Kingswood House is proud to offer a well-rounded, supportive ethos for pupils from Reception through to Year 11. Traditionally a successful 13+ Preparatory School until 2016, Kingswood House has evolved in order to meet the growing demand for a contemporary brand of education that successfully prepares young people for life beyond the school gate. Following a successful expansion in Senior Years up to GCSE, the school has announced a move to co-education in September 2021.
Kingswood House was short-listed for an Independent School of the Year award in 2018 for a new, innovative
programme of curricular and values-based study: The Kingswood House Way.
Kingswood House was founded in 1899 and moved, thanks to the enterprise of the then Headmaster, Revd Sandberg, to its present site on West Hill (Tanglewood, a former girls’ school) in 1920. At that time, pupils were mainly boarders and much emphasis was placed on Chapel attendance.
Later years saw Headmasters Mr Dixon, Mr Morley-Tabor, Mr Malden, Mr Thorne, Mr Scott-Malden, Mr Harvey and Mr Brooks lead Kingswood House. Mr Brooks came to KHS in 1975 and retired, after 42 years of service to the school, at the end of the academic year 2016/2017.
By the late 1960s, Kingswood House became exclusively a day school allowing dormitories to be converted to music rooms and a Library. In 1963, the School formed into an Educational Trust under a Board of Governors.
In 1973, the Langlands building was opened comprising Assembly Hall, gym, changing rooms, art room and science laboratory. In 1989, the Study Centre was opened. The IT suite and Library were upgraded and an astro-turf, cricket nets, training swimming pool and an adventure trail were added.
KHS celebrated its centenary in 1999. The School has continued with its ambitious development programme and a new Upper Preparatory School (Years 5-8) was opened in 2013. The new Lower Preparatory Department (Reception-Year 4) opened in 2014. The Peter Brooks building, boasting customised teaching accommodation for the Senior Years, was opened alongside a new Design & Technology Suite and Drama Studio, in 2018.
The most recent Headmaster, Mr Duncan Murphy, joined Kingswood House in September 2017. Mr Murphy was formerly the Headmaster of Claremont Fan Court Preparatory School for five years, prior to which he was the Deputy Headmaster at Milbourne Lodge. He has implemented the Kingswood House Way as an ethos of values – Respect, Endeavour and Integrity – to run alongside a programme of bespoke academic learning that has seen provision extend up t GCSEs in Year 11. He was also instrumental in the change at KHS to include girls and become co-educational in September 2021. Duncan left in July 2023 to pursue a career in educational consultancy; he is succeeded in the interim by Mr Liam Clarke. Liam is perfectly placed in role being an experienced teacher and ex pupil and parent himself at KHS, committed to safeguarding the wonderful family ethos of the school for future generations.
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