Milestones in King's School history

As the first overseas campus of an ancient British school, we are closely connected to our sister school in Canterbury, sharing resources and supporting each other's progress. We recently held our 5th Foundation Day in Shenzhen, which was attended by the Chairman Emeritus of the King's School Canterbury, Dr Robert Willis, KStJ, DL, who made the journey to China to celebrate this major milestone with us in person.

Chairman of the Board of KSS, Mr Justin Kung (left), and Chairman Emeritus of KSC, Dr Robert Willis, KStJ, DL (right) at the Foundation Day celebrations

Dr Willis served as the Chairman of the Board of Governors at The King's School, Canterbury for many years, and played a decisive role in bringing King's to Shenzhen. We took the opportunity presented to us by his visit to interview him about his views on the school expanding into China, the close connection between the two schools, and how to provide a truly British education here in Shenzhen's Qianhai.

The King's School, Canterbury was founded over 1,400 years ago in the year 597 CE, when China was ruled by emperor Wen of the Sui dynasty, making it not only the oldest school in Europe, but one of the oldest continually-operating schools in the entire world. In 1541, the school was re-founded by King Henry VIII, and became the first school in the world to officially bear the name “King's School”. The school received a new Royal Charter in 1946 from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

In the 21st century, the school began exploring opportunities to expand overseas. The decision on where to open the first overseas King's School campus was naturally preceded by a patient and critical selection process. After numerous rounds of discussions and in-person visits, Shenzhen, China, was chosen as its location, bringing together a long and rich history and the unlimited potential of the modern age. 

In making the decision to bring The King's School to Shenzhen, Dr Willis initiated a glorious new phase in British education's 1,400-year record of excellence. In January of 2018, Dr Willis and the Chairman of the Heng Yu Group, Mr. Kung Chun Lung, formally signed the cooperation agreement establishing The King's School Shenzhen, beginning a defining new chapter in global education.

A thousand years of history has come to Qianhai. One of the key differences between KSS and other international schools in the area is its close connection to its sister school. From the outset, King's has maintained a strict set of requirements to ensure the creation of a network of outstanding schools. The aim of establishing a campus in Shenzhen was and is to have two schools that share a true and deep connection of a kind that is not possible in a large, corporate school network.

Five years after his previous visit, Dr Willis once again came to Shenzhen, where he expressed his satisfaction at seeing the benefits that KSS has brought to KSC. To his delight, though our two schools are separated by thousands of miles, they have always adhered to their shared educational philosophy and remained true to each other.

The close relationship between our two schools and shared resources and goals are not only evident from our joint commitment to the cognitive and emotional development of our students, but also manifest in a variety of other ways. In addition. The students of The King's School, Canterbury know that there is another aspect to their school, namely that it has a campus in Shenzhen, one of the world's most modern cities, and that every year students of KSS go to Canterbury to study at KSC on our Summer Programme or Exchange Programme. 

2023 Summer Programme at KSC

Furthermore, teaching staff at our two schools are also in close contact. The Founding Executive Principal of KSS, Mr Geoff Cocksworth, worked at KSC as a teacher and school leader for over twenty years before coming to China in 2018 and dedicating all his efforts to the new school in Shenzhen. Another example is our Prep School P.E. and psychology teacher, Ms Megan Cookson, who likewise joined us directly from KSC to help us provide our students with an authentic British education. The new Head of The King's School, Canterbury, Ms Jude Lowson, is scheduled to visit KSS for the first time in April of next year, further demonstrating the close bond between our two schools. 

The House system has a long history, dating back to the Middle Ages, and is a key part of what defines a British education. As the first overseas campus of Britain's oldest school, KSS is naturally continuing this tradition. 

Our four Houses are all named after distinguished alumni of The King's School. They are Christopher Marlowe, a famous playwright who was a contemporary of Shakespeare; William Harvey, a physician who discovered the circulation of blood in the body; Thomas Linacre, a well-known humanist scholar and founder of the Royal College of Physicians; and Dr Robert Willis, Chairman Emeritus of The King's School, Canterbury, who lent his full support to the establishment of The King's School Shenzhen. We hope that these special and significant House names encourage our students to keep challenging themselves, and to achieve extraordinary results in their manifold pursuits.

The House system exemplifies the expectations that King's educators have for their students. At KSS, we regularly organise House activities to boost students' self-esteem, self-awareness, sense of belonging, integrity, and pride. All members are expected to display the spirit of their House, and to win House points and glory for it in their own way. During November's House Indoor Sports Event, students from a range of year groups took to the 'field' to win glory for their House by giving their all as a team.

2023 House Indoor Sports Event

Our House system is underpinned by our fantastic pastoral care provision, which is centred on respecting students' independence and allowing them to fully develop their talents. By living and learning together, students from different age groups quickly form a close-knit school community. The communal spirit that the House system fosters will serve our students well for the rest of their lives.