House Ethos
Being part of Taylor house usually means you are always on the go! Our girls work hard academically, strive for sporting prowess and stand out musically. Everyone has something to offer, be it academia, sport, music, drama, friendship or even a kind and supportive ear; one is no more important than the other. We are proud to have a number of scholars from every discipline, and engender a fierce (but healthy!) competitive appetite when it comes to house competitions, be it debating, general knowledge, hockey or swimming. The day girls play an equal part in the house, often staying for prep and board regularly.
It is our intention, along with the house staff, to make Taylor a friendly and happy house in which to live and learn, where fun, laughter and friendships are at the forefront of the girls' personal development. We are here to help the girls in our care to express themselves and fulfil their potential in whichever fields their interests lie. It is important that we all take pride in ourselves and in the relationships we have with one another; we are owed respect, but have to earn trust. By doing so we can make Taylor a place where everyone can study in peace and relax in comfort.
House History
Taylor House was established in 1997 when the number of girls in the school exceeded the capacity for Carpenter and Meynell. It was named after Prebendary Philip Taylor, (Chaplain and Headmaster 1920s / 1930s), whose great-great-niece was a member of our Fourth Form. This past few years we have updated and renovated some of our accommodation, and we now have three kitchens and two common rooms as well as the usual studies and bedrooms. Our common rooms are not age-related; we encourage all ages to mix together. Originally the school sanatorium, Taylor house girls are able to boast a sink in every bedroom!
Taylor Today
Taylor is situated on the edge of the main building at King’s. Our strong house system provides the best possible academic monitoring and pastoral care. Girls create deep bonds of friendship in this small boarding house. There are three common rooms and several small kitchens along with a house tuck shop which opens daily. The girls often have plenty of visitors in their common rooms. Junior and Senior girls share rooms and all girls in the Upper Sixth usually have a room of their own. All girls in the Third, Fourth and Fifth Forms have a study area on the ground floor. The close proximity of these study areas to the house office ensures all girls are fully supported during evening prep. All day girls in the sixth form also have their own designated study area whilst all sixth form boarders have a desk area in their own rooms.
Weekend Activities
House trips will include a variety of visits. Very often weekend trips are ad hoc such as visiting restaurants in the local area. Mrs Edwards encourages girls to host their own informal dinner parties and barbequing, as often as the weather permits, is a must! Regular cinema trips take place on Sundays and activities further afield suggested by the girls will take place regularly. Of course, we all know how girls enjoy duvet days on Sunday’s watching a good film and this is never overlooked!
House Staff Contact Details
Housemistress
Harriet Agg-Manning
Email: HEAgg-Manning@kings-taunton.co.uk
Deputy Housemistress
Lyndsey Hollands
LMHollands@kings-taunton.co.uk
Housemistress
Harriet Agg-Manning
Ms Agg-Manning is the Housemistress of Taylor House. She lives in ‘No 11’, a separate house about 400 yards away from Taylor House, opposite our finance office. She lives with her husband Oliver, her miniature dachshund Frank and her cat Hugo. Currently pregnant with her first child, due in summer 2021, Ms Agg-Manning will be on maternity leave until January 2022.
Ms Agg-Manning is also Head of Drama and Performing Arts; she has just started her position as Housemistress of Taylor and is extremely excited to get stuck in! She brings a wealth of pastoral experience to the role – she was Deputy Housemistress in Carpenter House for three years, as well as being Head of KS3 at a previous school.
Hugely passionate about creative arts, Ms Agg-Manning loves going to the theatre as well as directing plays and musicals in our theatre. She is a lover of board games and enjoys partaking in games nights with family, friends and now the girls of Taylor!
One of Ms Agg-Manning’s strengths is her empathy and compassion; she wants the girls to feel comfortable to come to her about anything, and is encouraging and supportive, but always fair.
Deputy Housemistress
Lyndsey Hollands
Miss Hollands is the Deputy Housemistress in Taylor House. This is Miss Hollands’s fourth year in this role but she spent the previous two years in the house as a boarding tutor. Miss Hollands will cover as Housemistress until January 2022. She is our Head of Swimming and Aquatics and runs many different projects and programmes to encourage our pupils to try out some sort of aquatic activity. She loves sport and being active outdoors, and has completed many adventure events and marathons all around the world.
Assistants and House Matron
Assistants and Tutors:
Emma Gregory, nee Forward (Fourth Form)
Lisa Wrobel (Third Form)
Jane Berry
Lisa Cashmore
Karen Paul
Laura Burgos
Clare Schmidt
Amelia Sampson
House Matron
Mrs Julie Gillingham is our house matron. She wakes the girls up in the mornings, checks they're keeping their areas tidy, makes sure beds are changed on the right day, and is also a friendly ear if a chat is needed.
House Captain
Jenna Craig
From joining King’s in the Third Form, I have come a long way and am now studying biology, chemistry and history at A level, with four years of memories to look back on. I have been lucky enough to have been a member of Taylor House and to have lived with such amazing girls in such a loving atmosphere. So, as House Captain I’m looking forward to spending my final year adding to our already great atmosphere in house and making sure we all have a great year.
House Vice-Captain
Jenna Kirby
I have now been part of the King’s family for 10 years and am entering my 11th year, now as an Upper Sixth pupil. Being in Taylor House has been unlike anything I would have imagined! I have had the privilege to have met the most wonderful pupils and mentors who have taught me the values of true friendship. To me Taylor House is a big family, we all look after each other and help each other grow into confident strong-minded girls.
House Vice-Captain
Bianca Lam
My name is Bianca and I am this year’s deputy of Taylor House. I grew up in Hong Kong and at the age of 13 I decided to study abroad in the UK, joining King’s College in 2016. Being in Taylor House for four years helped me grow my confidence and to become more independent – they are like a second family to me!
I am also the international prefect for Taylor and help support new overseas pupils joining the house.
