King's Bruton is an independent fully co-educational secondary boarding and day school in the English public school tradition located in Bruton, Somerset, England.[1] 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.
| King's School, Bruton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
Plox , , BA10 0ED England | |
| Coordinates | 51°06′37″N 2°27′16″W / 51.1103°N 2.4544°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public school Private day and boarding |
| Motto | Deo Juvante |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Church of England |
| Established | 1519 |
| Headmaster | Ian Wilmshurst |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Age | 13 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 360 |
| Houses | New, Blackford, Lyon, Priory, Arion, Wellesley |
| Former pupils | Old Brutonians |
| Website | http://www.kingsbruton.com/ |
Girls have attended the school's sixth form since the 1960s before King's became fully co-educational in the late 1990s. It has six houses: Wellesley, Priory and Arion for girls, with 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 has a purpose-built theatre, sports hall and fitness suite and sports surfaces for rugby, netball, tennis and cricket as well as two all-weather astro-turfs for hockey.
The Basil Wright Building was opened in 2009 and houses the Headmaster's, Bursar's and Registrar's offices.[2]
King's School Bruton once owned a copy of Magna Carta dating from 1297, which it sold to the Australian Government in 1952 for £12,500.[3]
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 Lord Blackford and James Lyon.
On 28 March 2019, to mark the school's quincentenary, King's hosted Queen Elizabeth II during a wider Royal visit to the West Country. During the visit the Queen opened a new music school named in her honour.[4]
King's Bruton Foundation
editThe King's School, Bruton Foundation comprises three schools - King's Bruton, Hazlegrove Preparatory School and Sunny Hill Nursery.[5]
In 1947, following World War II, King's Bruton Junior School moved to a site approximately 10 miles South West at Hazlegrove House to satisfy increasing demand for places. The school has since been known as 'Hazlegrove Prep School,' and acts as the preparatory and main feeder school for King's Bruton, with around a third to a half of each year group moving directly to King's at 13.
In March 2022, it was announced that the foundation would be acquiring the now defunct Bruton School for Girls, for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition was made in an attempt to boost links, attendance and finances at the school, thus prospering the entire foundation. Unfortunately, with an expected pupil roll of 45 in September 2022 (down on 199 in 2018), the foundation deemed it unviable to continue operations, and in May 2022 announced that the school would close at the end of the 2021/22 academic year.[6] The Nursery, however, has remained open and remains a part of the foundation.
The Bruton School for Girls site is now being sold via agents Knight Frank.
Senior Management Team
edit| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Headmaster | Ian Wilmshurst |
| Deputy Head (Pastoral) | Emily Simper |
| Deputy Head (Academic) | Daniel Cupit |
| Deputy Head (Sixth Form) | William Daws |
| Deputy Head (Teaching & Learning) | Emily Corrigan |
Since September 2009 the school has been led by Ian Wilmshurst, whose retirement for July 2025 was announced in April 2024. That month, a recruitment process, led by RSAcademics, was launched to find a suitable successor. In June 2024 it was announced that Matt Radley, second master of Blundell's School, would be the next headmaster of King's Bruton from September 2025.[7]
Combined Cadet Force
editKings runs a Combined Cadet Force contingent, it is commanded by a Major who takes the position of Contingent Commander and whose primary focus is on the Army Section. The Royal Navy Section is (as of December 2021) commanded by a (CCF) Sub-Lieutenant. The Naval Section is (as of December 2021) composed of four Non-Commissioned Officers, two Officers awaiting training and one Sub Lieutenant; the Navy is the smaller section of the two. The Army section comprises NCOs drawn from the Lower and Upper Sixth Form and around 11 Commissioned Officers. Commissioned Officers are all teachers or other staff already working at the school.
References
edit- ^ "What it's like to live in Bruton, Somerset". The Times. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ "History of King's". King's School Bruton. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ Harry Evans, Bad King John and the Australian Constitution
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth spends an equestrian day in western England". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. 28 March 2019. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ "King's Bruton Foundation". King's Bruton.
- ^ Elgee, Emma (26 May 2022). "Bruton School for Girls to permanently shut as governors call time on 122 year old establishment". Somerset Live. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "We are delighted to announce our new Head starting Christmas Term 2025". Retrieved 27 June 2024.