King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon
The year 1295 marks the first recorded ordination of Richard as rector scholarum in the Register of Deacons of the Diocese of Worcester. This document details a plan to teach boys the alphabet, psalters, and religious rites within an existing educational facility at the current site. A schoolroom and payment of £20 per annum for a master were provisions included in King Edward VI's charter established in June 1553. The young king died of tuberculosis nine days after this re-founding of Stratford-upon-Avon as a borough. Historians believe this institution is the last of the King Edward VI Schools to survive from that era. Levi Fox published a history covering these early years while serving as chairman of the governors.
William Shakespeare likely attended the school between the ages of seven and fourteen according to historical estimates. His father John Shakespeare held the office of bailiff of the borough in 1568 which entitled William to a free place. No conclusive evidence exists proving he was schooled there despite the town having only one school for miles around. Classmates may have included William Smith, Richard Field, John Sadler, Arthur Cawdrey, John Lane, Robert Dibdale, and Thomas Green. Since 1893 pupils and teachers lead a procession through the town on Shakespeare's birthday each year. They walk from the school in Church Street to Holy Trinity Church to lay flowers at his grave. Celebrations marked the five-hundredth anniversary of the endowment by priest Thomas Jolyffe in 1982 and the 450th anniversary of the re-foundation in 2003.
The site features architectural styles ranging from the fifteenth-century Guildhall to the Denis Dyson science building opened in 2008. The ground-floor of the Guildhall served as a library until February 2013 before undergoing restoration work for public access. Holes for rods holding temporary stages remain visible where travelling players performed during Shakespeare's time. Pedagogue's House stands across the courtyard housing the school office and offices of the Headmaster and two deputy headmasters. This building dates back to 1427 and is believed to be the oldest half-timbered schoolroom in England. The first floor known since Victorian times as Big School contains the room where William Shakespeare is believed to have been taught. Adjacent to the school site lies the Guild Chapel founded by the medieval Guild of the Holy Cross and now owned by the Stratford-upon-Avon Town Trust.
KES operates as a selective single-sex school requiring all students to pass an exam primarily the 11-plus taken in Year 6. Students must be male to be eligible for a place in the school under traditional rules. Female students gained permission to enter the sixth form starting in September 2013. The Warwickshire Mock Magistrates and Mock Bar court trials provide student life experiences alongside Young Enterprise programs. The Bank of England Target Two Point Zero Challenge offers additional academic engagement opportunities for pupils. These changes reflect a shift from the institution's long-standing history as a boys-only academy.
Headmaster Revd A Cecil Knight established six houses in 1921 to promote healthy competition amongst the boys before reducing them to four in 1924. Houses named Shakespeare, Flower, Warneford, and De La Warr existed until alterations in 1973 created just two houses called King's and Guild. Four houses re-introduced in 2000 were named after men associated with the twentieth-century school who made significant contributions. Dyson House carries red colours while Fitzmaurice is blue Spender is purple and Warneford is green. Denis Dyson taught physics and astronomy from 1926 until retirement at age 71 in 1975. He continued assisting the school well into his nineties according to records from the Guild School Association. Richard Spender was killed assaulting German machine-gun positions in 1943 while Reginald Warneford died in a flying accident in 1915. A School Council consists of elected members from each year group providing student voices on many aspects of the school. The Sixth Form Committee organises charity events such as cake sales and Macmillan coffee mornings for Year 12 and 13 students.
John de Stratford died in 1348 serving as Archbishop of Canterbury and Treasurer and Chancellor of England. Robert de Stratford died on the 9th of April 1362 as an English bishop and principal minister under Edward III of England. Richard Field lived between 1561 and 1624 working as a printer and publisher known for close association with William Shakespeare's poems. Robert Dibdale possibly attended school alongside William Shakespeare before being martyred at Tyburn on the 8th of October 1586. General Sir Richard Nelson Gale commanded the 6th Airborne Division during the invasion of Normandy and Operation Tonga in 1944. Tim Pigott-Smith acted in performances of Shakespearian and Greek plays appearing in films like Clash of the Titans and Quantum of Solace. James Roe won Paralympic gold medals and repeated gold at World Rowing Championships while Alex Henshaw set long-distance flight records in the 1930s. Neil Codling serves as keyboard player in Suede and Herbert Hallowes was a flying ace of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
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Common questions
When was King Edward VI School in Stratford-upon-Avon first recorded as an educational facility?
The year 1295 marks the first recorded ordination of Richard as rector scholarum in the Register of Deacons of the Diocese of Worcester. This document details a plan to teach boys the alphabet, psalters, and religious rites within an existing educational facility at the current site.
Did William Shakespeare attend King Edward VI School in Stratford-upon-Avon?
William Shakespeare likely attended the school between the ages of seven and fourteen according to historical estimates. No conclusive evidence exists proving he was schooled there despite the town having only one school for miles around.
What is the oldest building on the King Edward VI School Stratford-upon-Avon campus?
Pedagogue's House dates back to 1427 and is believed to be the oldest half-timbered schoolroom in England. The ground-floor of the Guildhall served as a library until February 2013 before undergoing restoration work for public access.
When did female students gain permission to enter King Edward VI School Stratford-upon-Avon sixth form?
Female students gained permission to enter the sixth form starting in September 2013. KES operates as a selective single-sex school requiring all students to pass an exam primarily the 11-plus taken in Year 6 under traditional rules.
Who are the notable alumni associated with King Edward VI School Stratford-upon-Avon?
Notable figures include General Sir Richard Nelson Gale who commanded the 6th Airborne Division during the invasion of Normandy and Operation Tonga in 1944. Tim Pigott-Smith acted in performances of Shakespearian and Greek plays appearing in films like Clash of the Titans and Quantum of Solace.