: King's Hall School
What The Good Schools Guide says..
This school is flying, brimming with enthusiasm and passion for learning, smashing it on the sports field and bounding with extracurricula opportunities. It has gradually – and with ‘a deliberate strategy’ – lifted its academic game. While still standing by its inclusivity banner and celebrating the not (overly) selective image that it fosters, it is quietly...
What the school says...
King's College, Taunton is a leading co-educational independent boarding and day school situated in the heart of the West Country. It offers a holistic education, strong on values of scholarship and community, together with all-round, world class provision in sport and the arts.
The school has a strong boarding ethos, creating a home from home environment for pupils. Weekends are busy and purposeful, with lessons and sport on Saturdays, and activities and trips often taking place on Sundays. Boarders and day pupils live and study side-by-side. Friendships developed are often extraordinarily long-lived. Boarders come from far and wide. Many are local. A few live closer to the school than some of their day pupil friends. Others come from the south west of England; others from further afield in the UK and some from overseas. This makes for a varied and vibrant community within the houses.
Facilities include a double all-weather hockey pitch, new tennis and netball courts, a well-equipped cookery school and a purpose-built library, Business Studies, IT and Sixth Form careers centre. In the summer of 2014, a newly constructed amphitheatre was opened which is used for dramas, open air concerts and assemblies. The latest addition is a new art studio to complement the existing art facilities.
The school's achievements include BBC Song's of Praise School Choir of the Year; Wisden's most successful school cricket team in 2009 and runners up in 2010; Jos Buttler presently playing cricket for England; U16 girls' Hockey County Champions; Olympic gold medalist Maddie Hinch is a former pupil; winners of the Good Schools Guide best A level DT department award and four Arkwright Scholarships in the past four years, including the Royce Award; winners of the coveted Sir Steuart Pringle Marine Cadet Trophy in 2009, 2010 and 2011, runners up in 2015 and winners again in 2016.. ...Read more
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What The Good Schools Guide says
Headmaster
Since 2007, Richard Biggs BSC MA (50s), previously deputy head at Lancing. A South African, he studied for his first degree (physics) at University of Cape Town before coming to the UK to study for a master’s (maths and philosophy) at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. Intending to head home afterwards, a job offer changed his course leading to 13 years teaching at Magdalen College School as teacher of maths and physics then director of studies, before being promoted to deputy head at Lancing, where he stayed for six years.
His 14 years at the helm of King’s College have been a resounding success story with academic results, sporting reputation, co-curricular offering and admissions booming. Recently they have reached capacity in most year groups and have opened a waiting list...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | |
| Aspergers | Y |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | |
| Dysgraphia | |
| Dyslexia | |
| Dyspraxia | |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handcross Park School | 2021 | 1 | ||
| Hazlegrove School | 2022 | 5 | 1 | 1 All Rounder scholarships |
| King's Hall School | 2021 | On average around 90% move onto King’s College, after completing King’s Hall School. | ||
| The Elms School | 2021 | 3 | 2 | Sports Scholarship; Art Scholarship |
| Vinehall School | 2021 | 1 |
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