The school has access to facilities shared with the public, the Colin Tooze Sports Centre. Rob Gammon became headteacher in 2016, succeeding Faith Jarrett.
History
The King's School is an 11-18 secondary school with just over 1100 students and 100 staff.[citation needed] In 1335, Bishop John de Grandisson bought the manor of Ottery St Mary from the Dean and Chapter of Rouen who had owned it since 1061. He obtained a royal licence from Edward III to found his College of Secular Canons and established a choir school in Ottery St Mary in 1335 for eight boys and a Master of Grammar.[citation needed] The school did not start very promisingly in 1337 with the members of the choir-school being accused of "dissolute and insolent behaviour in the parish". Grandisson being a disciplinarian, flogging was the punishment, but this had no effect and consequently the boys were heavily fined for every day's absence from the choir.[citation needed] For over two hundred years the canons carried out Bishop Grandisson's instructions and the choir school boys were educated.
When the English Reformation reached the college in 1545 it was dissolved. Upon some whim or persuasion, however, Henry VIII established a free grammar school in the town - hence "The King's School" and their coat of arms became a Lion and a Dragon supporting the Tudor Royal Shield surmounted by a Crown.
The Chanter's House is a Grade II* listed building[1] which served as the headmaster's lodging. It dates from the 17th century, incorporating parts of the former Precentor's house, known as Heath's Court. In 1645, Oliver Cromwell held a convention in the house's dining room, and Thomas Fairfax stayed at the house from October to December in that year.[2]
The poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge's father was headmaster of The King's School, Ottery St Mary.
Facilities
The school has access to a facility shared by the public, the Colin Tooze Sports Centre. The King's School was designated as a Specialist Sports College in the summer of 2002. Facilities for PE and sport at King's were enabled by that status to be developed.[citation needed] In partnership with East Devon District Council, a purpose built Dance Studio with sound and lighting systems was completed in 2003. There is a floodlight all-weather astroturf hockey and football pitch.
In 2009 the school added a new Multi Use Games Areas (M.U.G.A) which has four netball courts and three tennis courts which are also used by the local Ottery St Mary tennis club.
House system
There are four houses, which date to 1912, as witnessed by the old minute book of the Sports Committee.[citation needed] These provide the school with four large vertically grouped cohorts of students, with form groups separated by house rather than year.
All houses have separate colours, which are used for inter-house events: red for Coleridge, blue for Kennaway, green for Patteson and purple for Raleigh. The school holds annual inter-house events, these include dance, musical and the 'Top Of The House' quiz.
Notable former pupils
Walter Raleigh (c. 1554–1618), writer, poet, soldier, courtier, explorer
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