The King Alfred School

Word From The Head

Stephen Campbell

Welcome to The King Alfred School

When you walk through our gates, one of the first things you will see is children and young people who are genuinely happy to be at school.

You might then ask yourself: “How does a school achieve this?”

Well, our vision of what schools should be like stems from a belief that education needs to focus on what is best for the whole child, on nurturing a love of learning and on helping young people to find the best of themselves.

Many different elements are required to support this approach.

We establish an inclusive environment in which students express and develop their, imagination, creativity, and their curiosity.

We individualise learning so that education is both exciting and challenging, and so that every child understands how to approach life with ambition.

Above all, though, we ensure that our children feel seen, known and understood for all that they are and all that they can be. Feeling they belong to our community and that they matter is foundational in ensuring they have the confidence to be themselves.

We look forward to taking you around our village green setting and showing you school life in person. You might encounter outdoor learning taking place in our farm or historic tree house, or hear directly from students about how participating in inter-disciplinary projects enriches their learning and their sense of their place in the world – you might also receive a friendly ‘hello’ bark from our school dog.

You will see we are less hierarchical and more democratic than other schools. First names are used between students and staff and there is no uniform. Every child is unique, and we get to know every individual so we can best support their learning, personal development and pastoral care.

Since our founding in 1898, we have continuously evolved our forward-thinking, progressive approach to education to develop a curriculum full of learning experiences that are active, creative and challenging. Examination success is important, and our strong academic outcomes are a consequence of our approach to broad, holistic development; our children are intellectually ambitious because they are genuinely interested in the world around them.

Students at The King Alfred School are full of hope for tomorrow; they are actively engaged in developing a better future and we work tirelessly to ensure they are equipped with the skills, knowledge and compassion to be able to both imagine and to shape this future.

Come and see for yourself at one of our open events, you’ll find details on our website.

We look forward to meeting you.

Stephen Campbell Head