The King Alfred School

Home
United Kingdom
London
The King Alfred School

King Alfred School is an informal independent day school situated on the edge of Hampstead Heath

There is something quite distinctive about the King Alfred School. Unique amongst independent schools in its progressive roots, an absence of formality and petty rules allows us to treat young people as the individuals they are. By emphasising the development of a safe, non-competitive and relaxed community, we are able to claim both outstanding examination results and, perhaps more importantly, h

appy and confident students. Embracing the inspirational surroundings of the Hampstead Heath fringes, our small but vibrant day-school offers a broad curriculum, an extensive extra-curricular and enrichment programme, and strives to remove the formal barriers found in many other educational establishments. Students dress casually and staff, known to all pupils by their first names, place tremendous value on the creation of friendly one to one working relationships. Whether aged 4 or 18, the children in our care are put first, and we feel that we have created a community that sets itself apart from comparable schools. It is an atmosphere and a difference that is hard to describe in words…so please feel free to come and sample a little of it for yourselves.

28/08/2026

What happens when young people are supported to explore ideas, take creative risks and develop their own artistic voice?

This ✨

Last month's stunning End of Year Exhibition brought together work by A level & GCSE students studying:

🎨 Art
📸 Photography
🧑‍🏭 Three-Dimensional Design

The wide-ranging work on display was a celebration not only of technical accomplishment, but also of curiosity, individuality and imagination.

One parent commented: "It's easily as good as anything you'd see in a gallery" 😍

Congratulations to all students who showed their work!

20/08/2026

🎉 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝-𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐂𝐒𝐄 𝐝𝐚𝐲! 🎉

Our Year 11 students are celebrating an outstanding set of results today, including:

💫 68.4% of grades awarded at 9-7 (20% higher than the independent school average!)
💫 A pass rate of 97.3% (grade 4 or above)

Head Robert said: "These results demonstrate that young people can achieve outstanding academic outcomes whilst genuinely enjoying their education and developing as a whole person." ✨

Congratulations to all our students, and thank you to the staff, families and wider KAS community who have supported them every step of the way 👏

13/08/2026

𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞 ✨

There were smiles, selfies and happy tears today as our Year 13 students received their A Level and Level 3 results.

We couldn't be prouder of everything this brilliant year group has achieved. Today's results were well above national averages (†), with:

🌟 30% of all grades awarded at A*
🌟 Almost half (43%) of grades at A* - A
🌟 Over three quarters (76%) of grades at A* - B

But beyond the results in those little white envelopes, we're just as proud of how each and every young person knows their own mind, has defined their own version of success, and is pursuing their individual dreams.

That's reflected in the diverse range of post-KAS pathways our students are taking, including:

🎓 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 including Cambridge, St Andrews and UCL
🎭 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 including LAMDA, Guildhall and Leeds Conservatoire
🌎 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 including IE University (Madrid), the University of Texas and McGill University (Canada)

Big love must also go to our incredible staff. As 𝐄𝐯𝐢𝐞 𝐏 said: "I felt supported by the teachers from day one, and I don't think I could have achieved my three A grades without their help and encouragement."

Enjoy your celebrations, Class of 2026 👏 We can't wait to see you shine in the world beyond KAS!

† 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘈 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 3 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘥.

10/07/2026

What a year it’s been!

From reunions and career talks to special events and celebrations, it’s been another fantastic year of bringing the Old Alfredian community together. Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared their experiences, volunteered their time and helped make this year so memorable.

We wish all our Old Alfredians a wonderful summer and can’t wait to welcome you back in September, starting with OA Day on Saturday 19th September. See you then!

08/07/2026

It was a pleasure to welcome Dana Karic (OA 2003) back to KAS recently, accompanied by her husband, two young sons and niece. Coming from a family with a long and deep connection to KAS spanning multiple generations, the visit was a wonderful reminder of the lasting bonds our community creates.

Seeing KAS through the eyes of Dana's children made the day particularly special. From peeking into lunchtime in the Main Hall to exploring the playground and mastering the fireman's pole, they embraced every moment with curiosity.

During her previous visit, Dana recorded an episode of Alfredian Voices: What I REALLY Learnt at School which you can listen to now (link in bio). In the conversation, she reflects on the unique experiences that shaped her time at KAS, from helping to build the School's first treehouse and constructing a boat, to performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and celebrating the opening of the Phoenix Theatre. Dana had a full-circle moment during this visit when she showed her children these beloved boats.

Towards the latter part of the visit, Nayan Doshi (OA 1997) joined the group. He is a long-time friend of Dana, and it was lovely to see friendships that began at KAS stand the test of time.

Thank you Dana and Nayan for coming back to see us!

01/07/2026

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

As the school sweltered in the ongoing heatwave, at least we got sunshine for KAStonbury this Saturday! The tipi tent on the field gave much needed shade and a festival feel complete with haybales, wooden tables and benches, and lovely flowers from the lower school classroom planters in glass jars, all collected by KAS students.

Our special thanks go to Phoebe D'Arcy (OA 1999) and Ulrike from KAS Parents for their care and support with KAStonbury this year and particularly our OA lunch, having invited OAs to join at no cost. OAs love our summer community event, with many saying how the new tipi tent was reminiscent of Squirrel Hall!

The expected heat meant a few of our OAs felt unable to attend an outdoor event, and we missed them all, but we also welcomed several back for the first time since leaving KAS.

Part Reunion, part farewell to Robert, several former staff joined us too. Georgina Cooper Friedlos (OA 2020) gave wonderful speech of thanks to Robert. Stay tuned for the Autumn Alfredians to read her speech there.

25/06/2026

✨ A very special KAS visit this week!
Having met Claire’s four children a few years back, and shown them around KAS, it was a pleasure to meet two of her grandchildren just last week and give them a brief tour of the Upper school and some of Claire’s favourite places, where her stories about school and her time here are set. Orr and Shira were full of questions about KAS today and how it compares with their experience in Israel. We chatted about the breadth of subjects at KAS and the value and flexibility the school places on studying STEM subjects alongside creative subjects such as DT and Photography. We talked class sizes, outdoor spaces and learning, the relationship with teachers and the process students have for applying for study beyond KAS. We finished the visit by looking at the old photos from the 1920s in the Sixth Form Study Area and tried to find pictures of their great grandparents who came to KAS. Truly a special moment. We look forward to meeting the rest of the family on another visit soon.
📸 Orr, Claire and Shira at KAS

22/06/2026

Last week, we were delighted to welcome Dinah Heller (OA 1947) and her granddaughter Charlotte to KAS.
A lifelong early years educator, Dinah spent the morning exploring the School with Karen, Head of Lower School, meeting pupils and visiting classrooms.

Dinah celebrated her 96th birthday last week, and we were happy to celebrate the occasion by presenting her with a handmade wooden serving board engraved with her name and the KAS logo. Crafted from the hardwood benches of old science labs, it’s a small piece of the School's history to take home with her all the way to New York.
Dinah also got to meet Cammy in Year 6. Earlier this year, the pair exchanged letters through our Festive Post programme, and it was wonderful to see their correspondence come full circle by meeting in person.

The last stop on the tour ended at Ivy Wood to the A Level DT Exhibition, where both Dinah and Charlotte were impressed by the technical skill and sophistication in the students’ designs.

Dinah noticed many changes since her time at KAS in the 1930s but noted that KAS remain a unique and special place. “Children are truly fortunate to have this very special educational experience.”

20/06/2026

Pastoral care isn’t an add-on – it’s central to who we are as a school.

That’s why we’re delighted that our most recent inspection recognised how our culture of care, understanding and connection supports all students’ physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

This includes:
✨ The nurturing of strong, trusted relationships between staff and students
✨ A dedicated school counsellor available to all
✨ A focus on developing resilience, confidence and a strong sense of belonging
✨ A wide range of co-curricular options – from blacksmithing and bouldering to sewing and swing band – so that everyone can find their passion
✨ An emphasis on student voice – such as our student-led conferences and School Six, our student committee

Our aim is always the same: to ensure every young person feels known, valued and supported 💛

Address

Manor Wood, North End Road
London
NW117HY

Website

http://www.kingalfred.org.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The King Alfred School posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to The King Alfred School:

Want your school to be the top-listed School/college in London?