King’s School, Rochester（罗切斯特国王学校）is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in Rochester, Kent, England. The school’s website describes it as founded in AD 604, the second oldest school in the world and the oldest cathedral choir school, with more than 1,400 years of educating pupils. Day pupils are accepted from age 2 to 18 and boarders from age 11. The campus sits next to Rochester Cathedral and Rochester Castle, about 30 miles from London and just over 30 minutes by train from St Pancras International. This guide summarises programs, international entry requirements, 2026/27 costs and application planning for international families, based on the official King’s School, Rochester website as of August 2026; the school’s website remains the definitive source at the time of application.
King’s School, Rochester: School Profile
King’s School, Rochesteris organised in stages: Little King’s Nursery (ages 2 to 4), the Junior School (ages 4 to 13, covering Pre-Preparatory from 4 to 8 and Preparatory from 8 to 13), the Senior School (ages 13 to 18) and the Sixth Form (ages 16 to 18). The school describes its location in Kent, the “Garden of England”, with Rochester about 30 miles from London and just over 30 minutes by train from St Pancras International; its boarding page quotes about 50 minutes from Gatwick and 80 minutes from Heathrow, while the international admissions page gives 60 minutes for both airports. Facilities highlighted by the school include a sports centre, a heated indoor swimming pool, a rowing academy, a cricket pitch, a fully equipped drama studio with a partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and a purpose-built Art and Design creative studio.
The school’s history is central to its identity: as the oldest cathedral choir school, music is a particular strength, and the school notes its longstanding relationship with Rochester Cathedral. The school also states its belief that pupils learn as much outside the classroom as inside, pointing to an extensive co-curricular programme in sport, music, drama and personal development.
Programs at King’s School, Rochester: GCSE and IGCSE
At GCSE and IGCSE level, King’s School, Rochesterclasses four subjects as compulsory “core”: English Language, English Literature, Mathematics and Science (Dual or Triple Award). Pupils then choose from eleven options: Art and Design, Computer Science, Design and Technology, Drama and Theatre, French, Geography, History, Music, Physical Education, Religious Studies and Spanish. The school describes small class sizes and specialist teachers as the reasons behind its record at GCSE and IGCSE, and notes that as an independent school it is not required to follow every detail of the National Curriculum.
In the Fifth Form (Year 11), pupils may continue with the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) or the Theatre Productions Company, or undertake the Higher Project Qualification (HPQ), an independent research qualification outside the examined curriculum.
Programs at King’s School, Rochester: Sixth Form and the Foundation Year
In the Sixth Form, King’s School, Rochesterexpects the majority of pupils to study three subjects at A Level or BTEC. All A Levels are linear, with examinations taken at the end of the two-year course. The school also offers BTEC national qualifications in sport: the Extended Certificate is equivalent to one A Level and the National Level 3 Sports Diploma to two A Levels. Pupils are encouraged to take the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), worth half an A Level. Subject choices across A Level and BTEC include Art and Design, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Design and Technology, Drama and Theatre, English Literature, Economics, French, Geography, History, Mathematics and Further Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Physics, Politics, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology and Spanish.
For international pupils aged 15 to 16 who have been studying outside the UK, the school runs the King’s Foundation Year: a one-year academic and cultural programme with small classes and personalised English language support, designed as a pathway leading directly to A Level study. Foundation Year pupils live in School House, the school’s co-educational boarding house.
Entry Requirements for International Students at King’s School, Rochester
King’s School, Rochesterstates that most overseas pupils join at the standard entry points of 13, 14 or 16 years of age, into Years 9, 10 or 12, and that younger pupils sometimes join in Year 7 with a suitable level of English. Boarding begins at age 11. For English, the school states a minimum of IELTS 5.5, with 6.0 preferred; all pupils offered a place complete English assessment tests before the offer is made, and the school’s EAL specialist plans one-to-one, individually tailored 30-minute lessons at the right level before arrival.
The application process starts with a Registration Form and a non-refundable registration fee of £120. Applicants are assessed on school reports, qualifications and a reference from their current Headteacher, plus a face-to-face or Skype interview with the Principal. Pupils of all ages sit papers in English and Mathematics; pupils entering Years 7 or 8 (aged 11 or 12) also sit Non Verbal Reasoning tests, and Sixth Form applicants who are not taking GCSE sit specific tests in the subjects they wish to study at A Level. Tests must be taken under supervised conditions — at the school, at the pupil’s own school by special arrangement, or at a local British Council office. The school asks that all applications for September entry be received before 10 December of the preceding year. Every international boarder must also have an Education Guardian resident in the UK, arranged before arrival. The school is a Highly Trusted Tier 4 sponsor; pupils needing sponsorship may be asked to pay fees in advance before a CAS is issued, and the school’s fees page lists a CAS issuing charge of £120.
Costs and Fees 2026/27 at King’s School, Rochester
King’s School, Rochesterpublishes termly fees for 2026/27 (from September 2026), inclusive of VAT. Day fees: Pre-Preparatory (Reception and Year 1) £5,330 per term and Years 2 to 3 £5,800, with lunch for five days a week included; Preparatory Years 4 to 5 £6,960 and Years 6 to 8 £7,785; Senior Years 9 to 11 £10,265 and Years 12 to 13 £10,370, with senior lunches billed separately at £1,287 for the year. Boarding fees, which the page lists under full and weekly boarding at the same rate: Preparatory Years 7 to 8 £11,678 per term; Senior Years 9 to 11 £17,070 and Years 12 to 13 £17,174 per term.
The registration fee is £120 (non-refundable). Entrance deposits are £1,000 for day pupils and UK boarders and one term’s fees for international boarders. Flexi and occasional boarding are charged per night: £94 for Senior pupils (£84.60 with a 10% discount until 4 July 2026) and £87 for Preparatory Years 7 and 8, rising to £98 and £91 respectively from September 2026. Day boarding (including supper, leaving by 9pm) costs £47 for Senior and £40 for Preparatory pupils; trial boarding is free for one night. Extras listed include individual music lessons at £30 per 25-minute lesson (Years 1 to 3) and £36 per half-hour (Years 4 to Upper Sixth), instrument hire at £36 per term, and SEN and EAL tuition at £39 per half-hour. Remissions cover clergy families (means-tested), service families under the Ministry of Defence’s Continuity of Education Allowance scheme, and siblings, with 10% off the third child’s fees, 20% off the fourth and 40% off the fifth and subsequent children. Fees are payable on or before the first day of each term and are reviewed annually.
Boarding and Student Life at King’s School, Rochester
Boarding at King’s School, Rochesteris based in School House, a co-educational boarding house the school describes as centrally located on campus, close to the high-speed train link and the historic high street. Six forms of boarding are offered: full, weekly, flexi, occasional, day and trial boarding. The school highlights that there are no exeat weekends and no Saturday school, giving boarders freedom in their downtime, with weekend activities including theatre trips to London, museum visits and theme park outings. The boarding community is small enough, the school says, for a family-like feel, with a wide mix of nationalities making English the common language.
Outside the classroom, the school points to comprehensive sport, music, drama and arts programmes, plus a Careers and University application service. Music benefits from the school’s cathedral connections, sport from facilities including the sports centre, heated indoor pool, rowing academy and cricket pitch, and drama from the studio and the Royal Shakespeare Company partnership.
Application Support and Planning for King’s School, Rochester
For families planning an application to King’s School, Rochester, the 2026/27 term dates are: Michaelmas Term from 3 September to 11 December 2026 (half-term 19 to 30 October), Lent Term from 5 January to 25 March 2027 (half-term 15 to 19 February), and Midsummer Term from 19 April to 9 July 2027 (half-term 31 May to 4 June). For September entry, the registration deadline is 10 December of the preceding year, so the practical sequence is to register in the autumn, sit the English and Mathematics assessments and the interview in the following months, and allow time for IELTS preparation where needed, the EAL assessment, and — for visa-sponsored pupils — the advanced fee payment and CAS process. Scholarships are offered in academic, music, sport, drama and art at Years 7, 9 and 12 entry, with the 2026 application cycle running from the October information evening to the November closing date, decisions in February and acceptance by early March; means-tested bursaries may also be available.
Fees, deadlines and program details on this page reflect the school’s official website as of August 2026 and may change, so the website should be checked at the time of application. Families who would like help comparing entry points, reviewing English levels against the school’s requirements, or structuring a fee and application timeline for their own situation are welcome to consult our advisers, who can work through the specifics of a King’s School, Rochester application step by step.