Head of House – Mrs Sandie Blair

Kingsley Tutor Groups:

Year 7: MR, HB
Year 8: RG, PH
Year 9: LE, JL
Year 10: AO, AN
Year 11: AC, JP

House Head Prefects – Faye MacKenzie, Heidi Smith
House Deputy Head Prefects – Joshua Clarke, Isabella Elston

History

The Kingsley name originates from two inspirational historical figures with links to the North Devon.

Charles Kingsley 1819 – 1875

Charles Kingsley was a prominent figure in Victorian England: he was known as a Christian Socialist, a controversial essayist, a poet and a novelist. He is perhaps most famous for his novel The Water Babies, published in 1863. Born at Holne Vicarage in Dartmoor, he lived a short time in Clovelly which he loved. In 1830 he followed in his father’s footsteps and became a vicar of Eversley in Hampshire but continued to come to Devon on Holiday.
In 1855 he wrote the book “Westward Ho!” telling of Elizabethan days and the Spanish Main. The main character was Amyas Leigh who lived in a large house in Northam in the late 1500’s. The village of Westward Ho! was named after the book.

Mary Kingsley 1862 -1900

Mary Kingsley was a traveller, explorer and writer and a niece of Charles Kingsley. She was born in Islington in 1862. A fearless and determined woman, Mary lived and explored extensively in Africa at a time when it was uncommon for women to travel. On her many adventures she encountered dangers such as crocodiles, tornados and even cannibals!

She collected rare specimens of fish and insects and was one of the first to demand fair treatment for the people of Africa by their colonial rulers. During the Second Boer War Kingsley volunteered as a nurse. She died of typhoid at Simon’s Town, where she was treating Boer prisoners.