King Henry VIII School

• Location: Coventry, England,
• Year of foundation: 1545,
• Number of students: more than 1300,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type: mixed.

King Henry VIII School is a day school offering quality education to children between the ages of 3 and 18.

The institution was opened in 1545 by Hanaper clerk John Hales as a free grammar school. Having experienced many changes, including relocations and changes in teaching staff and leadership, the school joined Bablake School in 2020. The first admission of students was carried out in September 2021. At the moment, about 1300 pupils of junior, middle and senior classes study here.

Both schools are run by the Coventry School Foundation and have one board of governors, but operate as two separate institutions, only involving the youngest students.

School meals are provided by Holroyd Howe. Every day in the school canteen a wide selection of dishes is offered, which corresponds to the healthy lifestyle and preferences of students.

During the break, students can visit the dining room and choose a snack: cookies, bagels, fruit or the popular baguette pizza. At lunchtime, a wide selection of hot dishes is available, including vegetarian food, pasta and sauces, salads and sandwiches.

On the days of cultural events, a holiday is also held in the dining room. According to a specially created menu, dishes of various cuisines are reproduced: Italian, Indian, Chinese, American and others.

Meals are paid through ParentPay so that parents can closely monitor their child's consumption and expenses. 

Students can take part in extracurricular activities, from county and national sports to public speaking. The school has several dozen student clubs, more than 30 sections and circles, and regularly organizes social events.

The House system is an integral part of the life of the institution. It provides students with the opportunity to show responsibility, leadership, teamwork and fun through friendly competition in a favorable environment. All students are assigned to Homes in Grade 7. Siblings are housed in the same community.

Main events of the Houses:

• 20-minute musical program of choral and instrumental works,
• A 20-minute theatrical performance of a play of choice,
• Athletics competition in the last week of the summer semester,
• Course at War Memorial Park on the first Wednesday of the summer semester.

In addition, students can engage in a variety of sports and recreation activities inside the Houses and with their "rivals". The list of entertainment includes water polo, bouncers, rugby, cooking, cricket and much more.

One of the strongest areas of extracurricular activities at school is music. Every year, a choir of seventh-graders participates in the autumn concert, representing the institution at various competitions. The music department provides students with the opportunity to study both in groups and separately in lessons of singing, playing instruments, and musical technologies.

Sports in the institution are also seriously developed: students are happy to represent the school at competitions in cricket, netball, athletics, climbing, orienteering and other areas. The winners of several sports enjoyed participating in recent team tours to France, Canada, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. During the 2019 Adult Sports Tour, a group of 100 people travelled to South Africa on behalf of the institution: they competed in hockey, rugby and netball with local schools and took part in cultural excursions.

Theatrical art is a popular, fun and exciting activity. Every year, two performances are staged on campus: for high school in the fall semester and for junior classes in the summer semester. Each year, one performance is a play and the other is a musical.

The school has student clubs, where each student will be able to find like-minded people:

• Drama Club,
• Club of Fine Arts, Photography, Textiles,
• Robotics
• Christian Union,
• Media & Marketing,
• Clinic of Psychology,
• Computational thinking,
• Law, politics and economics,
• Debates and public speaking,
• Medical Society and others.

Travel is also an integral part of the life of schoolchildren. For example, in Grade 9, students participate in a three-day expedition along a sandstone trail through Cheshire. In recent overseas environmental competitions, students have traveled to Borneo, Peru and South Africa. On day trips to Derbyshire, South Wales, Birmingham and other cities, students are provided with accommodation, meals and transport.

• More than 40 years of modern and successful education,
• School uniform,
• Large selection of extracurricular activities.

The school is located on an 11-acre urban plot. The buildings are an example of Victorian collegial and modern architecture. 

Modern buildings provide many educational opportunities: an art complex, a drama studio, a sports hall, a library, a swimming pool and a fitness room. The school boasts excellent infrastructure for sports, including large fields for football and cricket, volleyball courts, halls for Pilates and yoga.

The main classes are held in classrooms equipped with a modern audio and video system. Computer labs, science labs, recreation areas, and many other locations on campus are also available to students.

The junior school has its own building on the same site, and the preparatory school is within walking distance. The campus's location in close proximity to Coventry Train Station and the main bus routes allows students to easily reach the school from regional areas.

Dates of the academic year:

• Autumn semester: September-December,
• Spring semester: January-March,
• Summer semester: April-July.

The school day is balanced in such a way that students can have time for academic and extracurricular activities. Attendance at the subjects begins at 9:00 and lasts until 16:00, followed by a time to visit sections and clubs.

Additional costs:

• Individual music lessons – 15-19£,
• Registration fee – 50£,
• Deposit – 300£,
• Meals: two-course lunch – about £2.75,
• Off-campus activities,
• School uniform.

Admission process:

• Filling out the application online or on campus,
• Payment of the registration fee,
• Provision of required documents,
• Obtaining an invitation to pass the entrance examinations,
• Payment of the deposit in case of successful results,
• Waiting for an official letter from the admissions office with a schedule.

Enrollment in the school takes place according to the individual data of the applicant and if there are free places. At the junction of school departments (during the transition from primary school to secondary school, from secondary to senior school), about 50% of already studying students and the same number of beginners are admitted to the next class.

The school boasts a large number of successful graduates who have built careers in various fields: from sports to politics. This fact ensures that current students will successfully enter leading universities and begin adulthood in the direction that they like.

All applicants are required to provide personal documents and reports from past places of study. Starting from the sixth grade, future students undergo several entrance tests, according to the results of which enrollment takes place. The admissions committee considers each application individually, without comparing the children with each other.

The school has a system of discounts for several children from the same family. The reward is 3% of the tuition fee for three students, 4% for four, and so on.

Also, successful students in the academic field have the opportunity to receive scholarships and individual awards.

For families experiencing financial difficulties, there is a financial assistance program that provides up to 90% of the total amount of payment for the school year.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision