King's and the Cathedral

The School has enjoyed a long history of close association with Gloucester Cathedral and the Abbey that preceded it.

When William the Conqueror sent the Norman Abbot Serlo to Gloucester in 1072, he found that there were already eight boys being educated there. When Henry VIII closed down the Abbeys of England nearly five centuries later, he realised the important educational work being done at Gloucester and set aside money for the foundation of the King's School.

For the present day boys and girls of King's, as well as their teachers, the Cathedral remains a special place. Daily assemblies are held in the Nave, the Quire or the Chapter House. In such inspirational settings, they provide a unique opportunity to set aside our secular world and to grasp something that is greater and more timeless. King's still provides the choristers for the Cathedral Choir and many ex-choristers continue to participate in the School's musical life.

In recent years it has become a tradition to ask those who leave King's at the age of eighteen to record highlights they have specially appreciated during their time at the School. Naturally, they tend to mention sports they have played, clubs they have taken part in, exciting trips they have been on and friendships they have formed – but always ranking near the top comes involvement in the life of the Cathedral: the Chapel Choir, being a Server, taking part in Carol Services, and so on.