King's College School, Cambridge
King's College School is an independent school for pupils aged 4 to 14 in Cambridge. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in January 2026.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
King's College School in detail
King's College School in its own words
In its own words: "A deep commitment to kindness and respect for one another, both in this school community and throughout the world, underpins a curiosity for learning and creativity, and the strength and courage to accept that life’s challenges are not always easy."
From the headteacher's welcome: "The children at King’s are happy, intelligent, inquisitive and full of fun! Educating the whole child is central to our purpose, and with this a deep sense of awareness and gratitude for the many opportunities and the safe caring environment in which the human spirit can flourish."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include athletics, dance, drama and STEM.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to King's College School are St John's College School (0.4 miles); The Leys School (0.8 miles, selective); Heritage School (0.8 miles); and Cardiff Sixth Form College, Cambridge (0.9 miles, selective).
St John's College SchoolThe Leys SchoolHeritage SchoolCardiff Sixth Form College, Cambridge
Who goes there
In 2026, 88 pupils (23.1%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cambridge Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is West Road (near), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood King's College School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 478 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cambridgeshire (57), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
13 January 2026
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
31 January 2023
Regulatory Compliance
20 June 2018
Integrated
18 November 2014
About
King's College School is a coed preparatory school for pupils aged 4 to 13 in Cambridge, England, situated on West Road off Grange Road, west of the city centre. It was founded specially to educate the choristers in the King's College Choir during the 15th century.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Fees for 2026/27
Day fees, per year
£20,016 to £25,398
depending on year group
Boarding fees, per year
£39,330
| From September 2026, School fees per term (inc VAT) are: Boarders: | £39,330 a year |
| Day Pupil (Years 3-8): | £25,398 a year |
| Pre-Prep (Reception to Year 2): | £20,016 a year |
Including VAT. From the school's own fee schedule; check with the school before you rely on it.
Private school fees in Cambridge - 5 schools' published fees side by side
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby independent schools
Latest from King's College School
Year 4 Trip to the Fitzwilliam Museum
2 Oct 2026
Reception Visit to Chapel
25 Sep 2026
Year 8 Trip to France
24 Sep 2026
Little King’s Cresco is launched!
18 Sep 2026
Year 7 Team Building Trip to Grafham Water
10 Sep 2026
Year 8 Celebrate Journey Across the World
24 Jun 2026
From King's College School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with King's College School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 9 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
87%
Available places
381 pupils
440 places
59 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Cambridge
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cambridge
Across Cambridgeshire council
Places available
7,228
Applications
6,755
Got 1st preference
88.3%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Cambridgeshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
88
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
23.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
381
Total Pupils
228
Boys
153
Girls
2026 academic year
Questions parents ask about King's College School
When was King's College School last inspected?
King's College School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in January 2026.
How many pupils go to King's College School?
King's College School has around 381 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to King's College School?
King's College School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near King's College School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 9 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Where is King's College School?
King's College School is at West Road, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB3 9DN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)