KES Bath IS A FINALIST FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL OF THE YEAR: sOUTH
National award recognition follows The Sunday Times South West School of the Year Success and Best Value recognition from The Telegraph.
King Edward's School, Bath (KES) is delighted to announce that it is finalist in the Independent School of the Year Awards 2026 in the highly competitive Regional Independent School of the Year: South category.
The recognition places KES among the leading independent schools in southern England and comes in the same academic year that the School was named The Sunday Times 2026 Independent Secondary School of the Year for the South West, reinforcing its reputation for delivering an exceptional education shaped by academic ambition, outstanding opportunities beyond the classroom and a deep commitment to its community.
The Independent School of the Year Awards, organised by Independent School Parent magazine, celebrate the very best of the independent sector and the distinctive experiences that schools provide for their pupils. The Regional Independent School of the Year: South category further recognises schools that make exceptional use of their location to enrich learning, broaden opportunities and contribute positively to the communities they serve.
For KES, being a finalist reflects the distinctive ways in which the School draws strength from its location in Bath and the wider South West. As Bath's original grammar school, KES combines a rich heritage with a forward-looking approach, creating opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.
At the heart of this approach are partnerships that connect pupils with the cultural, educational and sporting strengths of the region. Through long-standing collaborations with Bath Philharmonia and the Holburne Museum, pupils work alongside professional musicians, artists and curators, developing their skills, creativity and cultural awareness. Crucially, these partnerships extend beyond KES, helping to bring high-quality arts experiences to pupils in local state schools and strengthening cultural education across the city.
The School's educational offer is further enhanced through its close relationship with many of the region’s leading sports academies including Bath Rugby, the Team Bath Buccaneers Talent Academy for Hockey, the Team Bath Netball Player Pathway and Bath Cricket Club. These connections have helped support another exceptional year of achievement, both academically and on the sports field.
This year, KES pupils continued to secure outstanding examination outcomes and places on highly competitive university courses, including Medicine, Veterinary Science, Dentistry and Oxbridge. The School's academic success sits alongside a holistic approach to education that was recognised by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, which identified a Significant Strength in KES's culture of wellbeing, belonging and mutual support. The School has also recently been recognised by The Telegraph as the 2026 Best Value Independent School in the South West, following the paper's analysis identifying the schools that deliver the most for their fees.
A defining feature of KES is its long-standing commitment to ensuring that opportunity is shared. Through its Bursary programme, the School is widening access to a transformational education for talented young people from a broad range of backgrounds, helping to strengthen social mobility across Bath and the wider region. This commitment sits alongside extensive partnership work with local schools, charities and community organisations.
One example is the School's annual Activities Week programme, which welcomes more than 300 local primary school pupils to participate in subject-based workshops led by KES staff, inspiring curiosity, confidence and aspiration. Pupils themselves play an active role in community partnerships throughout the year, contributing their time, leadership and energy to initiatives that address genuine local needs.
Commenting on the recognition, Headmaster, Martin Boden, said:
"We are delighted to be a finalist in the Independent School of the Year Awards. This recognition reflects not only the achievements of our pupils and staff, but also the remarkable opportunities that come from being part of Bath and the wider South West.
"Our partnerships, our commitment to widening access through bursaries, our sporting and cultural connections and our strong sense of community all help to create an education that enables young people to flourish. To receive this recognition in the same year as being named The Sunday Times Independent Secondary School of the Year for the South West, and The Telegraph Best Value Independent Schoolin the South West makes it particularly special."
