The King’s School Canterbury Marks Bengaluru Launch, Beginning a New Chapter in a 1,400-Year Story

Bengaluru : The King’s School Canterbury, one of the world’s oldest schools, today marked the launch of The King’s School Canterbury, Bengaluru, at an event held at the Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru.

Founded in 597 AD, The King’s School Canterbury has more than 1,400 years of educational heritage. The new school brings together that history, educational experience and distinctive King’s ethos with the character, energy and context of Bengaluru. The partnership combines the values and educational philosophy of King’s Canterbury with Vidyashilp Education Group’s deep educational expertise, local knowledge and long-standing commitment to education in Bengaluru. The school will welcome its first pupils for the 2027–28 academic year, beginning a new chapter in the King’s story and creating a distinctive King’s education for children growing up in one of India’s most dynamic cities.

The launch brought together senior leaders from The King’s School Canterbury and Vidyashilp Education Group, alongside education leaders, dignitaries, founding partners and members of the Bengaluru community. Mr Owen Richards, Deputy Head of Mission, British Deputy High Commission, Bengaluru, and Mr Tony Puri, CEO, Minerva International Education Ltd., were among those present for the occasion.

The partnership was formally marked through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by Dr Kiran Pai, Managing Director, Vidyashilp Education Group, and Ms Nina Hunt, Managing Director, The King’s School Canterbury International, in the presence of senior representatives from both institutions.

Speaking about the partnership, Dr Kiran Pai, Managing Director, Vidyashilp Education Group, said: “The King’s School Canterbury carries a remarkable legacy of more than 1,400 years, and bringing that heritage to Bengaluru marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. We wanted a partnership where the original school would play an active role in shaping and delivering education here, with high standards extending across the institution. Together, we are creating opportunities for students to become part of a truly global King’s network, connecting them with an international community and a distinguished alumni legacy.”

The occasion also included reflections on the importance of educational collaboration between the United Kingdom and India, and on Bengaluru’s growing role as an international centre for education, innovation and opportunity.

Mr Owen Richards, Deputy Head of Mission, British Deputy High Commission, Bengaluru, said: “The King’s School Canterbury has come to the right country, the right state, at the right time. India’s immense human potential and thirst for knowledge make it a natural partner for educational collaboration. As the UK and India deepen their partnership in education, institutions such as King’s have an important role in nurturing the next generation of global talent. I am confident that the school will equip its students with critical thinking, integrity, resilience, curiosity and knowledge to navigate an increasingly complex world.”

A key part of the programme offered guests an immersive introduction to The King’s School Canterbury and the story that connects Canterbury with Bengaluru. Through presentations, film and visual storytelling, guests were introduced to the school’s 1,400-year history, its traditions and the values that continue to shape a King’s education today.

The programme explored not simply the longevity of the institution, but what that heritage means for children now: a tradition of scholarship and curiosity, strong relationships, breadth of opportunity and an education concerned with the development of the whole person. Guests were also given an insight into the wider King’s community and the way in which its educational principles are being carried into an increasingly international context.

Ms Camilla Webster, Head of Pre-Prep and Nursery, The King’s School Canterbury, spoke about what a King’s childhood feels like in practice and how the culture, relationships and expectations established in a child’s earliest years can shape everything that follows.

The Bengaluru school was then introduced by Ms Leigh Holmes-Hill, Founding Head of Prep, The King’s School Canterbury, Bengaluru, who shared the educational vision for the founding school and presented the first detailed look at the campus through rendered films and images.

At the heart of that vision is the belief that the earliest years of education matter profoundly. The school is being designed as a place where children are known and understood, where curiosity and creativity are encouraged, where children learn to make connections between ideas, people and the world around them, and where strong academic foundations sit alongside the development of character. It will be a place where children develop the confidence to ask questions, take appropriate risks, persevere and discover what they are capable of.

The King’s School Canterbury, Bengaluru will open with Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 for the 2027–28 academic year, welcoming children from the age of three. Further Year groups will be added progressively as the founding pupils move through the school. Over time, the Bengaluru campus is planned to develop into a complete school pathway, enabling children to continue their education within the King’s community as the school grows.

This phased approach will allow the school’s culture, traditions and educational expectations to grow deliberately alongside its founding pupils and families. While drawing deeply on the heritage and educational experience of The King’s School Canterbury, the Bengaluru school will not simply reproduce Canterbury in another setting. It will be recognisably King’s while being unmistakably shaped by Bengaluru, its children and its families.

The launch therefore marks more than the opening of a new school. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in a story that began in Canterbury more than fourteen centuries ago.

When the founding pupils arrive in 2027, they will become part of that story from its very beginning in Bengaluru helping to establish the culture, traditions and community that will define the school for generations to come.

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