 Independent secondary schools include Kent College , St Edmund 's School and , what is the oldest school in England , the King 's School . St. Augustine established a school shortly after his arrival in Canterbury in 597 , and it is from this that the King ’ s School grew . The documented history of the school only began after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century , when the school acquired its present name , referring to Henry VIII . The Kings School in Canterbury is one of the top public schools in the United Kingdom , regularly featuring in the top ten most expensive school fees lists . 
