Kingsley

There are many reasons students could fall in love with Kingsley, an
independent co-educational boarding and day school located in Bideford on
the banks of the River Torridge in North Devon.
One reason could be location – Kingsley is set in 25 acres of playfields
and woodland, surrounded by stunning countryside, and just five minutes
from popular surfing beaches. And another reason could be the School’s
strong academic tradition – Kingsley students are happily celebrating their
exceptional A-level, BTEC and GCSE Summer 2023 results. At Kingsley
every Sixth Form student typically goes on to university, including top-tier
higher education institutes like Oxford and Cambridge; Kingsley runs a Top
University Programme for Sixth Form students to help support each pupil
every step of the way to reach their university of choice.
But ultimately, our students rate the opportunity to find their place,
the exceptional support they receive and the friendly Devon welcome
as the prime reasons they just can’t see themselves going anywhere else
but Kingsley.

Kingsley School is an inclusive boarding and day school where every child
is important and is treated with dignity and respect. As a relatively small
school of around 400 boys and girls, Kingsley’s atmosphere is like that of a
large family where everybody knows each other well.
The School’s philosophy encourages personal qualities such as courage,
generosity, honesty, imagination, tolerance and kindness. In addition,
we develop the students’ wider interests and skills in sport, music,
art, and drama. Kingsley also has a national reputation for its Learning
Development Centre which provides additional support for students with
moderate learning needs. Overall, a Kingsley education develops the
individual character and talents of each and every student both inside and
outside the classroom.

Becoming part of the family

The boarding houses at Kingsley help form part of the family atmosphere

at the school. Students live in three comfortable and well-equipped houses in the School’s grounds; one
for boys, one for girls and a Sixth Form boarding house. Each house has
30-40 students who are supervised by two teachers and their families
who live in the houses as well. 16% of Kingsley pupils are from overseas,
which is of benefit to the whole school community.
Kingsley School Earth Centre: Kingsley is located within the UNESCO
North Devon biosphere and the school’s Earth Centre ethos recognises and
speaks to our role in the community and the environmental values that we
have chosen to foster as a school. The Earth Centre ( https://earthcentre.
earth/) is a unique and very exciting ongoing project for all pupils at school.
In response to the challenges of our time, the Earth Centre puts the natural
world and environmental sustainability at the core of education here at
Kingsley. Kingsley is very proud to be named National Education Business
Award winner for Best Environmental Practises in Education 2023.
Sport and Clubs: Sport includes traditional sports plus judo, surfing
and gymnastics squads competing at a national level.

Popular extracurricular clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, Arts
Award, Ten Tors, climbing, paddle sports, sailing and coasteering.
Transport: We run an accompanied coach service to and from Heathrow
Airport and Bristol Airport at the beginning and end of each term. Weekly
boarding options are available with transport to London and the South East.