- What are the hours of the school day?
9.00 am to 4.30 pm - How many pupils are there in each class?
On average there are 25 pupils per class and four classes per year group. Setting (across five sets) is used in some subjects to allow for more personalised learning and smaller groups. - What is the ratio of international pupils at the school?
80% of our pupils are Spanish and 20% international, of whom approximately half are British and the rest are from all over the world. There are currently 48 nationalities in the school. - Which curriculum does the school follow?
The English National Curriculum. - Are the teachers British?
All academic staff teaching the English National Curriculum are qualified British teachers, with the exception of some of the language teachers, who are native speakers. Those teaching Spanish language, Spanish validation and Bachillerato are qualified native Spanish teachers. - What language do the pupils speak in the playground?
On the whole most of our pupils speak Spanish in the playground, so new children joining the school with little or no knowledge of the language generally pick it up very quickly. English is the language of the classroom. - Will my child learn Spanish at King’s College?
All pupils at King’s College study Spanish. Spanish pupils are required to take a minimum number of Spanish classes per week, the frequency and number depending on their age. Non-Spanish speakers are taught Spanish as a foreign language at all ages. - What other languages are available?
French and German to GCSE and GCE A Level. Chinese is available as an optional class. - Is religion part of the curriculum?
At KCA, pupils learn about all aspects of religious beliefs and cultures throughout the world. We celebrate the traditional aspects of Christianity eg through our Carol Concerts. - What sports are available?
- Football.
- Basketball.
- Judo.
- Gymnastics.
- Athletics.
- Swimming.
- Table tennis.
- How much homework is set?This depends on the age of the pupil. As a general rule, in Early Years children will start to bring home reading and number homework during Reception.In the Key Stage One children will be expected to read regularly at home (English and Spanish), they will have weekly spelling words to learn and will be set some basic maths homework, much of the homework will be set using online resources.In Key Stage Two pupils use a homework diary to note down any homework tasks they need to remember. As in Key Stage One, children are expected to read regularly (English and Spanish), they will have weekly spelling words to learn and will be set maths and Spanish homework, much of the homework linked to the British Curriculum will be set using online resources. On occasion children will also be set project homework linked to the topics being studied.In the Secondary Department pupils are set purposeful, relevant homework tasks on a regular basis.In years 7-9 pupils should expect to be doing no more than ½ hour – 1 hour of homework a night. In Years 10 and 11 the amount of homework would increase to 1 – 1 ½ hours. In Years 12 and 13 students must take much more responsibility for their own learning and should expect, as a minimum, to be studying 6 to 8 hours a week per subject. If homework is not set they should use the time to review past content or read around their subject.
- What examinations do students take at the school?
IGCSE (Cambridge), GCSE (Edxcel), A Level (Cambridge, Edexcel and AQA) and Spanish University entrance. - Where do students go after finishing their studies at King’s College?
Students who finish their education at King’s College enter universities all over the world. In the past, the majority of ex-students have entered British universities and a considerable number have been admitted to top institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College and LSE. Other prestigious universities have entered include Durham, St. Andrew’s, Edinburgh, Manchester and numerous colleges belonging to the University of London.Some students have preferred to attend Spanish universities (UAM, Complutense, Carlos III, etc.) and many others have decided to continue their higher education in other parts of the world and have gained entry to universities in the USA (Boston College, Harvard, MIT, New York, Princeton and Rutgers), Canada (McGill, Dalhousie, University of Toronto and Waterloo), France (Sorbonne) and Japan (Aoyama, ICU, Keio, Sofia, Tokio, Tsukubu and Waseda), as well as in Australia, Chile, Korea,Turkey, Venezuela, etc. - Is it possible to study at King’s College for one term only?
The minimum time we can normally accept pupils is for one whole academic year.
However, for certain courses the minimum stay is two full academic years. This is true of the (I)GCSE course in Years 10 & 11 and the A Level (AS & A2) courses in Years 12 and 13, which are integral 2 year programmes. - How well do new international pupils adapt to the school?
Pupils at King’s College are used to welcoming newcomers and on the whole are very friendly and helpful. The Heads of the different departments make sure that “buddies” are always on hand to show newcomers the ropes at first. However, much depends on the attitude of the new pupil and how willing he/she is to make new friends and join in with the rest. - How do I go about applying for a place for my child?
The first step in the admissions process is to send in an application form which may be obtained from our web page or by contacting the Admissions Department directly.The procedures for admission vary slightly according to the age of the candidate (please see Admissions).Infants are required to provide reports from the school of origin whilst Juniors and Seniors must take entrance examinations in Mathematics, English and N.V.R. School reports for the two years prior to entry are also taken into consideration. - Does King’s College accept pupils with little or no English?
We take children with no English between the ages of 2 and 4.For a limited number of Primary pupils between the ages of 5 and 14, we offer an “Induction English” programme. This is a special course for non-English speaking newcomers of proven academic ability, whose entry to King’s College would not otherwise be possible.They receive intensive English classes in very small groups and individual support is provided in mainstream lessons.From the age of 10 onwards new pupils must have a high level of English to enter the school. - Which Exam Boards do pupils follow at each level?
King’s College I/GCSE Exam Boards and Course Numbers: PEARSON/EDEXCELPEARSON/EDEXCEL
Art and Design: Fine Art: 4FAO
Biology: 4BIO
Business Studies: 4BSO
Chemistry: 4CHO
Economics: 4ECO
English Language: 4EAO
English Literature: 4ETO
English 2nd Language: 4ESO
French: 4FRO
Geography: 4GEO
German: 4GNO
Mathematics: 4MAO
Music: GCSE 2MU01
Physics: 4PHO
Spanish: 4SPO
CAMBRIDGE IGCSE
History : 0470
AQA – All GCSE not IGCSE
Physical Education:
Computer Science: 4512
King’s College Alicante A-Level Exam Boards and Course Numbers:
PEARSON/EDEXCEL
Art & Design/Fine Art: 9FA0
Biology: 9BI0
Chemistry: 9CH0
Economics: IAL YEC0
English Literature: 9ET0
French: 9FR0
Geography: 9GE0
German: 9GN0
Mathematics: AS-8371 A2-9371
Further Maths: AS – 8372
Physics: 9PH0
Spanish: 9SP0
CAMBRIDGE A-Level
Business Studies: 9609
History: 9389
AQA A-Level
Computer Science: 7517D