King's High School leaves Warwick town centre site after 140 years

King's High staff, pupils, guests and members of the public gathered in Smith Street for the farewell to the historic site.

Yesterday (Wednesday July 10) pupils, staff, guests and the public gathered in Smith Street as they said goodbye before moving to their new site in Banbury Road.

A blue plaque commemorating the school’s time at the site was also unveiled by Warwick mayor Neale Murphy.

Here's a few photos of King's High School staff and pupils bidding farewell to W...

Staff and pupils then took part in a procession to their new school, which is on the same site as Warwick School and Warwick Prep.

This is the first time all of Warwick Independent Schools Foundation’s schools have come together on one site.

On their arrival they were greeted by pupils from Warwick Prep and Warwick School.

King's High pupils filing into their new outdoor square for their first assembly at their new school site.

After walking through the first section of their new school buildings they held their first school assembly was held in a new outdoor square where they also buried time capsules.

Richard Nicholson, head master at King’s High, said: “It has been an extraordinary day and I think we said farewell to Smith Street in the right way. We had a big welcome here from the boys and girls from Warwick School and Warwick Prep and we had our first assembly in our new school – to me it feels great.”

Sixth Form pupils Rhian Thomas and Alice Commander said: "As sixth formers we have been able to be on both sites and we get to have our last year on this new site.

"It is like we have said hello and goodbye today which is really exciting and also really scary at the same time.

King's High pupils filing in for their first assembly at their new school.

"It is really great to get the experience of both schools and we are really excited."

A group of Year 9 pupils who will be going into Year 10 in September said: "It's exciting but also sad. It will be good to be with the other schools."

The £30 million campus will include a new main school building, a new shared music building, a new sixth form centre and new and improved sports pitches – including 4G and all-weather surfaces.

King's High pupils entering their new school site for the first time.

The foundation has also said in its plans that it intends to increase parking on the site by 104 spaces.

King's High School was opened in 1879 by King’s High’s first Head Mistress, Miss Fisher who was aged 22 at the time.

The school has remained at the forefront of girls’ education ever since, being named the Sunday Times West Midlands Independent Secondary School, 2019.

The school celebrated its 140th year with a series of events, culminating in the Birthday Weekend on July 6 and 7.

The Blue Plaque that was installed outside the former King's High School site in Smith Street, Warwick. Photo by Gill Fletcher.

The anniversary celebrations also included the Warwick Prep Art Exhibition in Old Shire Hall and a Come and Sing Gala Concert at St Mary’s church in Warwick.

The project for the new school started in 2017 and will be fully completed by 2020.