Welcome to the Senior School
Nestled within 320 acres of established parkland in the demographic heart of Australia’s largest global city, the Senior School provides the perfect setting for boys to explore and engage with their learning, develop skills and build strong community relationships.
Boys are able to access everything they need for academic, physical, social and spiritual development, from airy, engaging classrooms, to welcoming boarding houses, high quality sporting facilities and plenty of wide-open spaces. The King’s School, Senior School is designed to inspire.
Meet the head of Senior School and Deputy Headmaster
Rev. Stephen Edwards
M.Ed (WSU), B.Arts (UoW), B. Theology (Hons), Dip. Arts -Theology (Moore)
Stephen has been deeply involved in education for many years, and takes an active interest in the pastoral care of our boys and their families in his role as the Head of Senior School. Stephen is committed and enthusiastic about the King’s education and he has worked at King’s for over 20 years and continues to engage in relationships within our community as the foundation for growing and developing our boys.
He is passionate about sports as the Chaplain to the St George-Illawarra Dragons NRL side and a victorious coach of the First Junior VIII. He is equally impassioned by the bush and can often be found at his family property in the Central West of NSW during term breaks.
Academic Excellence
The King’s School is recognised for the academic successes of our students and has become one of the highest achieving non-selective schools through our commitment to academic excellence.
During their Senior School years, boys build on the solid foundations of primary schooling, enriching their learning and strengthening their skills. Our focus is on delivering authentic learning experiences that develop young men to take their place in the workforce or go on to further studies.
Our School motto, ‘Fortiter et Fideliter‘ empowers our students to be brave learners, to take risks, to fail and as a result, develop resilience.
Students need to be able to make a positive impact on their surroundings, influence the future, understand others’ intensions, actions and feelings, and anticipate the short- and long-term consequences of their actions in order that they might graduate as global thought leaders, with Christian wisdom and integrity for a world in need.
The Senior School offers the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) curriculum organised into three stages:
- Stage 4 (Years 7 and 8)
- Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10)
- Stage 6 (Years 11 and 12)
The wide range of courses caters for different interests and ability levels, and boys are encouraged to choose courses appropriate to their needs and which will help build on their abilities.
The current curriculum and courses offered are structured according to these three stages of learning and include a wide range of subjects and interests.
King’s currently offers more than 45 HSC subjects. Students can specialise in a particular area or choose a diverse combination of subjects. Marks come from a combination of internal assessments and external HSC examinations, as well as major projects and performances in specialist subjects.
The School also offers access to VET courses at TAFE. Vocational Education and Training courses offered through TAFE will count towards the HSC and will also lead to qualifications recognised across a range of industries. Students may choose to enrol in both ATAR framework and non-ATAR framework courses.
Success for each student at King’s is to feel a sense of rigour, motivation, achievement and enjoyment from what they are learning by acknowledging their learning needs, strengths, interests and goals.
The Enrichment and Extension opportunities at King’s endeavours to ensure that the needs of all our students are met through varied and rigorous classroom and co-curricular experiences.
A team of specialised Educational Support Services (ESS) teachers work collaboratively with staff to enable boys to develop their full academic, social and emotional potential. ESS supports students to consolidate their literacy skills and students with English as a second language.
Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses provide workplace skills, technical knowledge and qualifications for rewarding jobs and careers. The King’s School is committed to preparing our young men to take their place in the workforce or go on to further studies. Every student learns differently and there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to learning.
For some students, learning takes place through practical experiences at school or in the workplace. VET courses are accredited by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and can count towards a Record of School Achievement (RoSA) and NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC). These courses provide students with a practical hands-on style of learning, allowing them to achieve success in their chosen area while providing them with real-world experience and work-ready qualifications.
With courses on offer on-site such as Construction, Business Services, Primary Industries, and plans to further expand these offerings in the future, there are several exciting opportunities for our students to explore and develop their skillset.
To learn more about the VET courses on offer at The King’s School, please click here.
The Senior Library staff provide a welcoming and dynamic learning environment that empowers students to be collaborative, curious, creative, critical, and competent users of information, and to be engaged readers.
Located on the top level of the Centre for Learning and Leadership, the Library is a well-resourced and dynamic space with flexible learning areas dedicated to reading, maker education, individual study, and group work. The Library is also home to The King’s Institute and the Professional Learning Centre for staff. These spaces cater for formal classes, informal use by students and staff, and co-curricular activities that include the Reading and Writing Clubs, and the MakerPlace
The King’s Senior School is officially approved and authorised by the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). International Baccalaureate schools share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education, that The King’s School believes is important for our students. Only schools authorised by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, or the Career-related Programme (CP). For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the globe. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education and is recognised by many universities worldwide.
The King’s School will offer the IB Diploma Programme to students entering Years 11 and 12, a diverse and rigorous pattern of study that provides an excellent foundation for higher education, as an alternative pathway to the HSC.
Character Development
The King’s School is renowned for the character and integrity of our students, qualities that are framed by our values – the supporting pillars of all that it is to be a Kingsman.
Students are encouraged to participate in the co-curricular activities on offer, facing the inherent challenges that aim to inspire and develop them during their learning adventure, and build a sense of belonging and community pride.
The King’s School fosters an environment of enjoyment and advancement in sport. It is an activity that cultivates leadership, resilience and teamwork and is where our students can test themselves through physical endeavour.
From basketball and cricket, to volleyball and water polo, boys have every opportunity to develop their skills and build character.
The King’s School Cadet Corps is the oldest and one of the largest in Australia, involving over 800 cadets. It is a compulsory activity for boys in Years 9 and 10, becoming optional in Years 11 and 12. The attraction to remain in Cadets is strong with many leadership opportunities for senior Cadets through Promotion Courses.
From Term 4 in 2025, we are excited to introduce Year 7 students to our Cadet Unit, offering a modified program tailored to their age and maturity. This specially designed program for Year 7 students focuses on introducing basic skills and concepts in a supportive and safe environment. The program goes beyond normal outdoor activities and recreation, with the focus being leadership development and unit collaboration through the five key integrated programs.
Read our section on Leadership Opportunities for in-depth information on the wide range of leadership opportunities we provide.
Performing Arts is a vibrant aspect of life at King’s and one in which the majority of students are involved. The School continues to attract talented musicians and performers and the calibre of School productions across the year are a highlight in the School and community calendars.
The commitment of our students to the arts is evident through the extensive range of ensembles and choral groups on offer and the outstanding calibre of students involved.
With its inclusive, participatory approach to Music and Drama, The King’s School caters for the interests and abilities of every boy from the beginner to the most advanced.
King’s offers an extensive array of clubs and societies. These clubs range from being academic focused such as the Academic Enrichment Club to more hands-on such as the Industrial Arts and Agriculture Clubs. Clubs and societies are attended in addition to the students’ sporting endeavours.
Weekly boarders are more than welcome to remain at School for the weekends if they choose – and indeed many do, with the many sporting and social activities on during the School term.
Christian Community
The Christian Community of King’s continues to promote the physical, spiritual, emotional and psychological flourishing of every student so that they may be of ongoing benefit to others.
As an integral part of King’s Christian ethos, we welcome all students and families – of any or no faith – to join the Christian Community of The King’s School.
Our vibrant and creative Chaplaincy team have the vital function of upholding and promoting the Christian foundations and values of King’s. Chapel services are an integral experience of the King’s School as a Christian Community.
Through them, students and staff can engage with the message of Christ, explore the Scriptures together, and be challenged by the faith, values, and practices that arise from them.
Our Chaplaincy team focuses on the spiritual wellbeing of our community, but also seeks to address the needs and questions of the whole person.
Biblical Studies is part of every boy’s experience throughout their time at King’s. They will examine key Christian concepts and the foundational story that underpins the School, the impact of Christianity on social and community issues, Christian ethics in decision-making and theories, and Christian faith in a more conversational forum.
Our CRU Groups are our lunchtime devotional spaces that form part of our wide array of co-curricular offerings at King’s.
Students have opportunities to make friends, to explore the Christian faith further, to join together with others who identify as Christian, and to find pathways for Christian leadership. We join together with other schools for combined CRU events, and we attend a camp each year with TARA Girls’ School CRU Groups.
The emphasis of wellbeing at King’s is to strive to ensure that our students have good mental health, high life satisfaction, a sense of meaning or purpose, and ability to manage stress. Wellbeing is fundamental to health, a person’s ability to overcome challenges and flourish in life. This is achieved integrating our activities and programs within the King’s distinctive of Academics, Character Development and Christian Community.
Good relationships are integral in supporting and improving the mental health of our students. The House system and Mentor Groups provide small communities within the School to establish closer bonds and a greater sense of identity. Our Chaplaincy team, Year Coordinators and Counsellors also make available further layers of wellbeing support.
Healthy, positive relationships are a cornerstone of student life and wellbeing. Our pastoral care program nurtures positive mindsets and a sense of spiritual connection in every student, ensuring they feel a genuine sense of belonging and part of their immediate surroundings and the wider King’s community.
Nursing and medical care is provided onsite in the School’s Health Centre by qualified medical staff. A registered nurse is in residence every night to provide 24 hour care and the School Doctor conducts regular clinics.
The Dining Hall is the real heart of the campus.
Students and staff come together socially three times a day as they share nutritionally balanced and inspired meals, prepared fresh on site.
Student leadership
Our leadership program is extensive and incorporates a number of avenues for boys. This includes service learning, house leadership and school monitors, The King’s School Cadet Corps, our Boys to Men Program, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, community outreach and numerous seminars and exchanges.
The King’s School was established to provide Australia with the next generation of leaders. This original charter remains central to both our Mission and the educational offering the school provides.
Facilities
The unique Australian landscape of The King’s School offers students world-class learning spaces, highest quality sporting complexes and outdoor space to fuel challenge and adventure.
- World-class academic centres
- Extensive sporting facilities
- Rich music and arts resources
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