King's Ely (renamed from "The King's School" in March 2012), is a co-educational public school (English private boarding and day school) and Cathedral school in the city of Ely in England. It was founded in 970 AD, making it one of the oldest schools in the world. It was given its Royal Charter by King Henry VIII in 1541. The school consists of a nursery, a pre-preparatory school, a junior school, a senior school, a sixth form, and an international school. King's Ely is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. In 2021, The Independent Schools Inspectorate published their report writing that "King's Ely achieved the highest grading possible in every category inspected and was judged to meet or exceed all regulatory standards for independent day and boarding schools." The school has produced a number of notable alumni, including, Edward the Confessor, King of England, Lord Browne of Madingley, erstwhile chairman of British Petroleum, and James Bowman, countertenor. King's Ely has featured in the local news for its sports results, and it has produced a bronze medal-winning Olympic athlete, Goldie Sayers, who won a Bronze Medal for Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Much of the senior school uses the historic monastic buildings of the cathedral, and major school events and twice-weekly services are held there. One of the boys' boarding houses, School House, is claimed to be the oldest residential building in Europe. In its entirety, the school has over 1,000 pupils. It has a small campus, with other parts in buildings near the city centre. All King's Ely sections share resources such as sports facilities and the refectory in the Monastic Barn (unless in Sixth Form where pupils eat in the Bishop's Palace). History General History King's Ely is one of seven schools established, or in some cases including this one, re-endowed and renamed, by King Henry VIII in 1541 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The school has its origins in the religious house founded in Ely by St Etheldreda in 673 AD. Before 1720 it was called the Ely Cathedral Grammar School. The first girls were admitted in 1970 and the school has since become fully coeducational. In 2004, Susan Freestone was appointed its first female Head, taking over from Richard Youdale who had been headmaster for 12 years. In 1973, Queen Elizabeth II came to the school to celebrate the anniversary of the