History
In 1335 Bishop John de Grandisson bought the manor of Ottery St Mary from the Dean and Chapter of Rouen who had owned it since 1061. He obtained a royal licence from Edward III to found his College of Secular Canons and established a choir school in Ottery St Mary in 1335 for eight boys and a Master of Grammar. The school did not start very promisingly in 1337 with the members of the choir-school being accused of “dissolute and insolent behaviour in the parish”. Flogging was the order of the day, Bishop Grandisson being something of a disciplinarian, but as this did not work the boys were heavily fined for every day’s absence from the choir. For over two hundred years the canons carried out Bishop Grandisson’s instructions and the choir school boys were educated.
During these two hundred years the English long-bowmen fought and won the battles of Crecy (1346) and Agincourt (1415), parts of England were ravaged by the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485) and the Welshman Henry Tudor restored some peace and order before passing the throne to his son Henry VIII. Eventually the Reformation reached the College and in 1545 it was dissolved. However upon some whim or persuasion he was prompted to establish a free grammar school.- hence “The King’s School”. The site occupied by the school today on the outskirts of Ottery St Mary dates to 1912.
1900
28 boys – Headteacher Mr Frank Wyatt of Dawlish
1906
Two classrooms – full forms
1907
Scheme to transfer the school to a new building and convert it to a co-educational grammar school.
1909-ish
Current site bought for £557 16s 3d., from Exeter Episcopal Charities.
1911
Contract for new school – W J Granger of Whimple – for £6275
1912
23 January 1912 – new school opened. The old school site of The Priory was let for £40 – eventually became the Police Station
1920
School’s first girl graduate – E Joyce Seward
1921
285 pupils – mainly fee paying, with some free places
1924
James Johnson of Melton Mowbray succeeded Mr Wyatt as Headteacher.
1927
Only 99 boys and 44 girls in attendance.
1934
Nine boys went on a school cruise to Norway and Denmark
1935
Electric lights replaced gas
1937
New cricket pavilion
1939
86 evacuees came to the school. Trenches were dug to accommodate the whole school
1945
Incident with local farmer over drainage problems. £20 settled the issue!
1946
Mr. Crowther appointed Headteacher
1947
New dining rooms – Miss Pollard – Cook-Supervisor
1950
Mr. Sydney Andrew becomes Headteacher
1953
New Library/Art Block – girls playground asphalted.
1955
New Chemistry/Biology block.
1958
Mains water. Entry of 75 to First Year. The Sixth Form was 40
1963
New Hall, Library, Changing Rooms, new Physics Laboratory
1966
Swimming Pool built
1972
Dr. M E Denning appointed Headteacher
1976
New Craft Block built
1982
Drama, Art, Music and Science provision increased. School intake became non-selective
1988
Final grammar school entrants complete Sixth Form; school population all non-selective. Mr. Larry Watkins appointed Headteacher
1989
Mr. Barry Teare appointed Headteacher.
1996
New teaching block for Geography, History, RE and Foreign Languages.
1997
Mr. Roger Fetherston appointed Headteacher.
2001
New Dining Hall added to the Humanities & Language Block/Reception Area greatly expanded.
2002
Sport College Status achieved
2003
New Teaching Rooms for Math & English and a New Dance Studio added to the Colin Tooze Sports Centre.
2004
Miss Faith Jarrett appointed as Headteacher. The school now has just over 1010 students.
2009
New Geography Rooms and Sixth Form Centre built over old swimming pool.
2011
Awarded Outstanding Status by Ofsted, became an academy
2013
New Business Studies, ICT, PSHE and English Rooms built in a New-Block extension and temporary classrooms demolished
2016
Mr. Rob Gammon appointed headteacher
2018
Canteen Extended and Car Park facility improved.