Senior School Why King’s at Year 9
We are a wonderfully ambitious co-educational independent school offering both day and boarding school places for pupils aged 2-18, in the heart of Somerset.
A pivotal age. A transformative opportunity. A school where your child is truly known.
Year 9 is one of the most important and influential years in a young person’s development. It is a moment when identities form, confidence builds, interests deepen, and the foundations for future success at GCSE, Sixth Form and beyond begin to take shape.
At King’s, we have shaped a Year 9 experience designed to nurture, stretch and inspire pupils at this crucial stage. We offer an environment where every child is genuinely known and valued as an individual, supported by a community that champions their growth and celebrates their achievements. With exceptional facilities, rich opportunities and a culture rooted in care and aspiration, pupils feel encouraged, motivated and ready to take their next steps with purpose and confidence.
Contact our friendly admissions team for more information
Encouraging more curiosity, teamwork, excellence, endeavour and risk-taking…
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Discover moreA School of the Perfect Size: Small Enough to Know Pupils, Large Enough to Inspire Them
Our size is one of our greatest strengths. At King’s, pupils enjoy the rare balance of personalised attention and expansive opportunity. Every child is supported closely by tutors and Houseparents who understand their strengths, needs and aspirations. From the very start of Year 9, they benefit from specialist teaching in every subject, allowing them to engage with expert knowledge and inspiring role models from day one. They also gain access to a wealth of opportunities across academic, creative, sporting and leadership‑based activities that many schools reserve for older pupils.
Your child will never be lost in the crowd here; instead, they will be encouraged, guided and inspired to discover who they are and to shine in their own unique way.
Year 9 Pupil Stories
FEES
Fees 2026/27 (per term)
All fees listed in this section include VAT and are post the VAT support reduction.
Day pupils – £10,475* per term
The day fee includes stationery and most textbooks. It also includes one free overnight stay per week. Day pupils may also make additional overnight stays in their house, subject to availability.
Day Lite – £9,474* per term
The Day Lite fee includes everything as per above for day pupils, except that the school day for this option ends at 6pm and Day Lite does not include breakfast, supper or the one overnight stay per week. Occasional boarding nights can be booked subject to availability.
UK-based Boarders – £16,335* per term
The boarding fee includes breakfast and supper, stationery, laundry (but not dry cleaning) and most textbooks. Please click here for international fees.
Weekly Boarders – £14,370* per term
The weekly boarding fee includes breakfast and supper, stationery, laundry (but not dry cleaning) and most textbooks for 5 nights a week. Pupils arrive on a Monday morning and stay until the completion of their Saturday commitments, returning home afterwards.
Parental approval is sought for all additional charges over £30.
* Fee excludes compulsory extras. Details can be found by following the link below
DAY AND BOARDING OPTIONS
Day pupils in Year 9 at King’s College Taunton join a vibrant, co‑educational community where day and boarding students learn and socialise side by side. The school offers an outstanding environment and Year 9 pupils benefit from small classes, strong pastoral care, and a smooth transition into senior school life. King’s warmly embraces day pupils within its inclusive culture, ensuring they have full access to all the academic, sporting, and co-curricular opportunities available.
Day Lite offers some of the benefits available to regular day pupils, but with the school day concluding at 6pm unless there are school commitments past this time. This option does not include breakfast, supper, or the weekly inclusive boarding night. However, occasional boarding nights can be booked separately if there is availability.
Full Boarders live on campus throughout the week and weekends, becoming part of the school’s strong boarding community, where they join a community of pupils from the UK and around the world. They live in one of six boarding houses, each offering a warm, family‑style environment with houseparents providing continuity of care. Boarding life includes all meals, structured routines, evening activities, weekend programmes, and full access to the school’s academic, sporting and creative facilities, creating an immersive, supportive, and community‑focused school experience.
Weekly Boarding offers a flexible option for families, giving pupils the full boarding experience from Monday to Saturday. Weekly boarders enjoy comfortable house accommodation, supervised study, co‑curricular activities, and the strong sense of community that defines life at King’s. Popular with South West families, it provides stability and independence during the week while allowing pupils to return home at weekends, it is a balance between full boarding and day life.
BOARDING AT KING’S
Our ideal school size allows us to truly know every pupil as an individual.
Both boarders and day pupils are fully integrated into our boarding houses, creating a unified and supportive environment. Day pupils enjoy the flexibility of spending extended hours in boarding houses, ensuring they share in the same vibrant experience.
We are committed to continuously upgrading our boarding houses, with recent refurbishments enhancing comfort and modernity. Each house is thoughtfully equipped with study spaces, social areas, and amenities like pool tables, table tennis, gaming consoles, and quiet zones, ensuring a balanced environment for both study and relaxation.
Weekends and evenings at King’s are dynamic and engaging, offering activities that nurture leadership, teamwork, and fun, reflecting life beyond the classroom.
The Whole Child: Character, Confidence & Future Readiness
At King’s, we believe in educating the whole person. For us, academic achievement sits alongside the development of character, leadership and resilience, as well as the nurturing of creativity, curiosity and the real‑world skills young people need in a rapidly changing world.
Our Year 9 pupils take part in a rich and thoughtfully designed skills programme that includes critical thinking, digital literacy, research skills, communication and decision‑making. Combined with early careers guidance and gentle encouragement to explore new strengths and interests, they begin to build the “future‑ready” mindset a hallmark of a King’s education. Our aim is simple: to empower young people to become confident, purposeful and fully prepared for whatever comes next.
Exceptional Facilities That Inspire Ambition
Pupils joining King’s at Year 9 step into an environment designed to inspire excellence from the very first day. They learn, rehearse, train and create in spaces that elevate their school experience, with access to a professional‑grade theatre, a dedicated dance studio and specialist music suites; swimming pool, high‑performance fitness and cricket centre as well as extensive sports pitches; state‑of‑the‑art science laboratories and dedicated DT facilities.
These are not facilities pupils grow into overtime, they are spaces they access immediately, giving them the tools, confidence and ambition to explore their potential to the fullest.
Exceptional Co-Curricular Opportunities from Day One
King’s offers a breadth and depth of co‑curricular opportunities that truly stand out. From the moment pupils arrive in Year 9, they are encouraged to explore, create and push their boundaries across music, drama, art and sport. Our performing arts programme is alive with energy and possibility, pupils take part in annual drama productions, concerts and showcases, supported by specialist teachers in drama, dance and music. Whether joining an ensemble, choir or band, benefiting from individual tuition, or stepping onto the stage for the first time, they are given meaningful opportunities to perform and grow in confidence.
In the creative arts, pupils immerse themselves in both traditional and digital media, taking part in our Creative Arts Festival, engaging in design challenges and enjoying specialist workshops that nurture imagination and technique. These experiences open doors to new ways of thinking and expressing themselves, helping them discover where their creative passions lie.
Sport at King’s in Year 9 is equally exceptional. Pupils benefit from competitive fixtures across a wide range of disciplines, supported by professional‑level coaching and athlete development pathways. Partnerships with organisations such as Somerset County Cricket Club offer unique opportunities and inspiration, while many pupils go on to achieve regional or national representation.
Wherever your child’s interests lie whether they are already dedicated performers or athletes or just beginning to explore new talents King’s provides the space, encouragement and expertise for them to grow, shine and become the very best version of themselves.
Instilling Confidence for Life
Everything pupils experience in Year 9 at King’s, from the richness of the curriculum to the expansive range of co‑curricular activities, from the adventures of CCF and trips to the daily guidance of pastoral care and leadership opportunities is intentionally designed to help them grow in confidence, independence and self‑belief.
This is a year that shapes who they are becoming, a time when they begin to discover what excites them, what challenges them and what they are capable of achieving.
As they move forward into their GCSE years, they do so with strong foundations, a clear sense of purpose and the knowledge that they are ready for the next step. By the time they reach Sixth Form, they have developed the maturity, courage and direction needed to embrace university, apprenticeships or the world of work with assurance and ambition. And long after they leave King’s, the values they’ve lived, the friendships they’ve formed and the experiences that have shaped them continue to support and anchor them.
At King’s, confidence isn’t taught, it’s built, lived and carried for life.
Year 9 at King’s – The Best Possible Start to Senior School Life
Choosing King’s at Year 9 means giving your child the very best possible start to their senior school journey. It is a chance for them to step into an environment that acts as a genuine launchpad, one that nurtures potential, celebrates individuality, and inspires curiosity from day one.
Surrounded by staff who believe in them and a community that welcomes them wholeheartedly pupils will learn and grow with access to exceptional facilities and be offered opportunities that invite them to stretch their abilities, discover passions and develop new strengths. Most importantly, they will gain the confidence, character and skills that will carry them far beyond the classroom. Year 9 at King’s is the foundation to pupils becoming the very best versions of themselves.
We are happy to answer your questions – please get in touch.
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