Abbey Gate College
Same Cheshire West and Chester area with a comparable local commute
School profile
Verified 18 August 2026
The King's School is a private secondary-stage school in Chester, Cheshire, with a published age range of 4-19.
Private school Co-ed Ages 4-19 Sixth form No boarders
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 4-19
- ISI ?
- Standards met
- Boarding ?
- No boarders
The King's School
1
On this page
At a glance
Key facts
- Sector
- Private school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Application ?
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 4-19
- Boarding ?
- No boarders
- Route check
- Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
- ISI ?
- Standards met
Overview
Overview
A foundation linked to the dissolution of St Werburgh's Abbey gives The King's School a history reaching back to 1541, when Henry VIII established it. That past still has a living place in the termly cathedral service. Girls entered the Sixth Form in 1998, and the school became fully co-educational in 2003, joining an old Chester tradition to a modern all-through community.
From Willow Lodge and the Junior School through the Senior School and Sixth Form, King's offers a broad academic route. Sixth Form subjects range from sciences, maths and languages to music, drama, theology, politics, economics and computer science. Lower Sixth pupils may begin with four A-level subjects before narrowing their programme, leaving room for breadth before specialisation.
Applications are made directly to King's. Reception entry uses a play-based assessment; Junior entry includes testing and classroom observation; and Year 7 combines online English and maths work with reasoning, problem-solving, a written English paper and interview. Sixth Form applicants are interviewed against GCSE requirements. There is no boarding provision, so the route continues as a selective day-school education through Sixth Form.
Key points
Key points
- Assessment route
- Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
- Places and demand
- Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
- Catchment
- Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
- Results
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths and 19.3 Attainment 8
- Sixth form
- Sixth form available with 38.3% AAB or better.
GCSE benchmark
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Cheshire West and Chester and England.
School Local authority England
- Attainment 8
- 19.3
- Grade 5+ English and maths
- 0%
- EBacc APS
- 0.72
- EBacc entry
- 0%
Attainment 8 trend
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Cheshire West and Chester and England.
School Local authority England
School details
School details
- Sector
- Private school
- School type
- Other independent school
- Funding
- Independent fee-paying
- Application
- Apply direct to school
- Gender
- Mixed
- Age range
- 4-19
- Headteacher
- Mr George Hartley
- Pupil roll
- 1,170 pupils
- Sixth form
- Yes
Location and contact
Location and contact
Address
- Address
- Wrexham Road, Chester, Cheshire
- Postcode
- CH4 7QL
School leadership
- Headteacher
- Mr George Hartley
School contact
- School phone
- 01244689500
Admissions contact
- Admissions team
- Admissions
- Admissions email
- admissions@kingschester.co.uk
- Admissions phone
- 01244689553
Admissions
Admissions
- Application route
- Apply direct to school
- Age range
- 4-19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Boarding
- No boarders
- Day fees
- £6,826 per term for Senior School and Sixth Form tuition, including VAT, in 2026/27
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Bursaries available
- Entrance details
- Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Admissions note
- GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
Oversubscription and eligibility
Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.
Exam and test format
Exam and test format
Entrance route and assessment
Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
- Assessment route
- Apply direct to school
Application
Application
How to apply
- 1
Apply direct to the school
Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
Check school admissions
Results
Results
Attainment snapshot
- Attainment 8 ?
- 19.3 Attainment 8
- GCSE results
- 0% grade 4+ in English and maths
- Grade 5+ English and maths ?
- 0% grade 5+ in English and maths
- EBacc average point score ?
- 0.72 EBacc APS
- A-level results
- 38.3% AAB or better
- A-level average points
- 46.48 A-level points per entry
Inspection
Inspection
Standards met
Latest inspection: 16 September 2025
- Leadership, management and governance
- Standards met
- Quality of education, training and recreation
- Standards met
- Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Standards met
- Social and economic education and contribution to society
- Standards met
- Safeguarding
- Standards met
Quick summary
- Latest ISI report: Routine Inspections 2025 records an inspection beginning 16 September 2025. The report says the relevant standards were met.
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Shortlist comparisons
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Related pages and guides
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Guides and related reading
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How does King's School handle admissions?
King's School handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
How do I apply to King's School?
1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.
When are the key dates for King's School?
Use the school admissions page to confirm registration, assessment, interview and offer dates.
What does the latest inspection picture look like for King's School?
King's School is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 16 September 2025.